Heartwarming / Obi-Wan Kenobi

---

• Obi-Wan and Leia's entire relationship throughout the series is this:
  • How she reminds him of Padme but even moreso how she reminds him of Anakin.
  • How she gives Obi-Wan something to hope for and believe in and fight for again.
    • Obi-Wan is able to reach out to the Force again because he needs to save and protect her.
  • How Leia tries to take care of Obi-Wan and how she reaches out to comfort him.
    • Turns into a Tear Jerker when you realize she's the first person to do this in over ten years.
  • How Leia, with her braids falling down while on Mapuzo, and her learning from Obi-Wan, and Obi-Wan teaching her a little about the Force, essentially becomes Obi-Wan's Padawan for a few days.
    • Further explains how Leia quickly mastered the Jedi Way between Endor and the birth of her son (about a year).
  • How Obi-Wan teaches Leia both about her birth parents but also how to accept her place within her adopted family, by sharing his past in the Jedi Order with her.
  • How Obi-Wan doesn't treat Leia as helpless, but allows her to control her path / fate and believes in her to help not only him, but the other refugees while they are on Jabiim.
  • How Obi-Wan (just by being himself) inspires Leia and sets her on the course to become the leader and (eventually) Jedi that she will be.
    • Now we understand why Leia models her lightsaber after Obi-Wan's and how Obi-Wan is able to communicate with her after Ben falls to the Dark Side and Luke vanishes.
    • And why she names her son, Ben - not after Living Legend Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi, but Ben, who is her family and who saved her and protected her again and again.
  • How the series shows that Obi-Wan shares a Force Bond with Leia, just as he does with Luke. It's of lesser strength than the one he shares with Anakin/Vader (which even he seems surprised, at first, by), and he can't talk to them and share images across the galaxy (maybe because they're still untrained), but once He's Back!, he can feel when one of the twins is in danger (even halfway across the galaxy).
    • Likely has to do with the fact that they're Skywalkers, Obi-Wan's a powerful Jedi Master himself, and Obi-Wan is the Skywalkers' Family of Choice, with all of them exhibiting variations of Undying Loyalty towards him.
• Every time Leia hugs Obi-Wan and he immediately hugs her back.
  • Honorable Mention goes to when Leia places her hand on top of Obi-Wan's to comfort him, and he immediately turns his hand around to hold hers in return.

Pre-release

• A rather small one in an otherwise action-y teaser, but Obi-Wan looking at a young Luke through binoculars counts. After everything he's been through, it's sweet to see that he takes his duty of watching over his former student's young son seriously.

