The wizened Jedi Knight who first revealed the mysteries of the Force to young Luke Skywalker. Long before, Obi-Wan had taken another student in Luke’s father, Anakin. Sadly, Obi-Wan underestimated the power of the dark side and ultimately lost Anakin to the lure of evil. Years later, Obi-Wan tried to redeem himself by confronting Anakin, who had been transformed into the vile Darth Vader. Kenobi was struck down, but even after death, he managed to guide Luke as the young Jedi attempted to save Anakin’s spirit and topple the Empire.

While many of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s early exploits have been poorly recounted, his heroism during the Galactic Civil War is well-documented. Obi-Wan may have been born and raised on Tatooine, and he may have had a brother named Owen Lars. At some point, he encountered Jedi Master Yoda and began training in the ways of the Force. It is known that Obi-Wan served with Bail Organa, and possibly Anakin Skywalker, in the Clone Wars. As General Kenobi, he became a great war hero during that conflict. He also decided to teach Anakin Skywalker to wield the Force.

The details surrounding Obi-Wan’s ascension as a Jedi Knight and his failure with Anakin Skywalker have yet to be revealed. Some reports indicate that Kenobi confronted Anakin after he realized that Skywalker has succumbed to the dark side. The two became embroiled in a duel near a molten pit of lava and Anakin toppled into the magma. Although Obi-Wan initially believed that his student had perished, he soon discovered that Anakin had, in fact, been transformed into Darth Vader.

When Vader joined forces with Emperor Palpatine and began slaughtering the Jedi, Obi-Wan agreed to hide the twin son and daughter born to Skywalker’s estranged wife. The infant girl was entrusted to Bail Organa, while the boy was given to Owen Lars and his wife Beru to raise as their "nephew." Neither child was to be told of their true parentage. Kenobi himself became a hermit near the edge of Tatooine’s Western Dune Sea, where he could secretly watch over young Luke Skywalker.

As Luke grew older, Kenobi realized that the boy was strongly connected to the Force. He made one early attempt to contact Luke and present him with Anakin Skywalker’s original lightsaber, but Owen would not allow this. Eventually, however, Kenobi rescued Luke from Tusken Raiders and invited the boy back to his home. There, Luke finally received Anakin’s weapon and learned of Princess Leia’s mission. Kenobi urged Luke to join him on a trip to Alderaan, and Luke eventually accepted after discovering that Imperial stormtroopers had murdered Owen and Beru.

Kenobi hired Han Solo and Chewbacca in order to make the trip to Alderaan, and during their journey, he began teaching Luke to control the Force. Unfortunately, when the group arrived at Alderaan’s coordinates, they found that the planet had been completely destroyed by the Imperial super weapon, the Death Star. The battle station soon trapped the Millennium Falcon, Solo’s ship, but the heroes eluded capture. Obi-Wan used his considerable abilities to deactivate the Death Star’s tractor beam, but was confronted by Vader. During the ensuing lightsaber duel, Kenobi distracted Vader and nearby stormtroopers allowing Skywalker and his allies to escape. To divert his enemy, Kenobi allowed himself to be struck down by Vader. The Jedi’s cloak fell empty to the Death Star floor: Kenobi had finally become one with the Force.

Yet, even in seeming death, Obi-Wan remained Luke’s mentor and protector. He continued to guide Luke, urging the boy to "use the force " during Skywalker’s successful attack on the Death Star. He advised Luke to visit planet Dagobah and continue his training under Jedi Master Yoda. After Yoda’s own demise, Obi-Wan insisted that Luke confront Vader in order to save the Rebellion.

After the Battle of Endor, the spirit of Obi-Wan appeared to Luke on several occasions. But in his final manifestation on Coruscant, Kenobi told Luke that the distances were too great for him to appear again. "I loved you as a son, and as a student, and as a friend.," Kenobi told Skywalker. Until we meet again, may the force be with you." Luke, he said, was not the last of the Jedi but "the first of the new."

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