Star Wars is a long-running multimedia sci-fi franchise that has dominated the science ficiton genre for over 40 years. Releasing everything from films to video games to a wide array of merchandise and literature, Star Wars is everywhere. Considering the amount of content that has come from the franchise, there are a number of beloved characters that have come with the territory, including Boba Fett, Han Solo, and Darth Vader. One character that is unanimously loved by the whole of the Star Wars fandom is the wise Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi.
With the recent release of Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi, more and more is being revealed about the beloved character. Despite the fact that Obi-Wan has appeared in the prequel trilogy, the original trilogy, and a number of the animated series, not every aspect of his life and experiences have been disclosed to us. That said, we still know enough about Obi-Wan to know his general strengths and weaknesses. As such, these are Obi-Wan Kenobi’s five greatest strengths and five greatest weaknesses.
10 Strength: Intelligent
One of Obi-Wan’s greatest strengths has always been his intelligence. Kenobi has always fallen under the category of Jedi who think and plan before they act, as opposed to those who act more impulsively, like Anakin Skywalker. His ability to plan out a strategy as well as his level-headed thinking make him a valuable asset both on and off the battlefield. Kenobi’s intelligence also makes him a better leader as he is able to think ahead and weigh his options before making the best decision. This is showcased through his careful planning and execution of numerous battles throughout Star Wars: The Clone Wars.
9 Weakness: Overbearing
One thing that has annoyed both fans and characters alike about Obi-Wan, especially Anakin, is, per Inverse, how overbearing he can be. While some may say that the way he hovers over Anakin is reasonable, it is not. Obi-Wan’s tendency to keep a close eye on Anakin made him feel patronized and belittled, which led Anakin to feel inferior in many ways, forcing him to confide in Palpatine and Padmé rather than share everything with his Master. Obi-Wan always called Anakin’s choices into question, leading the Master to lecture his Padawan, even when he was no longer a Padawan.
8 Strength: Compassionate
While some have argued that Obi-Wan is overly emotional for a Jedi, his compassion is part of what makes him such an extraordinary Jedi. He is amazingly compassionate and is willing to go to extraordinary lengths to see that people in need get the very best. For example, in Obi-Wan Kenobi, when a con-man pretending to be a Jedi pulls his tricks on a helpless family for credits, Obi-Wan gets extremely upset at the con-man and tells him to stop what he’s doing. This goes to show that despite everything Obi-Wan has been through, his compassionate nature still remains.
7 Weakness: Judgemental
From the time Obi-Wan is introduced into the Star Wars universe, we immediately get a glimpse into how judgemental he really is. In The Phantom Menace, he judged Qui-Gon for believing that Anakin was the chosen one, even going so far as to refer to the young boy as a “pathetic life-form”. This judgment is not exclusive to those close to him as he has even managed to voice his judgments of those he barely knows, which is a little excessive. While his judgemental nature settled a bit as he aged, Obi-Wan was judgemental of almost everything and everyone until the day he died.
6 Strength: Courageous
A common strength of most Jedi is their ability to do what no one else is willing to do. Obi-Wan is no exception to this rule considering he has taken on some impossible tasks, including taking on the highly skilled Darth Maul alone when he was just a Padawan. Obi-Wan has seen a number of inconceivable tasks in his lifetime, from losing his surrogate father so suddenly to being forced to take down his own padawan, Obi-Wan’s courage knows no bounds.
5 Weakness: Hypocritical
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As much as Anakin’s relationship with Padmé was forbidden under the Jedi Order, Anakin is not the only Jedi to stray from the Jedi Path. In The Clone Wars, it’s revealed that Obi-Wan had a relationship with Duchess Satine in the past and while they are not together now, it’s clear that they both still had feelings for each other. Obi-Wan is quite the hypocrite to judge Anakin for his relationship when he himself has partaken in the forbidden fruit of love. This is not the only example of Obi-Wan’s hypocrisy: when Luke discovers that Obi-Wan lied and said that Anakin was dead, he is not really practicing what he preached about being honorable and truthful by hiding the fact that Darth Vader is Luke’s father.
4 Strength: Loyal
One thing that everyone knows about Obi-Wan is his unwavering loyalty to those he trusts and believes in. Beginning with his Master Qui-Gon Jinn and the Jedi Order, Obi-Wan has a long history of complete and utter devotion. This had led to a number of unique situations, from blindly following his Master Qui-Gon despite the fact that he was defying orders from the Jedi council to carrying out his promise that he would look after Luke his whole life. Obi-Wan is one of the most loyal Jedi in the Star Wars universe. That said, Obi-Wan’s loyalty could also be seen as a weakness.
3 Weakness: Loyal
As much as his devotion is a strength, it is an equally strong weakness. Even after Anakin had murdered dozens of children and Jedi at the temple, Obi-Wan was still determined to try and talk him out of his darkness, despite everyone knowing that Anakin was already lost. This level of devotion to his former Padawan is staggering and, some would say, quite stupid considering how deadly Anakin had become at that point. While Obi-Wan ultimately did what needed to be done, he still hesitated, and while he left Anakin for dead, he still survived. It’s arguable that were it not for Obi-Wan’s devotion to his former Padawan, he would have made sure that Anakin was dead to prevent him from causing any further harm.
2 Strength: Resilient
While all Jedi are resilient to varying degrees, Obi-Wan has a particularly strong will. Obi-Wan has bounced back from some of the most heart-breaking things to ever happen. From watching his one true love die in front of him to having to hold Padmé's hand as she died giving birth, it would seem that Obi-Wan has experienced more than his fair share of tragedy. While we see a bit more of his weakness in Obi-Wan Kenobi, he still has managed to make a life for himself, despite being hunted by the Inquisitors, bouncing back from the unimaginable.
1 Weakness: Idealistic
While later on in his life Obi-Wan had become more of a pessimist — and understandably so — he was quite idealistic in his younger years. Qui-Gon had managed to convince him to believe in the prophecy, and after his Master’s death, Obi-Wan continued to place a great deal of faith in Anakin, expecting him to be the savior that Qui-Gon always spoke of. This blind faith led Obi-Wan to ignore all signs of Anakin falling to the dark side. If Obi-Wan had set aside the fact that Anakin was the Chosen One, it is entirely possible that the early signs of Anakin turning towards the dark side would have been caught and potentially could have changed the fate of the universe.