The Wise Words of Obi-Wan Kenobi

As one of the first Jedi Masters that Star Wars fans ever met, Obi-Wan Kenobi dropped more than his fair share of wisdom on Luke Skywalker and, by extension, the audience. For many, quotes like, "Luke, you're going to find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view," and "Use the Force, Luke," still ring through our heads. After all, Obi-Wan is a mentor and an expert wielder of the Force—he has often relied on this wisdom to impart his ancient knowledge.  

The sage-like and nuanced Obi-Wan has also appeared in hundreds of stacks of comics over the years, all of which can be read on Marvel Unlimited! In honor of brand-new series STAR WARS: OBI-WAN (2022) #1 on shelves now, we've combed through the classic, Legends, and recent Star Wars comics that offer some of his best lines and gems of wisdom!

FLOATING IN THE FORCE

"I beckoned, and the Force answered."

The new series by Christopher Cantwell and Ario Anindito picks up 20 years after Obi-Wan first arrived on Tatooine and finds him looking back on some of his previous adventures, stretching as far as his youngling days in the Jedi Academy on Coruscant. As a desert sandstorm threatens to break, Kenobi thinks back to one of the first times he used his skills out in the real world.

Without spoiling the issue, the older Kenobi reflected on that first fight as a trainee and had some sage memories. "I beckoned, and the Force answered. In those seconds, I felt like I was in water, but not yet fully able to swim. Still, I managed to stay afloat. If only for a moment." While the scrappy battle involving another youngling did manage to knock Obi-Wan off his feet, in his advanced years he recognized it was a necessary defeat towards growth. You'll have to pick up the issue now to see how youngling Obi-Wan fares, and to witness other never-before-seen moments from his long and storied history!

MEDITATION AND REEVALUATION

"I should have considered how they might regard humans...and been sympathetic to them as well."

For many fans, the first version of Obi-Wan Kenobi they think of is from his older years, but an entire generation got to know his younger self too. Thanks to the glory of comics, many of his adventures set during Star Wars: Episodes I-III have been chronicled. Take the 2000-2001 limited series STAR WARS: QUI-GON & OBI-WAN - LAST STAND ON ORD MANTELL for instance. This three-issue Legends tale by Ryder Windham and Ramon Bachs, found the Master and his Padawan tasked with keeping Baroness Omnino safe on Coruscant, even though there's bad blood there.

In this series we got a look at a younger Obi-Wan who's a bit of a jokester, poking fun at Jinn during lighter moments. He was also hotheaded, initially wondering why creatures like Savrips should be allowed to live. After being chastised by his master, Kenobi came back after some meditation with a much better take, "I spoke foolishly when I suggested we might be better off without the Savrips," Kenobi said. "I should have considered how they might regard humans...and been sympathetic to them as well." It takes a big person to admit they were wrong, but it's all the more admirable to find someone willing to re-evaluate their ideas as they take in new information, a trait that surely served him well in his time as a space warrior.

LOYALTY UNLIMITED

"Master Yoda, I gave Qui-Gon my word. I will train Anakin without the approval of the council, if I must."

In an extraordinary evolution, Padawan Obi-Wan gained a Padawan himself as a newly minted Jedi Master. In STAR WARS EPISODE I: OBI-WAN KENOBI (1999) #1 by Henry Gilroy and Martin Egeland, Obi-Wan essentially recounts the events of Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace from his perspective to Master Yoda. This included the trip to Naboo with Qui-Gon Jinn where he first met Padmé Amidala, the Tatooine pit stop that introduced them to Anakin Skywalker and Darth Maul, and the final battle between the Jedi and the Sith Lord resulting in only Obi-Wan walking away.