Part I

• While Luke's life with the Lars proves to be one of hard work, his silly, joyful antics as he avoids doing chores (as Obi-Wan sees him do from afar) definitely confirms Owen and Beru have been very loving parents to him. Although Owen is somewhat stern, he and Beru couldn't have a child of their own, and adopting Luke has brought them nothing but joy.
• Obi-Wan buying a toy ship for Luke (the same toy ship he briefly plays with in A New Hope) from a Jawa. Bear in mind that his job clearly doesn't pay well and he's basically living in complete squalor. He's still finding ways to indirectly raise Luke alongside Owen and Beru. The Jawa even mentions that the toy is rare, making the effort even more noble.
• Even if he dislikes Obi-Wan and mentions he didn't do it for him, Owen still refuses to sell out Obi-Wan for the sake of his family to Reva even while having a lightsaber aimed to his throat.
• The dynamic between Nari and the saloon owner, even if it's mostly offscreen. Prior to the series, Nari fought off criminals oppressing the saloon owner despite the risks of showing Jedi powers, and the saloon owner gave him a place to stay and refuses to sell him out to the Inquisitors when they come. Nari then blows his cover to prevent the saloon owner's death and, surprisingly, it's not a Senseless Sacrifice, as the Inquisitors don't bother to kill the saloon owner for harboring a Jedi before leaving in pursuit of Nari.
• While initially gruff and evasive when talking to the fugitive Jedi Nari, Obi-Wan does offer him advice on how best to hide and be safe under the Empire, even if it's not what Nari wants to hear.
• During the party, Leia thanks the protocol droid Y-O by name after the droid serves her a drink. Her cousin mocks her, claiming she doesn't need to be polite to "lower life forms", but Leia does it anyway because it's "good manners". She later cites the cousin's rudeness to droids as one of his faults when Breha is scolding her for insulting the cousin.
• It warms the heart to see that, even millions of light years apart and totally unaware of each other, Luke and Leia are strikingly alike — both sneaking away from their duties to have some fun and both having loving homes.
• Leia's cousin tells her she's not a "real" Organa because she's adopted. On hearing this, Bail assures her that she's absolutely part of the family, regardless of her birth status. Bail promised that Leia would be loved by him and his wife, and he's definitely lived up to it.
  Leia: I'm not even a real Organa.
  Bail: What? Don't ever say that. You are our child. You are an Organa in every way. One day this planet will look to you. There are many ways to lead, you just have to find yours.
• After Leia is kidnapped, Bail and Breha call Obi-Wan to beg him to look for her. They don't want to draw more attention to her abduction in case it puts her at risk, and Obi-Wan is the only person they trust because he knows who she really is. When Obi-Wan tries to use watching over Luke as an excuse not to go, Bail tells him that Leia is just as important as her brother. Obi-Wan still refuses, so Bail personally travels to Tatooine to talk some sense into him.
  Bail: There is no-one I trust more with my child than you.
• A small moment: Obi-Wan sneaking a bit of raw meat to feed to his Eopie steed. We see him do this thrice, implying that he's probably been doing it for awhile.
• It's wonderful that we get to see Leia having touching moments with both of her parents, encouraging her to be the best version of herself and commenting wryly how much she's like Padmé.
  Breha: I thought you said you got through to her.
  Bail: You know what's she's like.
  Breha: I know who she's like.
• The Tatooine bartender not only sheltering a Jedi when doing so is very dangerous, but not selling him out even when being directly intimidated by the Grand Inquisitor himself (Nari only being found out when he intercedes to defend the bartender) is a striking display of courage in the face of death.

Part II

• When Obi-Wan sees the 501st clone trooper begging for credits, he's understandably shocked and wary, but puts a few credits in the soldier's helmet. Despite all of the pain and loss he's experienced as a result of Order 66, the Jedi hasn't forgotten the good men he once served alongside, and understands that both the Order and the Grand Army were victims of Palpatine's machinations.
• Haja, the fake Jedi conman, is willing to sacrifice his life to protect Obi-Wan after finding out he's a real Jedi. While initially unclear, the next episode reveals that he's a member of the Path, an organization rescuing Force-sensitive individuals and escaped Jedi. While he charges heavily, he really is rescuing the mother and son at the beginning.
  • It's small, but Haja seems surprised and happy that Obi-Wan remembered his name.
• Obi-Wan talking about how Leia reminds him of Padmé is both heartwarming and hilarious.
  Obi-Wan: [Padmé] was fearless. And stubborn too.
  Leia: I'm not stubborn.
  Obi-Wan: (sounding amused) Yes, you are.
  Leia: I'm not!
  • It’s subtle, but Obi-Wan briefly assumes the same posture he often took during his younger days. For a small moment, he's a Jedi Master standing opposite to a headstrong child once again, just like the old days with her father.

