The 5 Best Obi-Wan Quotes
So let's get this out of the way. We all love how Obi-Wan Kenobi says "Hello there!" and "I have the high ground!" But in making this list, I tried to go with quotes that are not so obvious. My list could change over time, of course, but here's what I am thinking at the moment.
5. Obi-Wan's Humor
"Do you mean Count Dooku? What a curious coincidence. I trained the man who killed him."
In Matthew Stover's novelization of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan says this in response to General Grievous saying, "I have been trained in your Jedi arts by Lord Tyranus himself!" Stover writes that Kenobi says his last sentence in this quote while displaying a "deceptively pleasant smile." This so deliciously conveys the snarkiness of Obi-Wan's personality.
4. Obi-Wan's Love
"Had you said the word, I would have left the Jedi Order."
Obi-Wan Kenobi is very committed to the Jedi Order. He is perceived by many as the perfect Jedi. He is a human with very human desires. His commitment to the order keeps him from leaving, despite his romantic feelings for Duchess Satine Kryze. However, just knowing that he would have left for her is both heartwarming and tragic, given what happens later on.
3. Obi-Wan's Promise
"If Anakin leaves the order...then I must leave it as well."
Kenobi says this to Yoda at the end of Charles Soule's Obi-Wan & Anakin comic book miniseries. The story finds 12-year-old Anakin debating whether or not he should leave the Jedi Order. Staying true to his promise to his deceased master Qui-Gon Jinn, Kenobi is committed to continue training Skywalker, even if such training is to take place beyond the confines of the Jedi Order.
2. Obi-Wan's Rise
"Look what I've risen above."
In the Star Wars Rebels episode "Twin Suns," Kenobi says this in response to Maul saying, "Look what has become of you. A rat in the desert." Maul knows that Kenobi was once the glorious and heroic general of the Clone Wars, and on the surface, with his aged appearance and the place in which he has settled, seems like he has fallen far. Maul remembers taking the love of Kenobi's life, and Kenobi has lost all of the Jedi, including his former apprentice and best friend. However, despite all this, Kenobi still clings to purpose, believing that Luke Skywalker is the Chosen One who will bring balance to the Force. And while it is actually Anakin who is the Chosen One, Kenobi is right to believe that Luke will bring hope to the galaxy, and he does what he can to protect him.
1. Obi-Wan's Authenticity
"'You were my brother, Anakin. I loved you, but I could not save you.'"
Throughout the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and Anakin became brothers, which makes Ewan McGregor's delivery of the line all the more heartbreaking. This longer version of the quote is actually from the Revenge of the Sith novelization. I remember watching the film in the theater and wishing that Kenobi had said the last bit. The novelization actually adds a dark moment where Kenobi thinks that killing the burning Anakin would be merciful, but that he is not feeling merciful. As dark as this seems, we still get the following passage:
"In the end, there was only one choice. It was a choice he had made many years before, when he had passed his trials of Jedi Knighthood, and sworn himself to the Jedi forever. In the end, he was still Obi-Wan Kenobi, and he was still a Jedi, and he would not murder a helpless man. He would leave it to the will of the Force."
Obi-Wan tries to stay on the path of the light, and even wants to honor the "dead" Anakin by trying to help Padme and her children. And it would be one of these children who would eventually turn Obi-Wan's best friend back to the light side.