The cyborg Confederate General known as Grievous was a thorn in the side of the Republic throughout the Clone War era, which only ended with his death at the hands of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
In the years before this final confrontation, we see that Grievous harbours intense hatred for Kenobi, fuelling the enduring rivalry that leads up to their final battle on Utapau.
Why did Grievous hate Kenobi so much, and why did this rivalry endure so long?
Here’s what you need to know.
Why did Grievous Hate Kenobi?
While being on opposing sides of a conflict that engulfed the entire galaxy would usually be more than enough justification for enmity between two people, Grievous had far more driving his hatred of Obi-Wan. There are four main reasons why this was the case:
- Grievous’ hatred of all Jedi
- Incompatible Personalities
- Kenobi’s Combat Prowess
- Grievous’ Envy
#1 Grievous’ Hatred of All Jedi
While the animosity between Grievous and Kenobi is quite personal, it is worth noting that the starting point is much less so. Grievous has a vendetta against the entire Jedi Order that predates the Clone Wars by quite a bit.
In fact, he only joined the Separatists because he saw the Clone Wars as a chance to rid himself of the entire Order in one drawn-out conflict.
This grudge against the Jedi order comes from before Grievous was the cyborg menace we see in the prequel films. Back when he was still entirely whole, Grievous was known as Qymaen Jai Sheelal and was a Kaleesh warrior of legendary renown.
While engaged in a war on behalf of his people, the opposing Yam’rii turned to the Republic for aid against Grievous and his compatriots.
Much to the dismay of the Kaleesh, the Republic sided with the Yam’rii, resulting in the conflict being brought to an end by the Jedi, who acted as the protectors (and often reluctant enforcers) of the Republic. The result of this intervention was catastrophic, with Grievous’ people left to face mass starvation.
Countless Kaleesh died, and Grievous’ hatred of the Republic and its Jedi protectors was born.
Due to these events in his past, Grievous was never going to feel anything but hate for Kenobi, who not only wholeheartedly believed in the Republic but also held the Rank of Master and sat on the Jedi Council.
#2 Incompatible Personalities
His identity as a Jedi Master aside, Kenobi has a particularly witty and snide manner at all times. This extends to banter during combat and intense situations that might otherwise call for silence or tact.
These mannerisms grate on Grievous’ mostly non-existent nerves to no end.
Grievous was a very intimidating figure to be faced with and commanded a vast army of deadly battle droids to boot. Before that, he had been a venerated warlord with an elite unit of Izvoshra warriors by his side. It goes without saying that he was not accustomed to being spoken to carelessly, much less outright disrespected.
None of that mattered in the slightest to Kenobi, however.
Kenobi had a penchant for wearing a coy smile and exchanging witticisms with his opponents no matter how impressive the foe happened to be.
Kenobi prefers to use words to win battles rather than his lightsaber, which was why he obtained the label of ‘The Negotiator‘.
This even applied to Count Dooku, who outranked Grievous and taught him everything he knew about lightsaber combat and facing Force sensitives.
Grievous’ pride was likely sore whenever this happened, especially seeing as he could never quite match Kenobi’s wit, often resorting to threats to end the exchange.
This confidence and calm, humorous demeanour also put Grievous at a combat disadvantage, as a large component of his fighting style was to unbalance his opponents, thereby limiting their effectiveness in battle and hampering proper use of the Force.
The fact that Kenobi never once felt intimidated or showed any agitation made him even more worthy of Grievous’ hatred than other Jedi that he encountered.
#3 Kenobi’s Combat Prowess
Possibly the only thing more infuriating to Grievous than Kenobi’s seemingly endless calm and easy manner was the fact that the Jedi Master was justified in his confidence.
While Grievous was not Force-sensitive, he had received numerous cybernetic augmentations that gave him just as many advantages in battle. Furthermore, he wielded 4 lightsabers, all part of a larger collection that he had amassed from murdered Jedi opponents.
You can find out why lightsabers turned off when dropped here.
Count Dooku had trained the prodigious warrior in all 7 forms of lightsaber fighting that the Jedi taught and more besides.
This made Grievous more than a match for even particularly skilled Jedi like Ashoka Tano.
Despite this pedigree, Kenobi still bested the General at every encounter.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was possibly the greatest Master of Form Three, which put defence at the centre of its philosophy.
Furthermore, Form Three prized minimal movement and endurance-style combat that allowed practitioners to withstand any assault and analyse flaws in the techniques of others, waiting to strike at the opportune moment.
This mastery was what gave Obi-Wan his confidence and was the perfect foil for Grievous, who often overwhelmed his opponents while they struggled to keep up with his whirling dervish of lightsaber attacks and block off his agitation.
Even while backed up by his droid troops, Grievous could never best Kenobi in a duel, further wounding his warrior’s pride and often leading him to retreat.
#4 Grievous’ Envy
The final and most compelling reason that Grievous hated Kenobi so was that he was envious of the Jedi Master for several reasons. Grievous had fallen far from his days as a legendary warrior. He had lost most of his body, which had been his pride and joy at his peak.
While he would often flaunt and boast of his cybernetic enhancements, he secretly despised what he had become.
Furthermore, Grievous knew deep within that he had lost whatever nobility of spirit he had when he fought for his people. By the time the Clone Wars began, Grievous was little more than a particularly strong bully that only fought opponents when it was convenient.
He retreated just as often as he fought, and while he killed many Jedi, he broke against the ones that mattered most.
All this must have made Grievous all the more hateful when he realised that Kenobi was everything he wished he still was. Kenobi was a true warrior that fought with bravery and honour.
He was whole, not having to rely on cybernetics.
Kenobi also led Clone Troopers that fought bravely and believed in their cause, unlike the cold and unfeeling droid army that Grievous was stuck with. The General never made an effort to hide his hatred for his own droid soldiers and blamed many of his military losses on them.
You can find out whether clone troopers can be considered as Mandalorians here.
Grievous respected Obi-Wan Kenobi more than he would ever have admitted to and hated him all the more for it.
Conclusion
Grievous was a great rival for Obi-Wan throughout the Clone War era, helping to show Kenobi as a powerful warrior similar to other villains like Maul. In addition, his cybernetic enhancements and unconventional lightsaber training and tactics make him a great combatant that’s always exciting to watch.
Plus, he uses 4 lightsabers at a time, which is really cool!
Having his hatred for Kenobi stem from a past injustice serves not only to make him a better character but also to make you evaluate the Jedi as more than infallible peacekeepers that were above mistakes and reproach.
In a way, he serves as a warning sign of the ongoing decline of the Order.
While there have been a few forays into his past, it’s likely that we haven’t seen the last of the good General.
Obi-Wan seemed to have antagonised many villains, and you can find out why Maul hated him here.
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