By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Pop quiz, hot shot: in Star Wars, who is it that you think did the most to doom the Old Republic? You might be tempted to say Palpatine for manipulating two huge factions into Civil War and seizing power, or you might say it’s Darth Vader, the former Jedi who helped hunt down and murder his colleagues all across the galaxy. In reality, it was Obi-Wan Kenobi who doomed the Old Republic because the inflexibility of his Jedi Code kept him from killing Anakin Skywalker when he had the chance.
How Obi-Wan Kenobi Killed The Old Republic
In the climax of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi doesn’t seem to be thinking about the Old Republic at all. Instead, he’s focused entirely on Anakin Skywalker, the Padawan turned Jedi brother turned Sith traitor. It’s a pretty brutal scene, with Kenobi leaving his dismembered friend to catch fire and suffer while they exchange their final words. Crucially, though, Kenobi doesn’t kill his former pupil, which is why Darth Vader survives to torment the galaxy another day.
Now, fans have spent nearly two decades debating Kenobi’s decision not to kill his former pupil. The general consensus is that he avoided doing so because the Jedi code kept him from killing a disarmed (and dis-legged) opponent, something that is backed up by the novelization of Revenge of the Sith. However, it’s clear that Obi-Wan Kenobi ultimately chose to prioritize the dusty code over the Old Republic, effectively sentencing countless people to death.
Basically, my argument is that this Jedi Master should have asked himself the same question posed by Anton Chigurh in No Country For Old Men: “If the rule you followed brought you to this, of what use was the rule?” In a vacuum, our hero did the right thing. He didn’t kill someone who was helpless to defend himself, which means that he might have kept himself from traveling down the path of the Dark Side. But by completely mitigating the chance that killing Anakin would have potentially corrupted his soul, Obi-Wan Kenobi made the infinitely worse decision to doom the Old Republic.
In a very tangible way, Kenobi is responsible for everybody that Darth Vader subsequently murdered. He decided to uphold the Jedi Code, and many fans support this decision, arguing that the Jedi Master would have become the very thing he hated the most. This is, of course, the same argument that Batman fans make for why this demented billionaire doesn’t just kill the Joker and call it a day.
But here’s the thing: if Batman killed the Joker and really felt that bad about it, he could turn himself in or, worst case, commit suicide. Similar options are available to our favorite Jedi Master, who could have willingly become one with the Force or otherwise removed himself from the temptation to channel his growing darkness. Considering that Obi-Wan Kenobi just becomes a hermit on Tattooine anyway, he could have simply killed Anakin Skywalker, become a recluse, and kick back, knowing he saved the galaxy.
Many Star Wars fans hate Luke Skywalker’s portrayal in The Last Jedi, but that movie got one thing right: his righteous anger at the hypocrisy and stupidity of the Jedi of old. These space wizards were clearly asleep at the wheel, and this led directly to the Sith taking control of the entire galaxy. Had Obi-Wan Kenobi been willing to simply kill Anakin when he had the chance, the Emperor could have been defeated more easily, Vader’s hundreds of victims would have been spared, and the Old Republic might just be intact.
Sadly, while Kenobi said “hello there” to General Grievous, he said goodbye to something else in Episode III: common sense.
