One of the most talked-about battles in the entireStar Warsseries is the fated duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker on Mustafar inRevenge Of The Sith. It is arguably the most cinematic and impactful battle in all ofStar Wars, but it is a fight that left a lot of people with different questions. One of the major things fans have pondered is exactly why the incredibly powerful Anakin, who was arguably at the peak of his power during their duel, was unable to beat Obi-Wan. The latter wasa powerful Jedi, but not anywhere near Anakin’s level.
The two men battled across a planet bursting with lava, making it clear that only one would be able to walk away as the victor. It would ultimately be Obi-Wan who won the day afterthe Sith-turned Anakinover-estimated his own abilities, but the win was anything but easy. With that said, many people point out various moments across the fight in which Anakin should have been able to take Obi-Wan down, thus going on to become the most powerful Sith the galaxy has ever seen.
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How Strong Was Anakin?
There’sno denying just how powerful Anakin Skywalker was. Even before he became the force of nature that is Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker was a feared opponent across the stars. A major factor in his strength was all his training with his skilled master, Obi-Wan Kenobi. Anakin was able to hone various lightsaber forms in training against Obi-Wan as well as during his time spent fighting in the Clone Wars.
Anakin showed his skill from a young age, but his first burst of violence shows how powerful he was. InAttack Of The Clones, Anakin slaughtersa large group of Tusken Raiderson his own before going on to go toe-to-toe with Count Dooku later in the same film. Over the course of the Clone Wars, Anakin would fight tons of powerful foes including a few more rematches with Count Dooku, Asajj Ventress, Savage Opress, Barriss Offee, and even his own apprentice, Ahsoka Tano. Simply surviving a battle against a majority of those opponents is enough to have a Jedi labeled as one of the strongest in the galaxy.
When Anakinbegan to embrace the Dark Side, the true strength of his resolve became clear. While Younglings would certainly have no chance against a Jedi like Anakin, what shows Anakin’s strength is just how little he cares about his slaughtering of Jedi Younglings. He has become twisted and is willing to do whatever it takes to see his plans through to the end.
How Strong Was Obi-Wan?
While Obi-Wan Kenobi was a powerful Jedi, he really wasn’t any match for Anakin, at least in theory. He was originally trained byhis Master Qui-Gon Jinn, and during this time, the two would go on a variety of adventures that would serve to train the young Jedi. Early in his Jedi career, Obi-Wan was proficient in the aggressive Ataru form, but would eventually switch to his masterful defensive form of Soresu. It would be his Soresu form that made him one of the most dangerous Jedi in the galaxy.
Obi-Wan demonstrates his skill and dedication to the Force through his defeat of Darth Maul inThe Phantom Menace. He would eventually become a Jedi General, and eventually,a Jedi Master, being placed on the Jedi Council to assist with decision-making. Kenobi was able to hone his skills throughout the Clone Wars, battling many of the same foes that Anakin had, though he would spend much more time locked in battle with Darth Maul and General Grievous as well.
Constantlyat odds with the greatest threats in the galaxy, Obi-Wan knew how to handle the pressure of a high-stakes situation without acting too rashly. One of the best moments demonstrating Obi-Wan’s skill was inStar Wars:The Clone Wars,when he took on both Darth Maul and Savage Opress on his own. Even more impressive, after multiple encounters, Obi-Wan would finally manage to kill General Grievous and survive Order 66 only a short while before battling Anakin on Mustafar.
Why Couldn’t Anakin Beat Obi-Wan?
There are two potential reasons why Anakin was unable to defeat Obi-Wan on Mustafar inRevenge Of the Sith. One of the first things to discuss is the lightsaber forms that each Jedi was using in the battle.Obi-Wan applied his classic Soresu formfor defense, while Anakin launched forward with the aggressive Djem So form. It’s this difference in lightsaber form, mixed with the two Jedi’s personalities, that likely played a major factor in the outcome of their duel.
Anakin was brash and impatient, a characteristic shown time and again throughout the series. Obi-Wan, meanwhile, was patient and cunning, something that was reflected in his lightsaber form.Obi-Wan used his near-flawless defensive abilitiesto keep Anakin at bay while waiting for any kind of opening possible. The only true opening that Obi-Wan would find would come at the climax of their battle, after Obi-Wan had gotten some distance and the higher ground.
By every metric imaginable,Anakin should have defeated Obi-Wan. His connection to the Force was much stronger, and it could even be argued that Anakin was more skilled than his master with a lightsaber. The problem was that Anakin overestimated his own strength at every turn, trying to brute force his way through Obi-Wan’s defense instead of taking time to understand that a shift in styles likely would have won him the duel.
The only things that Obi-Wan had in his favor were his defensive style and knowledge of his companion’s nature. Luckily, that was enough for Obi-Wan Kenobi to survive against Anakin long enough to deliver a finishing blow. Had Obi-Wan been a master of any other lightsaber form,or simply not been Anakin’s master, he almost certainly would have met his end at the hand ofthe newly proclaimed Darth Vader.
