#aghhhhhhhhhh
CAN’T WAIT TO MOVE INTO A SIMPLE APARTMENT WITH THE LOVE OF MY LIFE AND FALL ASLEEP AND WAKE UP NEXT TO THEM AND COOK DINNER WITH THEM AND HAVE RANDOM MIDNIGHT TRIPS FOR SNACKS AND STAY UP LATE PLAYING VIDEO GAMES OR WATCHING MOVIES AND BEING ABLE TO SHARE EVERY MOMENT OF MY LIFE WITH THEM
gffa:
gffa:
“Don’t try it!” “You underestimate my power!”
“Do you really want Anakin dead?“
“You’re a great warrior, Anakin, but your need to prove yourself is your undoing. Until you overcome it, a Padawan you will still be.“
I keep thinking about the show’s choice not to de-age Hayden Christensen, but still set him during their pre-Attack of the Clones lives, and how it all fits together with everything else we know of their connection. I keep thinking about how the show has established they sense each other in the Force, they share visions in the bacta tank, they show us Obi-Wan seeing Vaderkin on Mapuzo. These two share thoughts and feelings throughout all of the series.
And then this episode has Reva pointedly asking, “Do you really want Anakin dead?” with Obi-Wan’s very long pause and this comes after ten years of mourning Anakin, so undone by that grief because his love for Anakin was so large, his guilt is so massive because he cared so deeply about Anakin.
Does Obi-Wan want Anakin dead? I don’t think almost anyone could say “yes” to that, not now.
Those flashbacks, the ones of Anakin looking as he would as a 40 year old, the way Obi-Wan would still see him. The lack of de-aging Hayden’s face makes so much sense in the light of the idea of it being Obi-Wan’s view of him, that he cannot yet let go of seeing Vader as Anakin, he cannot see the mask, he can only see his Padawan’s face, even if he acknowledges that he’d be older now, this is an older Anakin, an older Vader, though, he is still a Padawan.
The way those flashbacks are framed, they’re cut to and from Vader just as often (or more) than Obi-Wan, that we’re being told Vader has these thoughts in mind. But I don’t think they wholly make sense as being just from Vader’s point of view, this is also just as much about Obi-Wan.
And I keep thinking about Obi-Wan’s last, desperate plea to Anakin on Mustafar, to not jump over onto the shore banks, “Don’t try it!” he says, knowing that if Anakin does, he’ll lose.
Maybe some part of Obi-Wan is still trying to warn Anakin through this memory that’s being shared between them, don’t try this, don’t do this, you’re still making the same mistakes as always, back up and really look at yourself and your wants, don’t do this, Anakin.
But Vader only takes the wrong message from it, that he has to be even stronger, not to actually overcome his own need for external validation.
Even after everything that Vader has done, we know some part of Obi-Wan still loves him, and probably still doesn’t want him dead. Maybe some part of him is still trying to help Anakin and warn him off making a mistake again.I keep thinking about this marvel of a post, and the fact that Darth Vador hates Obi-Wan for the exact same reason Reva does. because Obi-Wan loves Anakin Skywalker. still.
I am emotionally devastated by this response, because it’s so true, that Anakin hates Obi-Wan all the more because Obi-Wan doesn’t hate him back, because Obi-Wan Kenobi loves Anakin Skywalker.
He loves the Anakin Skywalker that he knew, the Anakin Skywalker who did both wonderful and terrible things when he was younger, he loves Anakin so much that he can’t even want him dead after knowing he killed the younglings, even when there’s a youngling standing before him, grown up and twisted by the dark side because it’s what she had to do to survive, he can look at her pain and hurt so deeply with her, but he still can’t hate Anakin Skywalker or truly want him dead.
And Vader hates him for it. Hates him for reminding Vader that the path back to the light is still open, hates him for Vader cannot accept a return for anyone who knew him, because he couldn’t survive facing the things he’d done, admitting the inexcusable actions he’d taken, he can never go back to the light for someone who would look at him and put a face to the younglings he’d killed.
He wants Obi-Wan to hate him because it’s easier on him, because Anakin is consumed with hate, because he wants to be right about how the dark side is more powerful, he wants to be right that the dark side always wins, he wants Obi-Wan to hate him, because one-sided hate is lonely and he hates Obi-Wan for making him feel alone even in his hatred, because the only way Anakin can tolerate not being alone in any way is for Obi-Wan to join him in suffering and mutual hate.
But Obi-Wan loves Anakin still. Obi-Wan is holding faith with the light still. Obi-Wan won’t let Anakin win the argument about the dark vs the light. Obi-Wan won’t join him in a mutual hate. Obi-Wan loves him, but is starting to let him go.
If you really loved me, Obi-Wan, you’d hate me like I hate you.
But Obi-Wan doesn’t. Obi-Wan Kenobi loves Anakin Skywalker still. And Vader hates him for it.
