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The impact of Ben Kenobi’s sacrifice
Star Wars: Episode IV—A New Hope
Writer: George Lucas
Director: George Lucas
Obi-Wan Kenobi was supposed to die.
We know this because mentors, which that old wizard Ben Kenobi is the poster child for, are supposed to die. This is part of the hero’s journey and by now, thanks to a steady diet of pop culture fantasy, we all have become self-proclaimed experts on that mythical roadmap for storytelling that is the lifeblood of adventures everywhere. George Lucas was learning at the feet of the twentieth century master of the subject, Joseph Campbell, and unabashedly built A New Hope around that frame. (And, yes, Kurosawa movies.) It’s part of the reason why it worked so intensely and struck so many chords in people. It was a tried and true method of storytelling and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s death was part of that.
However, when the story of Star Wars is rolling out in front of you for the first time, this death isn’t just some checkmark on the fantasy storytelling guidebook. This is a loss that affects you even as time (and repeat viewings) lessen the blow. It’s time to forget the analytic look at the myth structure and the loss of Luke’s mentor and guide. How does it affect us? Even as a fan, don’t worry, for now, about the importance of his sacrifice being the very reason our heroes escape the Death Star. Don’t dig into this representing Kenobi’s belief in Luke Skywalker as the Chosen One and his nearly twenty-year mission to protect him coming to an end. Look at it as you first experienced it. This is about learning the concept of death. This is Star Wars giving you a hug and saying this is tough, this is real, but, like Luke, you have to keep running.
There are classic deaths in pop culture that impact different generations. Bambi’s mom. Simba’s father. Optimus Prime in the animated Transformer movie (I’m still dealing with that one, to be honest). But for many, the self-sacrifice of Ben Kenobi was the first time we felt a loss on this level. If Star Wars, particularly A New Hope, is itself a guidebook through the coming perils of adulthood, then loss, death, is definitely part of that lesson plan. When Kenobi faces his former apprentice and ignites his blue lightsaber to stand against him, the young fan perk ups. There is excitement about Kenobi saving everyone and Han, Luke, and Leia getting out of this jam. (And, yes, Chewie and the droids. Always on the outside looking in.) So, when Vader strikes Kenobi down and he vanishes into the spirit world, the gasp you hear from that young fan is not them recognizing the well-placed use of the mentor death, it’s them, again like Luke, screaming, “Nnnnnnooooo!”
A lot of this can be attributed to Sir Alec Guinness. He brought so much to the character in a short amount of time. Like the impact he had off camera with the cast and crew, he brought the steadying hand to the story. Yes, that’s the mentor role in a nutshell, but Guinness knew how to play it whether he fully grasped Star Wars or not (He was always a bit prickly about Star Wars and the phenomenon it created). There is an immediate warmth to him on screen and the trust builds from the outset. His first line of dialogue is a friendly “Hello there” to R2-D2, but he’s saying it to us. We’ve just watched Luke get jumped by Tusken Raiders and we’re lost in a strange world. And here’s a Space Grandpa simply saying, “Hello there.” Kenobi represents safety and security. He is the embodiment of protection (and still quick with a saber as we soon learn in the cantina). The character of Obi-Wan Kenobi was a powerful warrior and insightful teacher. His list of accomplishments and feats go on and on. His adherence to the Jedi way, even in the face of love, is to be studied, but here, now, in the fresh adventure of A New Hope that begins to rocket us around the galaxy, Ben Kenobi is home and you should feel his loss.
We all have to leave home, figurative ones as well. We all will have to face death and loss. We all have to have to learn how to move on from it. It’s the circle of life and all those truths. And all the mentors in our lives will have to be the ones to send us on. This is why the sacrifice of Ben Kenobi is the one Star Wars death that transcends generations and buried beneath the analytical threads and wonderful pontifications about the character and his role, you can never erase the sadness you first felt.
Obi-Wan Kenobi had to die, and we all had to grow from it.
