Kanan The Last Padawan #2 Obi-Wan Kenobi makes an appearance. Was crying from page 1 of this issue but THIS oh THIS made me cry harder
oh no, oh no, oh no, oh NOOO.
I remember seeing the clip of this recording from Rebels, and I still think this is one of the most important Obi-Wan moments I’ve ever seen.
In Revenge of the Sith, I always figured Obi-Wan just changed the beacon broadcasting out of the Temple from “come home” to “stay away,” like a simple coded signal that Jedi would recognize, a string of…beeps, or Morse code, devoid of details or any real context.
But instead, it was this. And this is everything. This is why I see Obi-Wan as a teacher, a consummate teacher, a teacher at heart, a teacher to the bone. Because yes, this message is meant for any surviving Jedi, but it’s phrased for the children, for the ones who can’t take care of themselves and don’t know what to do next. Look at it – Caleb is just a child, and Obi-Wan’s message is structured for people like him. Adults would know what to do regardless, would recognize immediately the need to disappear, to stay hidden. Adults would be disciplined enough to heed even a simple string of “stay away” beeps.
But children – children, confronted with the total and utter disintegration of everything they know, and most likely the elimination of the person who is supposed to take care of them – children who heard a simple and unexplained “stay away” would never listen and obey. They couldn’t. They would try to come home. They wouldn’t know what else to do.
Obi-Wan knows that. That is what teachers do; they anticipate what their children need, what their children are going to do next. That’s why he says what he does, that’s why he’s so explicit, that’s why he shows them his face and tells them exactly what to do next, that’s why he steps in where their fallen teachers can longer provide direction. He knows those children know his face. For all he knows, he may be the last adult figure those children have to look to. And so he gives them their last assignment, in terms they can understand; he gives them a last benediction, a last breath of familiarity, he gives them one last utterance of the short string of words that probably mean more to Jedi children than anything else in the world.
His message tells them he knows they are out there. His message tells them he still believes in them. His message tells them to have faith, and reminds them – they, the decimated people – that their teachers have not forgotten them. That someone is still thinking of them first, that there is an adult out there who remembers them, who knows that they need direction. His message tells them that they are not alone, no matter how dark the coming years will be.
I just…I’m imagining how important that would be. For any Jedi, but for the children especially. For the horrified and shell-shocked Caleb Dume’s of the world. That holoplate is a lifeline, and of course Obi-Wan is the one who threw it, because Obi-Wan is a teacher first, last, and every bit of himself in between. His life is for the Jedi, and their children, and while he, like any teacher, knows he can’t save all his people’s youth singlehandedly, he knows he can at least give them a fighting chance.
There’s an old interview where Lucas talked through the differences between the Unifying and Living Force, basically defining them in a classic giri/ninjo dichotomy. And since we know he’s a liiiittle influenced by samurai flicks (jidaigeki), it seems fully relevant. So the conflict is between giri/Unifying (social obligation) and ninjo/Living (human feeling). To forestall arguments on this point, I know that some sources define them differently, but I swear he absolutely did define them in these terms in that original interview and his BTS interviews always follow up on this point of obligation versus love.
Qui-Gon is the only character who vocalizes anything about these ideas within the movies when he urges Obi-Wan to be mindful of the Living Force. Obi-Wan quickly ripostes that Yoda has told him to think of the bigger picture, and then we get the reminder that it cannot be at the cost of the moment. Which basically summarizes everything for the rest of the trilogy in terms of what the Jedi are doing wrong, both for the war and for their individual members.
The Jedi are themselves unbalanced, having sacrificed nearly everything for obligation to the Republic. And I will say I think that sacrifice was well meant and rooted in very legitimate concerns. The Dark Side is corrupting and intoxicating. Turning throws a switch for a Jedi that makes them instantly into the worst possible version of themselves. Of the canon Dark Siders we have, I think Barriss has the lowest body count at only, what, half a dozen? The risk is substantial and it is understandable that the Jedi would cut off all the paths to the Dark Side as well as they can. Unfortunately, the primary path to the Dark Side, as they see it, is attachment, which is essentially saying that the Living Force itself is a path to evil. And yes, they obviously do not see it that way themselves in canon for Qui-Gon to openly speak of the Living Force in positive terms. They do not think they have turned from the Living Force and clearly think the Sith are what is unbalancing the Force, rather than being a symptom of what their influence on the Force has wrought.