While discussing these events with Yoda, the elder Jedi contemplated whether the young man had earned the title of Master. This was especially important because the Jedi Council did not agree with Qui-Gon's desire to train Anakin in the ways of the Force. Even with everything he had worked for in the balance, Obi-Wan said, "Master Yoda, I gave Qui-Gon my word. I will train Anakin without the approval of the council, if I must." That level of commitment to his friend and teacher might have ruffled some feathers in the Jedi Council, but he still earned the rights of a “Master” and showed the kind of dedication we love in our heroes!

MAINTAINING BALANCE

"Our intentions on your planet are purely peaceful. But that doesn't mean we won't defend ourselves."

Kenobi lived up to that commitment to his Padawan as well as he could. Readers got a look into their relationship with STAR WARS: AGE OF REPUBLIC - OBI-WAN KENOBI (2019) #1 by Jody Houser, Cory Smith and Wilton Santos. Upon receiving an assignment to retrieve a recently uncovered Jedi Holocron, the Master struggled with whether he should take Skywalker along with him. After a consultation with Yoda, he decided to bring the boy along.

Arriving on Dallenor, the Jedi was informed that pirates had grown interested in the archeological dig. And when these pirates showed up, Obi-Wan attempted to deal with them with kindness, but as you might imagine, that did not quite work out. "Our intentions on your planet are purely peaceful," he said, activating his lightsaber. "But that doesn't mean we won't defend ourselves." Maintaining that balance of tranquility and battle readiness exemplifies why Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the best to wield the Force.

THE SANCTITY OF LIFE

"I've never owned a living creature in my life, and I don't intend to start now, but if it's a traveling companion you want, you're welcome to share my cabin."

Marvel Comics launched the very first STAR WARS title back in 1977 around the film series’ premiere. After adapting the first of the original trilogy, which of course features Kenobi's death at the hands of Darth Vader, the creators took off in unique directions, building a whole galaxy while fans waited for the release of the second movie. However, Obi-Wan did appear in issue #24 of the series thanks to a flashback told by Jo Duffy, Carmine Infantino, and Bob Wiacek.

After an attack on the Millennium Falcon, Princess Leia told a story about Kenobi to Luke Skywalker while Han Solo and Chewbacca fixed the ship. During his days as a Jedi Knight, Obi-Wan traveled to Alderaan by way of a pleasure cruiser driven by Captain Quasar. Even before he took control of the ship to outsmart Merson scouts, he freely agreed to open his room to someone in need, in this case Bail Organa's droid 68-RKO. "I've never owned a living creature in my life, and I don't intend to start now, but if it's a traveling companion you want, you're welcome to share my cabin." Though not the main thrust of the story, this moment goes a long way to show Kenobi's openness to all beings in need of kindness.

A TEST OF WILL

"As hard as it was to become a Jedi...it was even harder to stop being one. But I did."

In 2015, a new STAR WARS series launched at Marvel kicked off by creators Jason Aaron and John Cassaday. In between longer arcs of that series, Obi-Wan would step into the spotlight for one-off issues. In issue #7, Simone Bianchi joined Aaron to show what the man now going by “Ben Kenobi” did during his time on Tatooine before Luke Skywalker came of age. He had sacrificed his entire life to stick around a desert wasteland making sure no harm came to the son of his protégé Anakin Skywalker. 

However, Kenobi was not sneaking around as a kind of vigilante keeping the rest of the desert denizens safe...at least not at first. As he said himself early in the issue, "As hard as it was to become a Jedi...it was even harder to stop being one. But I did." He would have carried on with his and Luke's Jedi training but the boy's guardian Owen Lars refused any connection to the old man. Obi-Wan got back to some action, though, after helping the moisture farmers get their water back, proving that he could not fully separate himself from assisting those in need. Above all else, Obi-Wan is just.

To read these and hundreds of other Star Wars comics from the past six decades, head on over to Marvel Unlimited!

Follow Marvel Unlimited on Twitter and Facebook to stay tuned in to weekly announcements, articles, and more, all at @MarvelUnlimited. Follow us today to join the conversation with thousands of fellow fans, and let us know what you’re reading!