The Tatooine suns have risen and set on Disney Plus' Obi-Wan Kenobi series, which brought back Ewan McGregor as the respected Jedi Master. After the events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith left Obi-Wan isolated on Tatooine to watch over Luke Skywalker, he's tasked with a rescue mission after Princess Leia Organa is kidnapped. To make matters worse, the Inquisistorius, led by the Grand Inquisitor, hunt the last remaining Jedi.
It would've been tough for Disney to produce a Star Wars series centered around a Jedi Master and not include at least one of Star Wars' famed lightsaber duels, especially with the eagerly anticipated reunion between Obi-Wan and his former Padawan Anakin Skywalker, now known as Darth Vader. Obi-Wan Kenobi only contains four lightsaber duels throughout its six-episode run, but it makes each lightsaber duel count.
This list contains spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi
4 Only One Side Wanted To Fight In Obi-Wan Kenobi And Darth Vader's First Lightsaber Duel
After learning of Anakin's survival in "Part II," it's not long before Obi-Wan is finally face-to-face (or rather, face-to-mask) with his former Padawan. Midway through "Part III," Obi-Wan witnesses a small taste of the monster Anakin has become through Vader's malice toward the people of a Mapuzo village.
Hoping to get Princess Leia off Mapuzo safely, Obi-Wan decides to confront Vader. What followed was a horror movie-like sequence with Obi-Wan fleeing from Vader in a dark and sandy Mapuzo construction site. Vader eventually catches up with Obi-Wan, initiating the two's first lightsaber duel since Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith. In this short lightsaber duel, which lasts roughly a minute, Obi-Wan is easily overpowered due to losing touch with the force.
This first clash serves as a development piece to establish the mountain Obi-Wan will have to climb in the later episodes. Fans know Obi-Wan survives, but they can easily see the fear radiating from Obi-Wan's eyes throughout this entire sequence. And it's that fear that will be remembered more than the one-sided lightsaber duel itself.
3 Reva And Darth Vader Showed The Lingering Ripple Effects Of Order 66
Obi-Wan and Vader aren't the only force-sensitive characters in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Reva, known also as the Third Sister, is a member of the Inquisistorius. Reva was actually one of the younglings who was training during the events of Revenge of the Sith. Reva barely survived "Order 66," which resulted in the near-annihilation of the Jedi. Filled with anger and a desire for revenge, Reva aligns herself with the man she saw kill her fellow younglings: Anakin. Although Reva patiently waits for the opportunity to execute her revenge on Anakin, Reva also feels bitterness toward Obi-Wan and the surviving Jedi for not doing enough to prevent Order 66.
When confronted with Obi-Wan in "Part V," Obi-Wan deduced Reva's past and primary objective to assassinate Vader. Their discussion led to Reva deciding it was time to strike Vader down. However, instead of using his own lightsaber, Vader split Reva's double-pronged lightsaber in half and used one half while Reva used the other. Unlike Obi-Wan's first lightsaber duel with Vader, Reva was fearless during her brief lightsaber duel with Vader, going so far as to knock the lightsaber Vader was using from his hand.
Sadly, her victory was short-lived after Vader was able to pry Reva's lightsaber from her hand, use the force to re-obtain the other lightsaber, and stab Reva through the stomach. While Reva survived, she learned Vader and the Grand Inquisitor, who was previously believed to be dead at the hands of Reva, anticipated her betrayal, meaning she was doomed from the start.
2 Obi-Wan Kenobi And Anakan Skywalker Rewards Loyal Fans Of The Prequel Trilogy With A Flashback
Not every lightsaber duel in Obi-Wan Kenobi is set in the present, and not every lightsaber duel is a life or death fight. In "Part V," there are a series of flashback sequences centered around a lightsaber sparring match between Obi-Wan and Anakin. In this lightsaber spar, Anakin fights aggressively and competitively to the point Obi-Wan has to remind him that, "a Jedi's goal is to defend life, not take it." Anakin initially rejects this notion and corners Obi-Wan, but Obi-Wan refuses to admit defeat. He escapes, only for Anakin to knock his lightsaber out of his hands. However, even without a lightsaber, Obi-Wan uses Anakin's aggressiveness and desire to win against him by disarming without using a weapon.
This lightsaber sparring match showcases a few parallels to Anakin and Obi-Wan's lightsaber duel in Revenge of the Sith, as well as Vader's lightsaber duel with Reva later in that episode. It emphasizes not letting anger take control. More than anything, it was a pleasure to see Hayden Christensen return as Anakin/Vader for Obi-Wan Kenobi. This lightsaber duel definitely filled fans of the Star Wars Prequel trilogy with plenty of nostalgia and fan service.
1 Obi-Wan Kenobi And Darth Vader's Second Lightsaber Duel Was Nearly Two Decades In The Making
"Part VI," the final episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi, gave Star Wars fans the lightsaber duel they desired the moment it was announced Ewan McGregor would reprise his role as Obi-Wan. With the Vader-helmed Imperial Star Destroyer vast approaching the transport ship carrying Obi-Wan, Princess Leia, and many other innocent civilians, Obi-Wan elects to draw Vader away by taking a shuttle and landing on an unnamed moon.
Here, round two of Obi-Wan and Vader commences. It's longer than the previous three lightsaber duels combined, and could be split into two phases. The first phase sees Obi-Wan finding the strength to fight back, resulting in him being a more formidable opponent for Vader. Both lightsaber wielders appeared evenly matched until Vader began using the environment to his advantage, which culminated in Obi-Wan being buried in a sinkhole, leaving Vader with the high ground.
As Vader is walking away, having underestimated Obi-Wan's power, Obi-Wan remembers he still has Princess Leia and Luke to fight for. As a result, he musters up the rest of the strength he needs to escape the sinkhole for phase two of his lightsaber duel with Vader. This time, Obi-Wan overpowers Vader using the force to push him back and send numerous boulders hurtling towards him. Vader attempts to fight back, but Obi-Wan destroys the mechanism allowing him to breathe.
Obi-Wan finishes the epic lightsaber duel with one final slash to Vader's helmet, giving the former Anakin a scar that would be seen in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. This final lightsaber duel in Obi-Wan Kenobi and its aftermath dialog were as intense as they were exhilarating, making Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen's return to Star Wars completely worth the wait.