Part III

• Freck the hauler might love the Empire, but he's still a nice guy willing to give anyone a lift.
  • When Freck offers some patrolling Stormtroopers a ride, they are quick to thank him. Nice to see, considering the Empire is usually portrayed as making demands and showing no gratitude.
  • Given their banter, it appears that this is a regular thing, with the Stormtroopers often hitching a ride with Freck when their less-than-reliable military transport is a no-show. It’s small, but it does help remind that there’s still people under those buckets who can be reasonable and kind to civilians.
• After being dismissive of LOLA's damage, Obi-Wan fixes her for Leia. Well, he didn't want noise from her while they were on Daiyu, but they're not on Daiyu anymore, so...
• Leia continues to show her kindness and respect for droids when she happily greets NED-B, the droid that guards the entrance to the safehouse, showing it her repaired LOLA droid.
  Leia: LOLA, say hello.
  Tala: He's just a loader. They don't allow them to communicate.
  Leia: But what if he has something to say?
• When Leia asks what the Force feels like, Obi-Wan gives a brief but beautiful summary of it:
  Obi-Wan: Have you ever been afraid of the dark?
  Leia: Yes.
  Obi-Wan: And when you turn on the light, how does it feel?
  Leia: I feel safe.
  Obi-Wan: It's exactly like that.
• Obi-Wan learns more about Haja's group, which has been smuggling Jedi and Force Sensitives across the galaxy and helping them hide. Obi-Wan sees the name of Quinlan Vos written on the wall. Tala tells him that Vos often brings younglings through there.
  • Just the fact that Vos survives past Order 66 in both Disney's canon and Star Wars Legends.
  • Obi-Wan had a rather contentious relationship with Vos during the Clone Wars, but when finding proof he survived, Kenobi’s voice is full of relief.
• Tala's backstory. She joined the Empire during its early years, thinking it was noble. When she discovered it wasn't, rather than giving into corruption or sorrow, she instead decided to use her position to help save as many Force-sensitives as she could.
• Leia figures out that Obi-Wan knew her birth mother, and asks if he's her father. He answers that he earnestly wishes he was, and responds to her musings of wishing she knew her father with his own story of missing his birth family. It's a moment where Obi-Wan and Leia get to connect in a more personal way, and she's noticeably more attached to him after.

Part IV

• The mere existence of the Path, a group committed to rescuing Force-sensitive children and getting them safely out of the Empire's reach, is incredibly heartwarming. These aren't trained soldiers (with Tala being a notable exception), nor Force-users themselves (though Quinlan Vos aids them when he can), but simply people in the galaxy doing what they can to keep children safe. Moreso when they arrive at the climax of the episode to run interference in airspeeders, rescuing Obi-Wan, Tala, and Leia.
• Once they're safely aboard the Path's ship, Leia reaches over and quietly holds Obi-Wan's hand.

Part V

• While it doubles as a Tear Jerker, seeing an Attack of the Clones-era flashback of Obi-Wan and Anakin sparring helps remind us of how, despite the latter's burgeoning Arrogant Kung-Fu Guy status, his master and (then) lifelong friend continued to be patient in teaching him the right ways of combat and thought. You see how Obi-Wan was genuinely attuned to Anakin's personality flaws and potential, while Anakin comes off, despite everything, as someone eager to show that he is indeed learning (even if it manifests in his Fatal Flaw of obsessing over victory). The fact that both Obi-Wan and Vader are shown to accurately remember this moment (informing their actions throughout the episode) truly highlights how much they valued each other — which makes the fact that they use it to hunt each other all the more heartbreaking.
• While Obi-Wan does critique Anakin's form and his need to prove himself after their sparring, he then offers his Padawan a smile and an encouraging hand on the shoulder, a gentle way of letting him know that he has faith his apprentice will improve.
• Bail, concerned with Obi-Wan and Leia's long absence, deciding to return the favor to Obi-Wan by messaging him that if he doesn't hear from him soon, he will go to Tatooine to check on Luke himself.
• Just a few episodes ago, Leia was snarky and standoffish towards Obi-Wan. When he returns from his talk with Reva, she wastes no time giving him a hug, clearly happy to see that he's okay.
• When the base is locked down due to Lola's tampering, Roken laments that the conduit is too small for them to get at the circuitry for the bay doors. Leia immediately springs into action, asking for a ladder. When Roken refuses her, stating it's not a time for playing around, Obi-Wan immediately comes to Leia's aid, telling Roken "You trust me? I trust her." Leia's smile at that statement could melt a Wampa's heart at ten paces.
• Kenobi finds lightsabers and robes left behind by the Jedi the Path successfully helped along. There’s quite a few, so there’s hope that at least a few of them managed to live normal lives. And Kenobi ends up taking one of the sets of robes, both carrying those survivors with him and visually taking up the mantle of Jedi Master again, looking more like himself than he has the whole series.
• Kenobi displaying just how much he's changed during the Path's escape attempt from the Stormtroopers. In the beginning of the series, he wouldn't intervene when a man was beaten up in a job because he didn't want to risk his cover. But now we see Kenobi actively willing to fight for the helpless once again, as he gently lifts and takes Nyche, who he doesn't even know well, to safety and does his best to save Tala despite being vastly outnumbered. Although it makes it more a Tearjerker when despite everything Kenobi still fails, at that moment, the Jedi Master within Obi Wan Kenobi has finally returned, not just visually, but in heart.
• As much as she has been an unrepentant Hate Sink for the bulk of the series, Reva's motivation (i.e. avenging her fallen youngling friends against Anakin/Vader, the one who killed them) is pretty understandable — what with this very same thing having been the angst of many other Jedi (fallen or otherwise) throughout the franchise. To what extent this makes her genuinely sympathetic is debatable. What is not debatable, however, is that it does help layer her failed attempt at Vader towards being the tragedy it is.

