The final episode ofObi-Wan Kenobiis out now, with many fans reacting positively to it online. Much of this comes down to the performances of Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi andHayden Christensen as Darth Vader.
WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD FOR OBI-WAN KENOBI EPISODE 6 AHEADThe fight between Kenobi and Vader is already being hailed by some fans as one of the best duels in live-actionStar Wars, but of course, it’s not the only epic duel Vader has ever been in. It seems that, in this duel, Vader’s mask becomes an epic symbol of his redemption when factoring inhis duel with Ahsoka inRebelsand his redemption by Luke too.
RELATED:Obi-Wan Kenobi: What’s Up With the Room Full of Captured Jedi?
Twitter user Lalo/@clonehumor recently shared an image showing how Vader’s mask has been damaged by the three figures above. The duel between the two inObi-Wan KenobiEpisode 6 sees Vader’s former mentor break the right side of his mask, after which Obi-Wan and Anakin share one more heartbreaking conversation. When he duels Ahsoka inStar Wars Rebels, she breaks the left side of his mask.
The symbolism is pretty clear here. The two closest to Anakin are unable to break the mask that he’s adopted, the mask of Darth Vader, and reach the goodness that is still inside him—as hinted by Padme inRevenge of the Sith. It’s only inReturn of the Jedi, when Luke convinces his father to turn against the Emperor and he lays dying, that someone is able to fully remove the mask and revealthe man, Anakin, behind Darth Vader.
Notably, Luke is able to remove this mask without violence, where violence is what damages his mask in previous duels. This leans heavily into the ideas of the Jedi Code, and all in all, it brings a nice symmetry to the Vader’s mask. After all, chronologically speaking, his mask would play a huge role inKylo Ren’s turn to the Dark Side in theStar Warssequel trilogy.
With the final episode out now ofObi-Wan Kenobi, it remains to be seen what happens to the show. It was originally conceived as a mini-series, but it seems several people involved are now keen on anObi-Wan Kenobiseason 2. If it happens, it’s unlikely Vader returns, but there’s still plenty of time left between whenObi-Wan Kenobitakes place andEpisode 4: A New Hope.
