Kenobi Proves Darth Vader Was Never The Master In A New Hope

Warning! SPOILERS for Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 5 features a storytelling technique that proves why Darth Vader was wrong in A New Hope and that he was never the master he insisted he was. A large majority of Obi-Wan Kenobi has centered around the relationship between Kenobi and Vader, leading up to what will surely be their true rematch in Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 6. However, a certain sequence found in episode 5 provides more context to Vader's line in A New Hope.

A New Hope was released in 1977, then simply titled Star Wars, and it was the first film to hint at a relationship between Obi-Wan and Vader. Since then, the prequel trilogy, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and now Obi-Wan Kenobi have massively developed the relationship between the two iconic characters. With Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 5, their very first meeting in Star Wars from 1977 is entirely re-contextualized.

Related: Why Darth Vader Didn't Use His Own Lightsaber In His Reva Duel

The scene that does this is a flashback featuring Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi from around the time of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. In the scene, Kenobi and Anakin are sparring with lightsabers. The flashback ends with Kenobi besting Anakin by stating that the latter's need for victory blinds him, which allows Kenobi to outsmart him. Not only does this scene provide context to Kenobi and his allies evading Vader at the end of Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 5 while also hinting at the same happening in episode 6, but it completely re-contextualizes Vader and Obi-Wan's meeting in A New Hope. The line in which Vader insists he is the master over Kenobi now is changed to show that Vader simply thinks he is the master. The scene reinforces this by showing Vader to be making all the same mistakes. He is blinded by his hatred of Kenobi, and his need to be victorious over his old master, allowing Obi-Wan to sacrifice himself to ensure Luke and Leia escape on the Falcon.

In doing so, Luke and Leia become a much bigger problem for the Empire than an old Kenobi ever would have been. As Luke and Leia, both appearing in Obi-Wan Kenobi, are integral in destroying both Death Stars and ending the reign of the Empire, Vader's short-sightedness at simply needing to beat Kenobi is almost the act that is entirely responsible for the Empire's many defeats following A New Hope.

This new context lessens the differences between Anakin and Vader in some ways. A lot of the time, Star Wars presents the two as separate beings, with Vader often stating throughout the saga that he destroyed Anakin. Obviously, given Vader's redemption in Return of the Jedi, this isn't the case. Vader making these mistakes, however, only goes to better serve his redemption by proving he is still Anakin the former Jedi, not entirely Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith. All of these reasons only go to show why Obi-Wan Kenobi reimagines one of the most iconic scenes from the original Star Wars, 45 years after its initial theatrical release.

Next: Darth Vader Just Repeated Obi-Wan's Fatal Revenge Of The Sith Mistake

New episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi release every Wednesday on Disney+.