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tbh this page changed me—my understanding of the characters, and my appreciation of the entire…

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intermundia:

page 214 from the revenge of the Sith novelization that reads: "I trust him with my life," Obi-Wan said simply. "And that is precisely the problem." The other two Jedi Masters watched him silently while he tried to summon the proper words. "For Anakin," Obi-Wan said at length, "there is nothing more important than friendship. He is the most loyal man I have ever met-loyal beyond reason, in fact. Despite all I have tried to teach him about the sacrifices that are the heart of being a Jedi, he-he will never, I think, truly understand." He looked over at Yoda. "Master Yoda, you and I have been close since I was a boy. An infant. Yet if ending this war one week sooner- one day sooner- -were to require that I sacrifice your life, you know I would." "As you should," Yoda said. "As I would yours, young Obi-Wan. As any Jedi would any other, in the cause of peace." "Any Jedi," Obi-Wan said, "except Anakin." Yoda and Mace exchanged glances, both thoughtfully grim. Obi-Wan guessed they were remembering the times Anakin had violated orders--the times he had put at risk entire operations, the lives of thousands, the control of whole planetary systems-to save a friend. More than once, in fact, to save Obi-Wan. "I think," Obi-Wan said carefully, "that abstractions like peace don't mean much to him. He's loyal to people, not to prin-ciples. And he expects loyalty in return. He will stop at nothing to save me, for example, because he thinks I would do the same for him." Mace and Yoda gazed at him steadily, and Obi-Wan had to lower his head. "Because," he admitted reluctantly, "he knows I would do the same for him."ALT

today on “absolutely unhinged things for stover to put on paper and lucas to approve,” the depiction of obi-wan’s self-aware attachment to anakin here, how ready he’d be to kill yoda for the greater good, and how he’d let yoda kill him too, but anakin is the exception to their entire order and to obi-wan’s moral judgment.

all three of them here, arguably the three most important jedi in the galaxy, they all know with wariness that anakin, the chosen one, has failed to grasp the central tenet of their code, and they don’t know what to do about it. obi-wan thinks he failed him, failed to teach him; he knows anakin failed to learn, failed to accept it, how he’d would never let a friend go.

obi-wan here offers keen, intimate analysis of anakin’s inner workings, shining a light on who darth vader really is in his heart, his loyalty beyond any moral or ethical bounds. obi-wan is painfully aware of how he is complicit in fostering this inappropriate attachment, only encouraging anakin’s behavior. we see why he apologized in the kenobi show, how he was already sorry.

tbh this page changed me—my understanding of the characters, and my appreciation of the entire tragedy, like.. look how anakin has compromised obi-wan, and look at how much obi-wan loves him anyway. look at how the heart of this incipient monster is described with tender, ruthless clarity by the one who knows it best… on the next page obi-wan’s literally crying about what they’ve done… i’m astrally projecting into the sun


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