With rumors swirling once more about Hayden Christensen signing on to play Anakin in the Kenobi TV series, we were thinking about what sort of part he could play. (Actually, we don’t need the rumors to be thinking about this, but I digress…) And of course, we believe that Anakin (not just Vader), is vital to where Obi-Wan is in this period of his life and his initial inability to let go.
Of course there are the obvious parts: dreams, flashbacks to the clone wars (which, Hayden and Ewan in the Jedi armor? Yes, please!), or visions. He could be any of these things. And Obi-Wan focusing on any of these things is what makes Anakin important.
In The Clone Wars episode ‘Destiny’ (6×12), the Serene Priestess teaches Yoda that to preserve his identity after death he “must know [himself], [his] true self, and then let go…Face all that you fear. All that haunts your soul! Pass through without emotion, without attachment.”
Legends showed us that Obi-Wan had a difficult time (at least initially) of letting go of Anakin.
“The man he faced was everything Obi-Wan had devoted his life to destroying: Murderer. Traitor. Fallen Jedi. Lord of the Sith. And here, and now, despite it all … Obi-Wan still loved him.
Yoda had said it, flat-out: Allow such attachments to pass out of one’s life, a Jedi must, but Obi-Wan had never let himself understand.”
Revenge of the Sith by Matthew Stover
“Anakin was still alive in Obi-Wan’s mind. Obi-Wan was engaged with him so intensely that he expected his apprentice to walk over one of those shifting sand dunes and grin at him again. Or scowl. He’d take anything. Any mood, any defiance. Just to see him again.
Every day and every night he violated every principle the Jedi had taught him about staying in the present moment, about acceptance.”
‘The Last One Standing’ by Jude Watson
“I have his lightsaber, you know. It’s right here, sitting in my hands. Some nights, like this, I just sit and stare at it, wondering what I could have done to help him. I look, and I look, for answers. Then I put it away in the trunk, and try to forget.
It’s impossible, of course.”
Kenobi by John Jackson Miller
Even though these are all Legends stories now, they still paint a clear picture of the mental and emotional hurdles Obi-Wan faced on Tatooine. So, until he lets go of Anakin, he can’t continue/complete his training with Qui-Gon (which this show also better be showing us).
All Things Kenobi 