And then you throw Anakin into the mix. His core flaw, as presented by the Jedi Council itself, is that he is overly concerned for his mother. He is consumed by attachment. Is he in balance? Hell no. Not even as a nine year old. But the point is that they do not cite his anger or trauma as being the problem. His attachment could lead to anger, hate, and suffering. The answer is to dig the problem out at the root and eliminate pre-existing attachments and avoid future ones. The course of the movies prove that this doesn’t work for Anakin, leading him to have even unhealthier obsessions about those he secretly loves. By contrast, Luke and Leia grow up in healthy families, are allowed to love openly, and Luke is able to balance his greater responsibilities to the Force and Rebellion (Unifying) with his love for his family (Living). At the same time, he is able to lead Anakin into making that choice. He finally does the right thing, which is simultaneous an act to save the galaxy from Palpatine and to save his son.
I get kind of mad when people claim that balance is Light versus Dark. SW consistently characterizes the Dark Side and the Sith themselves as unnatural blights on the Force. You don’t balance with evil. You may never truly eliminate it, but evil is not part of the cycle of life (and of course, death isn’t evil, which is an important thing to remember). It also makes no sense because Sith versus Jedi would still leave the Force unbalanced at the end of RotJ, what with the only two Sith in the galaxy dead and one Jedi still alive.
Was Luke necessary to balance the Force? Could it have happened without genocide and twenty years of tyranny? Absolutely. I really think it could have. And I think again that Anakin would have been the catalyst, but that his own actions would have been less relevant. In a lot of ways, he was designed by the Force to get the Jedi to change in specific ways. Catering to his needs and figuring out what he needs to be a good Jedi, serve the Force’s dual aspects, and help others would have changed the Jedi on a deep level and I think it would have itself brought balance.
so for all of you who wanted that Vader redemption fic, in which Vader realises that he has a daughter.
It is on moments like this that the world pivots. He could kill her. He could lower his eyes and do nothing. After all, isn’t that what he’s been doing all these years? He saw it as rebellion against the Jedi Order – but it isn’t, not really. It’s monumental, endless apathy. It’s easier to kill. Easier to follow orders. Easier to burn. The Dark Side is an ocean, where all things drown.
This girl, bright as the desert sun, stares up at him. She’s frightened, and she’s not running. He can hear her heart. Oh, how it hammers.
A choice, a choice – a dog, and a girl, and a wife and a name; and in one world one thing, and in this one another.
listen nothing in sound design will ever come close to the sheer power of the sound of a lightsaber turning on
I truly 1000% believe that Star Wars would never have gotten as popular as it has without everything about the lightsaber being absolutely perfect.
And I also believe the lightsaber is the perfect weapon in any form of media ever.
It draws upon a traditional and iconic weapon: a sword. Swords have gravitas, an ethos, that I don’t think anything else has. People love swords. They’re dramatic, they allow posing, tense back and forth battles, tests of skill and chances to flourish and show off.
But it’s better than a sword, because it sounds fucking awesome. You know what’s even better for your sword fight? If they make a cool ass noise when they hit eachother. Like everything about a lightsaber sounds amazing. It turning on, when they clash, when they deflect something, hell even when they just sit there and HUM it sounds cool.
There’s also the different colors, and this is important because it allows there to be differentiation. Vader has red, Obi-Wan has blue, Luke gets green. They’re instantly recognizable and you can understand what side someone is on based on the color of their weapon. It also allows there to be a certain amount of personalization and customization, which is VERY IMPORTANT because you know what really gets people into your story? When they start imagining themselves in it. When people start thinking about themselves in Star Wars I guarantee one of the first three questions that will come up (if not the first) is what color lightsaber would you have.
