Obi-Wan Kenobi is among the most popular characters in the Star Wars franchise – heck, he's arguably among the most popular characters in pop culture history.
The wise Jedi has been portrayed by Alec Guinness (in Episodes IV-VI) and Ewan McGregor (in Episodes I-III and the Obi-Wan Kenobi television series).
In this piece, we'll take you through some of the character's best quotes from throughout the Star Wars franchise.
Great Obi-Wan Kenobi Quotes From The Star Wars Movies
When Star Wars was first released way back in 1977, the space adventure seemed like an unlikely hit, but it soon struck a chord with a million fans around the world.
Part of its appeal, beyond lightsabers and spaceships, was the character of the quotable old Jedi Master known as Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Here are some of our favorite Obi-Wan Kenobi quotes, starting with several quotes from A New Hope:
- “And these blast points, too accurate for sand people. Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise.”
Mocked by many fans for being very incorrect, as the original trilogy showed the Clone troopers were pretty bad shots, this quote is very accurate as the Stormtroopers on the Death Star were ordered to miss.
If you'd managed to live through Order 66 as Obi-Wan had, you could forgive him for thinking about stormtrooper precision, and again remember this quote was said before Obi-Wan and the others found themselves running around the Death Star.
- “These aren't the droids you're looking for.”
One of the first examples of a Jedi's powers being used in the Star Wars universe has become one of the all-time classic Star Wars quotes – and it's a trick repeated by Qui-Gon Jinn in The Phantom Menace and Luke Skywalker in Return of the Jedi.
It's also up there with Ackbar's “It's a trap” in terms of popularity via internet memes and pop culture references.
- “Mos Eisley spaceport. You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy.”
How right was Kenobi?
Luke gets his life threatened by a bar patron, sees an arm sliced off, witnesses Han Solo killing Greedo, and then gets sold out to the Imperial Troopers all in the space of about an hour!
- “I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.”
This Force device was used later in The Force Awakens when Leia felt the death of Han Solo.
Revenge of The Sith Quotes
- “Only a Sith Lord deals in absolutes.”
What happened next is now the stuff of Star Wars legend. This leads to another great exchange of quotes:
- Obi-Wan: “It's over, Anakin. I have the high ground.”
- Vader: “You underestimate my power.”
- Obi-Wan: “Don't try it.”
- Anakin: “The Chancellor doesn't appear to be corrupt.”
- Obi-Wan: “Chancellor Palpatine is a politician.”
- Obi-Wan: “I have a bad feeling about this.”
- Qui-Gon: “I don't sense anything.”
- Yoda: “I cannot teach him. The boy has no patience.”
- Obi-Wan: “He will learn patience.”
- Yoda: “Hmm. Much anger in him, like his father.”
- Obi-Wan: “Was I any different when you taught me?”
Ghosts indeed. We’ll end with some more quotes from A New Hope.
- Obi-Wan: “That's no moon. It's a space station!”
- Darth Vader: “Your powers are weak, old man.”
- Obi-Wan: “You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine.”
First-time viewers of A New Hope never really knew the backstory between these two Jedi – why was Obi-Wan so ready to let Vader kill him? Why did his body disappear? The prequel movies explained it all and cast more light on the outcome of the duel.
Call it the butterfly effect if you will, Kenobi's actions in A New Hope led directly to Luke and Vader's final confrontation. Recall the scene in the movie when Ben looks at Luke. It was a knowing look suggesting Luke was the key to everything from that point on – not that of a defeated man. Indeed, moments after his death, he is channeling the Force warning Luke to “run Luke, run!”
- “Use the Force, Luke.”
Even though Han suggested that the Force should be with Luke before they left to take on the giant Death Star, Luke needed this nudge from the dead Jedi to get his groove on so do something important with womp rats back home.
- “You'll find that many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.”
Dialogue from both Ewan MacGregor and Alec Guinness was used so this line could be placed in Rey's flashback when she touched Luke's so-called Bespin lightsaber for the first time:
- “Rey… these are your first steps.”
- “Rey, these are your final steps.”
Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ Show Quotes
“The fight is done. We lost.”
Extra for experts:
- So how did they get Obi-Wan Kenobi into The Force Awakens?
- Was Gandalf the inspiration for Obi-Wan Kenobi?
- Is Wedge Antilles really Obi-Wan Kenobi's Uncle? Yes, from a certain point of view.
- Is this the best-ever cosplay of Obi-Wan Kenobi?
- This is the last time Anakin and Obi-Wan spoke as friends. As General Kenobi is about to leave to hunt down General Grievous, he shares a nice moment with Anakin which finishes with a very loving, “Goodbye old friend” from Kenobi. This is the last time in the movie that the two Jedi converse as friends. A key thing is the lighting – Anakin in the dark and Obi-Wan in the light – it is a literal case of foreshadowing what was to come.
What are your favorite Obi-Wan Kenobi quotes? Do you prefer them from the prequels or Disney sequels? What would you add to this list?
This article was produced and syndicated by Wealth of Geeks.