Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader have the most complex relationship in the franchise. They used to have the best relationship; Obi-Wan was not only his mentor but also a father figure to Anakin, but it didn’t take time for Kenobi to become Obi-Wan’s most hated person.
After Anakin embraced the Dark Side and became Darth Vader, he started to hate Obi-Wan so much that he was ready to go to any length to exterminate him from his life. Kenobi and Anakin used to be so close, but that bond remains meaningless for Vader, all he has for Obi-Wan is hate and nothing else.
Why Does Darth Vader Hate Obi-Wan So Much?
Darth Vader himself has stated that Anakin Skywalker is dead and he has erased all the ties relayed with Anakin, but it seems he can’t cut off the beef between him and Obi-Wan, his former teacher.
Although Vader has told this multiple times; how Anakin is dead and he is now more part of it,m we are definitely not going to buy that! Deep inside our hearts, we know that some pieces of Anakin Skywalker are still hanging around him. He has vowed to the Dark Side but he can’t completely change; that’s why he still hates Obi-Wan so much.
Vader’s anger towards Keonobi is so high that he once argued with a group of Force-sensitive warriors to leave him alone so he could seek revenge on Kenobi. When the Grand Inquisitor tried to console Vader for his recent actions, he reminded him that Kenobi was not an ordinary Jedi.
Despite becoming Vader, Anakin Skywalker still exists within him. This is one of the main reasons why he hates him so much. Due to Kenobi’s influence, Vader is unable to fully eradicate his former self. Vader’s hatred towards Kenobi is not because of the physical harm that happened between their battles, but because Kenobi reminds him of who he once was.
Darth Vader wants to fully embrace the Dark Side but his former teacher keeps reminding him of his old self, Anak9in Skywalker.
Luke believed that there was still some goodness within Darth Vader, despite his mask and dark persona in Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Luke hoped to bring back Vader’s humanity and convince him to disobey the orders of the Emperor and save his own son.
During that very moment, we could witness Vader’s persona, and Luke had managed to make a connection with Anakin, the person he wished to forget.
Darth Sidious, the leader of the Dark Side, also sensed that Anakin still existed within Vader, thanks to Obi-Wan Kenobi’s influence. Sidious questioned Vader about this, but Vader denied any attachment to Kenobi. However, it was obvious that, after Padme, Kenobi was someone Vader held in high regard.
Darth Vader holds a deep hatred towards Obi-Wan Kenobi because of the moments he had together when he was still Anakin Skywalker. Vader had wanted to embrace the Dark Side but he failed because of Obi-Wan.
However, Kenobi is not the only person who stopped him from embracing the Dark Side. His children; Luke and Leia play a huge role to keep Anakin alive within Vader. After learning that his children were alive, Vader could never fully embrace the darkness of Darth Vader.
Darth Sidious, the Sith Lord, also thought that Anakin was still alive inside of Vader because of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Vader was questioned by Sidious about this very topic, but he responded that Obi-Wan Kenobi was unimportant to him. But it was clear that, after what happened with Padme, he could never forget Obi-Wan.
Do you know how Obi-Wan and Anakin met and encountered each other?
Obi-Wan Kenobi came across a young boy (Anakin Skywalker) on Tatooine before the War of Naboo. Anakin was very young, but despite his youth, Master Qui-Gon Jinn had already designated Anakin as the “Chosen One.”
Kenobi couldn’t believe it when Master Qui-Gon Jinn said that; he was astounded to see such a young boy having this level of special ability. After the first encounter, Kenobi was assigned to be the mentor of Anakin Skywalker.
Obi-Wan then taught young Anakin the ways of Jedi at Qui-Gon’s request. Anakin had a strong connection with the force but he lacked the proper knowledge and ability to control the force. That’s why He needed a strong and experienced Jedi like Kenobi to guide him in mastering this incredible power.
Alongside being a mentor of Anakin, he also played the role of parent and taught the young valuable lessons of life and guided him, to control his powers. With the help of Kenobi, Anakin learned to control the force and became a person that the people could depend on.
The relationship between the teacher and padawan was really good, they had developed a deep bond with each other. With the assistance of Kenobi, Anakin finally acquired all the requirements to become a skilled Jedi warrior.
Little did he know that their happy moments together would be short-lived…
Anakin Skywalker was deceived by Palpatine, who manipulated him to believe the Jedi’s flaws and how they were trying to get rid of him. Palpatine also falsely claimed that Padme and Kenobi were having an affair, which ignited Anakin’s hatred towards Kenobi even more.
Palpatine’s manipulation ultimately led to Anakin becoming Darth Vader. He claimed to have let go of his old personality, but deep down, he was still holding on to it. During Padme’s final moments, she mentioned a name repeatedly, but it wasn’t Anakin’s. It was Kenobi’s name that she called out, Vader’s anger couldn’t have hit any worst now.