Part VI

• Before taking off to draw Vader away, Obi-Wan leaves Leia in Haja's care and charges him with getting her to Alderaan. Haja gives his word, though admitting that the word of a liar and fake Jedi might not mean much. Obi-Wan tells him that's more than enough. And he does it, too.
• Despite sometimes being at odds, Obi-Wan's final words to Roken that he is indeed the kind of leader the Path needs and Roken's concerns for Obi-Wan's insistence to go alone definitely had that feeling for the short period they had, the two indeed are Fire-Forged Friends.
• Owen and Beru fight Reva with everything they've got to protect Luke, proving that he too is in the care of people who love him fiercely.
  Reva: You really love the boy. Like he's your own.
  Owen: He is my own.
  • In general, the Larses are shown as being as loving to Luke as the Organas are to Leia, despite the differences in location, social standing, and occupation. When Owen and Luke go to the shop at the beginning of the episode to buy a new belt for Luke's speeder, Owen does make note of Luke breaking it and mentions that he's "not that patient" after the shopkeeper tells Luke that his uncle is a patient man, but he clearly says it with affection for Luke (albeit gruffly).
• Darth Vader traps Obi-Wan in a pit and buries him under a pile of rocks. Obi-Wan is able to keep himself safe by holding the rocks up with the Force, but is clearly struggling, compounded by his guilt over Anakin and Vader. Then, he thinks of Luke and Leia, and summons the strength to push the rocks away and free himself. In this moment, he has left the scared, defeated hermit behind and is a Jedi Master once more.
• Reva has a chance to kill Luke...and doesn't. She brings him home safe and falls weeping in shame before Obi-Wan, who instead of berating her mistake, reassures her of her humanity.
  Reva: I couldn't do it! (Kill Luke in place of Vader)... I... I have failed them! (Her murdered friends) He killed them all... and I couldn't do it... I have failed them...
  Obi-Wan Kenobi: No, you haven't failed them. By showing mercy, you have given them peace; you have honored them.
  Reva: ...Have I become him?
  Obi-Wan Kenobi: No. You have chosen not to. What you become now, that is up to you.
  • It was this moment of kindness that Qui-Gon's spirit deemed Obi-Wan to be worthy of reuniting with in the mortal world once more, twenty three years on. More important than a great warrior that smiting Darth Vader once more conclusively proved him to be, Jedi are healers. By saving Reva's broken soul, Obi-Wan is a Jedi master once more, worthy of finally travelling down the road to true enlightenment.
• Obi-Wan's parting words to Leia, telling her she inherited the best aspects of both her birth parents, all set to John Williams' Princess Leia theme.
  Obi-Wan: Princess Leia Organa, you are wise, discerning, kindhearted. These are qualities that came from your mother. But you are also passionate and fearless, forthright. And these are gifts from your father. Both were exceptional people who bore an exceptional daughter. I wish I could tell you more.
  Leia: It's okay. (she looks over at Bail and Breha) You don't have to.
  • He may have lost Anakin, but Obi-Wan still very much loves the man he was.
  • Leia asks if they'll ever see each other again. Obi-Wan replies that they will if "you ever need help from a tired old man". Leia then pulls him into one last hug. As he walks away, the Force theme starts playing.
• Leia keeping Tala's holster in her memory and using it as a place to carry LOLA. Fortunately, her mother likes it. When Bail notices it, Leia reminds him that he told her she could find her own way to lead.
