After 24 years since the first time we sawEwan McGregoras Obi-Wan Kenobi inStar Wars: Episode l - The Phantom Menace, this role has essentially become synonymous with McGregor, something that has only happened with a handful of actors. Although the prequel trilogy took some time to be beloved within the fandom, McGregor’s Obi-Wan was an instant hit.
Alec Guinness left some huge shoes to fill after the first time we saw the character inStar Wars: A New Hopeback in 1977, but McGregor managed to perfectly embody a younger version of Guinness’s portrayal while adding his own unique essence. The development that Obi-Wan has courtesy of McGregor makes Kenobi easily one of thebest characters in all ofStar Wars. Here are his best moments as Obi-Wan Kenobi.
10Breaking Into the Inquisitorius
In Episode 4 of his self-titled TV showObi-Wan Kenobi, Kenobi is challenged with breaking into the heavily guarded Fortress Inquisitorius on a mission to rescue Leia. Perhaps one of the most well-defended bases of the entire Empire, Kenobi’s mission was always going to be fraught with danger.
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What makes this episode so special is although Kenobi is one of the most powerful Jedi, he’s a little rusty at this point after years of no lightsaber action since the fallof the Jedi Order. By willingly entering the base where multiple Inquisitors are sure to be even though his skills are nowhere near where they once were, it shows the unwavering loyalty and responsibility he has for his failed apprentice’s daughter.
9Training With His Apprentice
Throughout his self-titled series, fans were almost expecting a flashback scene between Kenobi and his apprentice Anakin Skywalker as it was confirmed that Hayden Christensen was returning to theStar Warsuniverse for the show. Fans got just what they hoped for, with a nostalgia-fueled flashback scene of the two of them training.
Seeing McGregor in his old Jedi robes that so many people grew up watching him wear in the prequels makes this easily one of McGregor’s most feel-good moments as Kenobi. With Christensen back as Anakin in hisAttack of the Cloneslook makes this sequence so much better, despite the deeper meaning as to why we’re actually shown the sequence.
8"Hello there!"
With so many standout moments inStar Wars: Revenge of the Sithfor all characters, McGregor delivered a line that has become easily one of the most iconic lines in cinema. After interrupting General Grievous, Kenobi saying, “Hello there!” wasthe perfect choice of dialoguein a trilogy with some rocky moments in the same department as it captures Kenobi’s confident, humorous side that we all know and love.
The sequence that follows this line is also one of the standout moments in the film, with a thrilling duel between Kenobi and Grievous, with Kenobi coming out on top against the multi-saber-wielding cyborg. The delivery alone for this line makes the moment one of McGregor’s best, but the thrilling duel after is the cherry on top.
7Regaining His Powers
In Episode 2 of his self-titled show, Kenobi finds himself on a crime-ridden planet on another rescue mission for Leia, but this time it’s the first time the two see each other since her birth. Later on in the episode, Leia and Kenobi find themselves on a rooftop, cornered by bounty hunters with Reva (Moses Ingram) closing in.
With no other way out, Leia’s survival instincts take over, and she tries to jump over a gap between the buildings, but falls short of the ledge. As she falls closer and closer to the ground below, Kenobi uses all his strength to use the force to save her, something he hasn’t used in so long. Kenobi’s struggle to draw the power and focus he needed was perfectly captured by McGregor in yet another moment where he’ll do anything to save Anakin’s daughter.
6His First Meeting with Anakin
The relationship between Kenobi and Anakin has become a staple element of theStar Warsuniverse, with one of the most complex, emotionally driven stories that affects much more than themselves. InEpisode I, the two characters meet for the first time, with Anakin being a young boy and Kenobi being the apprentice of Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson).
Although they didn’t know it at the time, these two characters would form one of the greatest relationships in the galaxy. A young McGregor portrayed the role of a young apprentice perfectly in this scene, making it one of the best scenes to look back at to show the journey full of growth that he took this character on through the trilogy and then his own show.
5His First Time Meeting Darth Vader
After finding out that Anakin never died on Mustafar, Episode 3 features Kenobi’s first meetingwith Darth Vader, a shell of what his brother-like apprentice used to be. After feeling a strong presence in the force when Vader arrives in the town Kenobi is in, he ends up trying to flee rather than confront him.
McGregor does a perfect job of showing how Kenobi doesn’t want to see what Anakin has become, whether it’s through guilt, fear, shame, or all three. When Kenobi has no choice but to face him, the moment is made that much better by Vader replying to Kenobi with the line “I am what you made me.” McGregor’s wave of emotions that he brought to the scene easily makes it one of his best moments as Kenobi.
4The Hunt for Jango Fett
InStar Wars: Attack of the Clones, Kenobi finds himself on a mission to stop a Confederate plan, involving taking the cloning DNA template of Jango Fett (Temuera Morrison) on the planet of Kamino. As the situation escalates, Kenobi and Jango Fett find themselves locked in an intense duel.
Although the duel ends with Jango escaping on his ship with his son Boba, the sequence has become one of the most iconic of the prequel trilogy, with Kenobi’s Jedi skills on full display paired with the unique environment and Jango Fett being the target. This scene was one of the many times that we see McGregor’s Kenobi wield his blue lightsaber, but this specific scene is undoubtedly one of the most memorable.
3Duel of the Fates
The moment that cemented Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi was during the epic Duel of the Fates, an iconic fight between, Qui-Gon, Kenobi,and Darth Maul(Ray Park). When Maul defeats Qui-Gon in a moment where Kenobi can do nothing to help, it becomes a duel between the apprentice and the doubled-ended saber wielding Sith lord.
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The duel itself is without a doubt the standout moment of the film that may fall short in a few areas. Despite the flaws the film had, this perfect duel with lightsaber combat like nothing we’d ever seen before made this scene not just a standout scene for Kenobi, but a standout scene forStar Warsas a whole.
2Defeating Vader in Episode 6 of Kenobi
Before the series was even released, there were rumors of the final episode featuring a duel between Kenobi and Vader that would take up most of the episode. When it came to the final episode, we were finally treated to an anger and heartbreak-filled duel between the two, easily becoming the best moment of the series.
With Kenobi being out of action for so long, the way he was able to stand toe-to-toe with an enraged Vader and actually win is mightily impressive. Vader’s emotions are what cause him to lose the fight, but it allows McGregor to deliver a tear-jerking scene as he stares at Anakin through the broken mask, realizing his friend is truly dead.
1The Battle on Mustafar
Perhaps the best moment in live-actionStar Warsis the entire final fight between Kenobi and Anakin at the end ofStar Wars: Revenge of the Sith. Not just due to the masterful choreography throughout each segment of the duel, but due to the flaring emotions from both the characters and the audience watching the two characters who shared such a close bond throughout the trilogy.
The end of the fight saw Kenobi dismember Anakin,leaving him to be burnt by the lavariver beside him and presumably die there. Alongside Christensen’s gut-wrenching screams, the sadness McGregor was able to convey in this scene as he watches his almost lifelong apprentice burn accompanied by the monumental battle beforehand makes this McGregor’s best moment throughout his time as the iconic Obi-Wan Kenobi.
