Obi-Wan Kenobi (Dawn of the Force)

## Obi-Wan Kenobi

**Obi-Wan Kenobi**, known later as **Ben Lars** during his exile, was a legendary Jedi Master who played a significant role in the fate of the galaxy primarily during the waning days of the Galactic Republic. He was the mentor of both Anakin Skywalker (later becoming the Sith Lord Darth Vader) and Luke Skywalker, his apprentice's child and former "nephew" while in exile. Throughout his long and tumultuous career, Master Kenobi helped shape the fate of the entire galaxy. Born in 57 BBY on the planet Stewjon, Kenobi was given up for adoption and grew up in an orphanage before being adopted by Cliegg Lars and his wife. After his adoptive mother's death, Obi-Wan moved to Tatooine before being discovered by Qui-Gon Jinn and being taken under his wing as his apprentice.

Travelling on many missions with him, Obi-Wan remained Qui-Gon's apprentice until the Crisis in Naboo, when Darth Maul slew his master. In response, Obi-Wan became the first Jedi in approximately 1,000 years to defeat a Sith Lord in combat by defeating Darth Maul by utilizing 'cho mok', the act of cutting off an opponent's limb (in this case, slicing Maul in half), which was frowned upon in the Jedi Order and led to a evaluation of Kenobi's connection to the light side of the force. Afterwards, honouring Jinn's final request, Obi-Wan took Anakin Skywalker as his own Padawan. Eventually, Obi-Wan would be at the centre for the Invasion of Geonosis that kicked-off one of the biggest galactic conflicts in history, the Clone Wars, and served as the General of the 7th Sky Corps. During the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan's apprentice had attained the rank of Jedi Knight as a result of his military successes in the Outer Rim while Kenobi was granted the title of Master and a seat on the Jedi High Council, making him one its last members. Despite this, the two Jedi fought alongside as generals many times and became a renowned pair throughout the galaxy. Kenobi earned the sobriquet "The Negotiator" through his charm and calm demeanor as well as the quiet threat of his abilities with a lightsaber. In the waning days of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan led an attack on General Grievous' hideout on Utapau and slew the Confederate leader, but his victory was short-lived as he was betrayed by Commander Cody and the 212th Attack Battalion upon the issuing of Order 66 by Supreme Chancellor Palpatine. Despite falling a considerable height to certain death, Obi-Wan managed to survive and escape Utapau without being detected by the clones. Kenobi was able to meet up with his old mentor, Grand Master Yoda, who had survived thanks to Senator Bail Organa, and the two quickly realized that very few Jedi survived the extinction.

Returning to the Jedi Temple, Kenobi and Yoda fought their way through the clones guarding the temple and learned the agonizing truth by studying the bodies and holotapes: Skywalker, now lost to the dark side, had led an attack to kill all Jedi remaining in the temple under the orders of Chancellor Palpatine. Kenobi traveled to Mustafar in order to confront his friend and former apprentice, now the Sith Lord Darth Vader, and duelled him in the mining facility. Finally defeating his friend, Vader was consumed by flame; Kenobi was unable to finish him off and left him to die, an act that would haunt him for years afterwards. While Yoda, one of the few other Jedi to survive the purge, went into exile on Dagobah, Kenobi took the son of Skywalker and Amidala, Luke, and brought him to live with his brother Owen on Tatooine. Obi-Wan took on the alias of Ben Lars and watched over young Skywalker as he grew up, becoming a mentor to the child as his "Uncle Ben". During his exile, Kenobi helped the local communities by defending against Tuskan Raider attacks and providing whatever knowledge he could to benefit the moisture farmers of the land. However, his nights were plagued by regrets from what had occurred and haunting visions of his former apprentice and Kenobi developed post-traumatic stress as a result of the fall of the Jedi Order. During an attack against a Tuskan village in response to the kidnapping of several humans, Kenobi met Telna Jois who lost her family at the hands of the raiders who kidnapped her. Returning her to her home which they found burned to the ground, Telna was invited to stay with Kenobi for awhile. Overtime, a relationship developed between the two and the pair would marry five years after the fall of the Republic. As part of his cover, Obi-Wan kept his true nature as a former Jedi a secret from his new family.

Kenobi lived the next twelve years in relative peace with his two children, Kalivan and Siri. However, this peace will come to an end when he was tracked down and confronted by an old nemesis: Darth Maul, his master's murderer. A brief duel ensued that saw Maul struck down for the last time; as he lay dying in his arms, the two finally made peace and the former Sith Lord proclaimed that Luke would avenge them both. After his family witnessed the spectacle, Kenobi told the truth to his family and the they came to accept his past. Two years after Maul's death, Kenobi received a message via R2-D2 from Leia Organa asking for help in the Rebel Alliance's fight against the Empire. After Luke's adoptive parents were killed by Imperial forces searching for the Death Star plans contained in the droid, Skywalker agreed to join Kenobi on this mission and be trained as a Jedi. Securing transportation with the Corellian Smuggler Han Solo, the pair eluded their Imperial pursuers and were taken to Alderaan, only to find that it was destroyed by the Death Star. Their ship, the Millennium Falcon, was captured by the Death Star's tractor beam and Kenobi was confronted by Darth Vader. Another duel ensued, with Kenobi bravely duelling the Sith Lord but barely escaping with his life on the Falcon.