  Bail: Looks like I was right.
  Leia: If I'm going to do this, I'm going to want to change a few things.
  Bail: Then let's change things together.
• Upon returning to Tatooine, Obi-Wan packs up and heads for his new home in the Jundland Wastes. And who greets him when he arrives? Qui-Gon's Force ghost.
  Obi-Wan: (stunned) Master Qui-Gon!
  Qui-Gon: Well! Took you long enough!
  Obi-Wan: I was beginning to think you'd never come.
  Qui-Gon: I was always here, Obi-Wan. You just were not ready to see. Come on, we've got a ways to go.
  • The fact that Qui-Gon could have appeared to Obi-Wan at any point in the series, but didn't comes off as yet another lesson from the eccentric master. If he'd appeared to Obi-Wan when he'd called to him in the premiere, Obi-Wan would have likely been like the nameless Jedi from the same episode - desperate, unsure and in a place not even a legendary master could have helped him. In that scenario, Qui-Gon's lessons would have likely done little. So he kept away, having faith in his old apprentice to come to terms with what had happened on his own, and ready to appear when he did.
  • Before he does head off to the Jundland Wastes, he stops by the Lars homestead and admits to Owen that he was right about Luke needing to be a boy, and that Owen and Beru were the protection that he needed. Owen then introduces Obi-Wan to Luke and allows him to give the toy ship, with Obi-Wan greeting Luke with an enthusiastic "Hello there!" Owen and Obi-Wan were never friends, but they eventually managed to grow mutual respect for each other in the end.
    Owen: What are you, uh, doin' here? I thought you were gonna keep your distance.
    Obi-Wan: And I will. You know, you were right. He just needs to be a boy. The future will take care of itself. The only protection he needs now, Owen, is you and Beru. Take good care of him.
    Owen: I will.
• While the scene overall is dark and heartbreaking, Darth Vader decides to absolve Obi-Wan of the guilt he felt about failing Anakin and creating Vader, telling him he's not Obi-Wan's failure and he himself killed Anakin Skywalker, which greatly contrasts with their prior confrontation, in which he accuses Obi-Wan of having caused his current situation. Accepting his failures as his own and allowing Obi-Wan a slight sense of peace is probably the most compassionate thing he's ever done as Vader up to that point.
  • While Obi-Wan's Heartfelt Apology doesn't banish the monster that is Darth Vader, you can tell from the dark warrior's exposed, sorrowful eye that he was still deeply moved, and this lie was his way of ''accepting'' his teacher's apology, because deep down, Anakin Skywalker could not stand to see a man he still loved be in so much pain for the consequences of his own wrongdoing, and absolved him of this guilt to free him. On some level, Vader's declaration is a means of taking pride for the mighty Sith Lord he has become, but the look on his face and the undercurrent of sorrow in his voice is enough to show that Anakin, a man who is living a Fate Worse than Death every waking day, is doing what he can to release Obi-Wan from a similar fate and accept his own responsibility for the Hell his existence has become.
• Part VI shows us where Obi-Wan got his conviction that Vader is Beyond Redemption, as "You didn't kill Anakin, I did." But, it also shows us that Luke is right instead, because the Emperor has to subtly threaten Vader to get him to stop hunting Obi-Wan, because his connection to Obi-Wan, his conflict, is due to his love for his former teacher.