Finally, this is a small thing but, lightsabers are just easy to carry around. You just turn the damn thing off the and blade goes away. It’s a very manageable prop to carry around, and then you get sweet noises and posing when it turns on.
great at handling difficult situations, for example, can get his own gloves off WHILE talking to a cute girl AT the same time no problem thanks for asking
so great at witty comebacks
definitely has slept with MANY a lady because, again, Han Solo is a cool guy, and not a grumpy hermit who, were he a person in the world, would spend all his weekends alone in his apartment with his phone turned off watching Ice Road Truckers
definitely not a weirdo with a shitty haircut who talks to his car
no. mister cool guy. always looks so cool. so cool in a fight
so cool. never panics about everything all the time constantly.
people trust him cause he’s got that cool guy charisma
always knows what he’s doing. han solo. an expert.
in conclusion: han solo, a cool space scoundrel, not a nerd. maybe you’re the nerd around here. hmm. looks like it. check and mate
The more I know about Qui-Gon Jinn the more I realise he didn’t just annoy the Jedi Council, he was quite literally the bane of their existence
He was a master diplomat to the point that Obi-Wan spent more of his padawan years off-planet jumping wars and disputes with Qui-Gon than most other padawans, but at the same time, Qui-Gon apparently “looks like a bantha and smells like a Rodian.”
So let’s say a smushy Core planet puts in a request for Jedi presence at their planetary elections, and instead of a well-groomed, masterly Jedi (were they expecting something like 30-year-old Obi-Wan Kenobi? They probably were) they get a 1.93 metre giant with uncombed hair hanging down to his waist, wearing tunics that seem to be clean but don’t seem to be at the same time, smelling like he just climbed out of an outer-rim catina, who bows perfectly and then starts cracking their governmental system open one flaw at a time, like a – well – bantha in a china shop-
-with a perfectly-groomed, not-one-hair-out-of-place tiny padawan by his side. Said padawan’s dimples solve nearly as many problems as his master’s diplomatic skills do.
But we only wanted someone to oversee our elections! They cry. We didn’t ask for this!
Could we have sent someone else, the Council deliberates.
Then we would have to have kept the Jinn-Kenobi pair here, someone points out.
Oh, good point, Mace Windu says. Everything’s perfect the way it is.
Oops sorry didn’t notice this at first and then took a little while to get back to it!
This is pretty much EXACTLY what I had in mind!
To recap:
For one reason or another (either Qui-Gon is a little better at bargaining with Watto, or, more likely, Padmé makes some arrangements) Shmi Skywalker freed earlier than canon and ends up living on Naboo.
She doesn’t really have a set plan for what to do with herself now, but finds herself remaining close to Queen Amidala and her handmaidens, offering much needed advice and comfort as they go about trying to rebuild a war weary planet. Shmi may come from a simple background, but in many ways that is exactly what Padmé and the others need, and Shmi soon finds herself the de facto den-mother of a group of terrifyingly competent teenage girls. She could never have imagined that this would be her life but she is grateful for it.
As such, Padmé and her ladies are the first to receive her handmade gifts – warm soft shawls to snuggle into at the end of a long day. Each of them is a different in colour – cool greens for Eirtaé, vibrant reds for Rabé, earthy browns for Cordé, yellow golds for Sabé… and for Padmé soft blues that echo the plain dress she once wore on the sands of Tatooine. All of them however bear the same abstract patterns woven in white.
To one who knows the heat of twin suns, their meaning is clear.
“Courage of the Spirit” “Strength of resolve” “Daughter of my heart”
The girls love them.
Of course, even with this newfound family Shmi never forgets her Ani. Padmé had told her about the events on Naboo of course, about Qui-Gon’s fall and Obi-Wan’s steadfast insistence on training Anakin in his place… She misses him dearly, but she is content to know he is following the path he chose.
