One decisionObi-Wan Kenobinearly made inStar Warswould have changed the fate of the entire galaxy—likely for the worse. Obi-Wan is one of the most important characters inStar Wars’movies and TV shows. After acting as Luke Skywalker’s mentor inA New Hopeand then throughout the original trilogy as a Force ghost, Obi-Wan has returned totheStar Warstimelinenumerous times.
Although his most notable return was in the prequel trilogy, his appearances inStar Wars’TV shows, especiallyStar Wars: The Clone Wars, have revealed so much more about the character.The Clone Warsin particular shockingly revealed that Obi-Wan had a love interest pre-datingStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace: Satine Kryze, the Duchess of Mandalore. All the more jarring,Obi-Wan admitted inThe Clone Warsthat he would have left the Jedi Order for Satine had she asked. This one decision would have had a seismic ripple effect, spelling doom for theStar Warsgalaxy.
Obi-Wan Would Never Have Been Anakin Skywalker’s Jedi Master
Had Obi-Wan left the Jedi Order beforeThe Phantom Menace, he obviously would not have become Anakin Skywalker’s Jedi Master. This opens up a whole host of other questions. Obi-Wan only agreed to be Anakin Skywalker’s Jedi Master after Qui-Gon Jinn died, as that was Qui-Gon’s dying wish. It also seems as though the Jedi Council only approved Anakin joining the Jedi Order because Obi-Wan was going to be the one to train him. When it was going to be Qui-Gon (who was a known rule-breaker) training Anakin, the Jedi Council rejected him.
The Phantom Menace Hides The Real Reason The Jedi Council Allowed Obi-Wan To Train Anakin
Although the Jedi Council initially rejected Anakin from the Jedi Order, they changed their mind once Obi-Wan Kenobi was going to be his master.
This begs the question:had Obi-Wan left the Order, would Anakin have been accepted into the Jedi Order at all?Assuming Qui-Gon still died on Naboo and most other events unfolded as they did inThe Phantom Menace, Obi-Wan’s absence may have meant that Anakin was rejected from the Order with no one left to advocate for him or train him. While some may see this as a positive, in the end, this would have been incredibly dangerous.
Obi-Wan’s absence may have meant that Anakin was rejected from the Order with no one left to advocate for him or train him.
Some may see this potential outcome as a positive because many feel Obi-Wan was simply the wrong master for Anakin or that it would have been better for Anakin to have never been trained at all. The issue is, in this scenario, at best, Anakin’s future would be a gamble with a different Jedi Master (such as Mace Windu) and, at worst, Palpatine would have pounced on the opportunity. It’s impossible to say what another Jedi would have meant for Anakin’s path, but it seems doubtful the Jedi would have changed their minds about Anakin without Obi-Wan.
It seems most likely that Palpatine/Darth Sidious would have jumped at the opportunity to train Anakin, which would have been devastating. Yes, Palpatine’s plan to infiltrate the Jedi and turn the Republic into his Empire made use of Anakin, but it’s difficult to imagine the scale of the devastation Palpatine could have caused had he instead taken Anakin on as an acolyte. It also would have been particularly easy to twist Anakin at that point, as he had been taken away from his mother, rejected by the Jedi, and effectively left alone in the wake of Qui-Gon’s death.
There Would Have Been Little To Stop Palpatine’s Plan
Without Obi-Wan, there also would have been little in Palpatine’s way, in both the short and long term. If the Jedi did reject Anakin and remain resolute in that decision even following Qui-Gon’s death, there are two possibilities. Either Anakin would have been taken under Palpatine’s wing and turned to the dark side even earlier, or Anakin would have been cast off and gone his own way. It seems more likely that Palpatine would have taken Anakin in, particularly because he had already sensed Anakin’s power in the Force, butin either case, Palpatine’s plan would have remained secure.
This would have thrown the Rebels' ability to overthrow the Empire into question.
If Palpatine took Anakin on as an acolyte, their master and apprentice dynamic would simply have been established earlier. If he didn’t, he no doubt would have had backup plans; Palpatine proved throughout the prequels that he had no trouble replacing apprentices. With Anakin and Obi-Wan both gone from the Jedi Order, though, there would be no Luke Skywalker or Leia Organa and one lessJedi who survived Order 66. Obi-Wan was pivotal in shoring up the future of the Jedi through Luke, so this would have thrown the Rebels' ability to overthrow the Empire into question.
Would Obi-Wan Have Ruled Mandalore?
Obi-Wan’s choice to leave the Jedi Order for Satine would also have proven interesting in terms of what this would have meant for Mandalore. As Satine was Duchess of Mandalore, does that mean Obi-Wan would have ruled Mandalore alongside her, or would she have stepped down? There are also a number of events this decision would have called into question that would have impacted Obi-Wan and Satine. Most notably,if Obi-Wan hadn’t fought Darth Maul inThe Phantom Menace, Maul would have no reason to seek revenge. Perhaps Satine would have lived.
Satine and Obi-Wan are one ofStar Wars’best couples, but it’s clear that, had Obi-Wan really left the Jedi Order for her, there would have been devastating consequences. Obi-Wan was simply too important to leave the Jedi Order. Luckily, despite the love he had for her,Obi-Wan Kenobichose not to walk away from the Jedi to be with Satine.