Vader was ultimately trying to believe that Padme and Obi-Wan didn’t have anything in between but after this very moment, he couldn’t turn his back on Obi-Wan.
Anakin believed that Kenobi and his wife had a romantic relationship due to this event. His hatred for Kenobi grew, and he started to take some violent choices. He started reminiscing about every moment Padme and Kenobi had spent together. His emotions were manipulated by his inner demon.
As Vader’s hatred intensified, he started to get drawn more into the Dark Side. Their great relationship never remained the same and now they view each other as their greatest enemies. But if they view each other as their greatest enemies why did Obi-Wan didn’t fight back?
Did Obi-Wan Kenobi let Darth Vader win?
In Star Wars: Episode IV — A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi encountered Vader as he was on his way back to the Falcon after rescuing Princess Leia.
Kenobi knew he had to do something, so he sacrificed himself to save Luke and the others by distracting Vader long enough for them to escape from the Death Star. The showdown between Kenobi and Vader begins.
This was so epic because Obi-Wan said; “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly conceive,” just before he was about to be defeated. There is a different story behind why Obi-Wan gave such a statement to Darth Vader.
Back at the time, in Revenge of the Sith, Yoda had told Kenovbi that Jedi Master Qui-Fon Jinn was finally able to communicate with them using the Force. Yoda also gave advice to Kenobi that; he would be able to learn this technique (to communicate with others with the help of Force) when he’ll be in Tatooine.
Kenobi had already acknowledged that during his ending days, he can be closer to the Force and become a strong warrior even after his death. he was confident that even if he died at that very moment he would still manage to communicate and teach Luke to become a powerful Jedi like him.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was simply not afraid of death because it was not the end of the route. He was already prepared to be one with the Force, so he decided to let Vader remain victorious.
Reasons why Darth Vader Hates Obi-Wan Kenobi
There are numerous reasons why Vader hates his former teacher so much, out of them all, let’s take a look at some of the pivotal reasons;
Darth Vader couldn’t erase his past because of Obi-Wan Kenobi
Vader wanted to embrace the Dark Side truly but he couldn’t because of Kenobi. He wanted to destroy Anakin Skywalker, his true and pure self but Obi-Wan Kenobi was in the way. And no matter what, he still remembered moments of happiness from his time as a Jedi, and he owed those memories to Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The only people Anakin ever cared about were, Padme and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Vader tried to stay within the Dark Side but his connection with Obi-Wan was like a fishbone stuck in his throat. In his mind, getting rid of Obi-Wan was necessary, as he despised him for blocking his path to his former self.
After Padme’s death, Obi-Wan was the only person he had his memories with; because of such memories, he was still reminiscing about his past, as Anakin Skywalker.
Anakin thought Obi-Wan Kenobi was trying to take Padme away from him
As we’ve already stated multiple times, Padme was one of the most important people in Anakin’s life. In fact, he was attempting to embrace the Dark Side for her; after he started having nightmares about Padme dying.
The thought of losing Padme terrified Anakin, and he started to believe that everything was coming between him and Padme’s relationship. he was also terrified that Obi-Wan was one of those people who was trying to take Padme away from her.
His fear have Palpatine a perfect opportunity to manipulate him. The Sith Lord manipulated him and made him believe that his best friend was trying to take the person he loved the most. Anakin got devastated after hearing this news and his hate for Obi-Wan just kept growing deeper and deeper.
He believed that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Padme had an affair
Palpatine manipulated Anakin and made him believe that Obi-Wan was seen with Padme in her house alone. This statement made him more furious and he started to believe that there was something going on between them.
Anakin’s suspicions started to grow more when he learned that Obi-Wan was accompanying Padme on a mission to Naboo. He was furious and believed that Obi-Wan was trying to get closer to Padme.
After embracing the Dark Side; Vader found Padme in her final moments and as he got close, she was uttering a name, and the name was of no othe than Obi-Wan. This angered Vader even more and convinced him that Padme and Kenobi were having an affair.
The Dark Side devoured Anakin Skywalker
Palpatine’s ultimate plan was to bring Anakin Skywalker to the Dark Force because he had recognized his capabilities as well. He manipulated him and made him believe that the Jedi community was corrupted and Anakin fell right into his deception.
Anakin was trying to give his best to the community; all he wanted was to have a family with Padme and live happily after. After hearing Palpatine’s words, he started to believe that everyone was trying to get rid of his happiness.
Little by little, he started to get consumed by the Dark Force and embraced it eventually. Even after knowing the real identity of Palpatine, he still didn’t return to the Jedi community because he was tired of everything. The Dark Side consumed him and he started to dislike every people he loved once, like Kenobi.
