At the end of the epic duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin in Episode III, Obi-Wan just leaves Anakin to burn, instead of saving him or killing him.
Why did he do that?
The biggest reason why Obi-Wan left Anakin to burn in the lava was everything they had been through. At first, he was a father figure to him. That changed into camaraderie and brotherhood, as Anakin was growing older.
While this is the main reason there are way more reasons for that. The fact that he killed countless younglings, and Force-choked Padmé made the Jedi Master believe Anakin was no more. Obi-Wan believed only Darth Vader was left inside his former padawan.
Here’s what you need to know:
Why did Obi-Wan leave Anakin to die?
Here are 4 reasons why Obi-Wan left Anakin to die:
- Anakin was like a brother to him
- Because of his Jedi training
- He leaves the decision to the Force
- He didn’t believe that Vader deserved a merciful death
Anakin was like a brother to him
Obi-Wan loved Anakin! In his conversation with Yoda, he said “Send me to kill the Emperor, I will not kill Anakin… He is like my brother, I cannot do it.”.
Everything they have been through during The Clone Wars was just too much for him.
There were countless missions where they saved each other’s lives and fought side by side.
The Jedi Master couldn’t bring himself to finish him off, but couldn’t save Anakin, as well. This scene shows Obi-Wan is a human, after all. He can’t forget the massacre that occurred in the Jedi Temple and the fact that he harmed Padmé, the woman he “loves”.
You can find out more about Anakin and Padmé’s secret wedding here.
The inner conflict consumed Obi-Wan. The decision he made was one that probably wasn’t for the good of the Galaxy, but one that saved him, as the character we know. He knew Padmé was pregnant and decided to help her and her children, Luke and Leia.
Because of his Jedi training
The Jedi code forbids those who follow it to harm the innocent, or in this case unarmed and helpless beings. The fight was already over. At this moment we can see who Obi-Wan really is.
The Jedi Order is no more, but he still was unable to force himself to land a killing blow on Darth Vader.
Here we make a comparison between him with Mace Windu. Earlier in Episode III – Windu was ready to finish the Emperor off. We can see even Anakin said
“We cannot kill him. It’s not the Jedi way!”.
Obi-Wan’s decision could be explained by the fact that even without the Order, he is still a Jedi. He was always following what he was taught and this decision is pretty much coherent with his usual behaviour.
And that by itself makes him one of my favourite characters in the saga!
He left the decision to the Force
By abandoning Darth Vader all burnt up and alone – Obi-Wan left this impossible decision to the Force. The Jedi believe that everything in the universe is guided and created by the Force, so he decides to trust it, as he always does.
The moral dilemma he is facing is whether to save Anakin or strike Lord Vader down.
With this being a time-sensitive issue – he trusted that almighty mentor. In the end, it kind of works out. Given the fact that Anakin eventually stopped the Emperor in Episode VI, by throwing him in the reactor.
The moments of Darth Vader burning might have come back to him as he was watching Luke being fried by Palpatine’s lightning attack. Personally, I believe that eventually led to their short-lived, but awesome reunion.
Obi-Wan always felt that negotiations should come first, and you can out why he was called The Negotiator here.
He didn’t believe that Vader deserved a merciful death
After seeing the Jedi Temple archives of the younglings getting killed – he is unable to forgive Anakin. A part of Obi-Wan’s soul is crushed and he is unable to get himself to help his burning padawan.
As such, he just collects his lightsaber and leaves him in the molten lava.
Conclusion
With this being one of the heaviest and most emotional moments of the whole saga – the answer could never be simple. At this point in time, both Anakin and Obi-Wan were feeling betrayed, alone and clueless.
It was the perfect transition from the BEST lightsaber duel ever (personal opinion) in the original trilogy. The Force decided that Darth Vader should live. His pure hatred kept him together until Sheev Palpatine comes to “save” his new apprentice.
This scene could make you get why Lord Vader is as cruel and merciless in hunting down the Jedi that survived Order 66.
And to end on a high note – probably Obi-Wan just didn’t want to give the high ground up…
Until next time, when we will continue with more stories from A Galaxy Far, Far Away…
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