Still, the Temple looks awfully cold and austere. And she remembers how long it took her to get used to Naboo’s weather. Surely it can’t hurt…
The design for Ani is easy, a rich burgundy the shade of ripe pallies, made a few sizes too large to accommodate a growing boy and carrying the message she wishes she could tell him herself.
“ Beloved Son” “Pride” “Hope for the future”
But, Anakin is not alone.
Shmi isn’t sure what to do at first. What little footage she has seen of the Jedi who is raising her son gives her scant insight into who he IS as a person. In the end she decides on socks. Less personal, but highly practical. It would take a little more attention to notice the patterns this time, light tan fading neatly into dark brown.
“Kin of my kin” “Gratitude” “Trust”
She knows the Jedi discourage contact with birth families, so she is not expecting the message that waits for her as she returns home some months later.
Obi-Wan Kenobi, she realises as the recording starts to play, is younger than she had thought. The man in the holo cannot be older than his mid-twenties, despite the best efforts of what is obviously a newly grown beard. There’s something about his manner too, a nervousness in his stance, that tells her he is less confident than he presents himself.
He thanks her for her presents, making note to compliment her choice in materials, before apologetically explaining that it is inappropriate for Jedi to recieve gifts like this. It would however, he muses, be rude to turn down something she has taken such effort to create, particularly when it has so useful. Anakin has complained of the cold far less since receiver his sweater, he confides with a conspiratorial wink, seemingly going on a tangent about his Padawan’s latest escapades before ending with a reiteration of his gratitude and an implication that this concludes the matter.
It doesn’t fool Shmi. Obi-Wan Kenobi clearly adores her son, despite being woefully unprepared for pseudo parenthood. The poor boy obviously needs all the help he can get.
She sends another care package.
( “Son of my Heart” “Perseverance” “Wisdom through trial”)
She receives another message thanking her and reiterating that such gifts are unnecessary while updating her on Ani’s life and lamenting about how cold space travel can get.
The next package contains two extra pairs of socks.
(“Warmth” “Safe Journeying” “Family”)
.
This is pretty much how things go for the next couple of years – Shmi sending gifts and Obi-Wan going through the motions of disapproval mixed with thanks. At some point Anakin works out the system and starts interrupting the calls while Obi-Wan ostentatiously rolls his eyes in the background.
Shmi is happy to see her boys doing so well together. Even if she DID need to make a scarf or two decorated with the “Stubborn Idiot”, “Communication” “Trust” and “Brothers” symbols, on the assumption that Anakin at least would get the message…
And then Amidala’s term is over, and in a flash everything seems to change. Shmi had been ecstatic to see Ani again, even if it was only because Padmé was in danger. She’s more than a little amused that her little boy’s crush hasn’t seemed to dissipate, and that the admiration appears to be mutual. But then Obi-Wan is in danger, Anakin and Padmé rush to rescue him, and the galaxy is at war.
(Shmi is the one who makes the wedding veil. She stands beside Obi-Wan as they watch the joining of two souls in a ceremony they will keep secret until the war is done.)
There isn’t much Shmi can do while her family fights, so she does what she can to make sure they remember why.
And her family grows.
Not just Ahsoka, sweet child that she is, full of that all too familiar reckless bravery her sons possess, but also the men they lead into battle.
(She reluctantly accepts the reality of the clones’ situation even as she listens to Padmé plot a way to grant them all they deserve. Shmi is a patient woman.)
Rex is the first she makes a garment for, with another for Cody soon after. There isn’t a clear pattern for “Babysitter” but “Trusted Guardian” and “Skilled Warrior” will do she thinks.
It doesn’t seem right though, even one is blue and the other gold, that she should give the same pattern to those who so many think are interchangeable. “Walker in the Sky” is easy enough to add to one, but it takes her some time to create the “Sweet Speaker” glyph for its twin.
She receives two more polite thank-you messages and doesn’t think much more on it until she starts to notice familiar patterns in the war footage. There they are, “Walker in the Sky”or “Sweet Speaker” emblazoned on armor and dropship alike, often teamed with another glyph Shmi knows she has never knitted.
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