It’s well-known thatObi-Wan Kenobitold Luke Skywalker several lies inA New Hope, particularly about his father, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, but one subtle lie isn’t often discussed. Obi-Wan eventually (and cheekily) told Luke that what he’d said about Darth Vader killing his father was true"From a certain point of view."
While that was arguably just stretching the truth, asStar Warsmovies and TV showshave consistently reinforced this idea, some of what Obi-Wan told Luke was an outright lie. In fact,Obi-Wan told Luke one rather outrageous lie inA New Hope, and it has implications beyond justthe Skywalker family tree.
Obi-Wan Implied Luke’s Father Knew Of Him (Or Even Knew Him)
This Couldn’t Have Been Further From The Truth
InA New Hope, when Obi-Wan handed Anakin Skywalker’s now-iconic blue lightsaber to Luke, he told him,“Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough.“Yet,the notion that Anakin wanted Luke to have his lightsaber wasn’t just false; it was a pretty outlandish reversal of what actually happened.
In truth, Obi-Wan’s claim about Anakin wanting Luke to have his lightsaber couldn’t have been further from the truth, for multiple reasons. For one, Anakin had no idea that Luke existed, andStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithrevealed just how hard Obi-Wan and Yoda had worked to verify that was the case.
Obi-Wan’s claim about Anakin wanting Luke to have his lightsaber couldn’t have been further from the truth.
What’s more,the wording of Obi-Wan’s line implies that Anakin had known Luke when he was younger. Yet again,Revenge of the Sithproved that it was imperative for Anakin to have no idea the twins survived, and Obi-Wan would have (obviously) been keenly aware of that fact.
In addition to the lie that Anakin had any idea Luke existed, much less would have wanted Luke to inherit his lightsaber—notably, the very lightsaber that Obi-Wan took from Anakin/Vader following their battle on Mustafar—this lie has implications for the Jedi as well, and they’re likewise entirely false.
Obi-Wan Is Even Lying About The Nature Of The Jedi Order
The Jedi Certainly Weren’t Passing Lightsabers Down To Any Children
Perhaps the bigger lie being told in this scene is regarding the Jedi Order itself. Specifically,what Obi-Wan tells Luke about Anakin’s lightsaber suggests the Jedi allowed romantic and familial relationships, as the saber would be passed down from father to son. Of course, like Anakin’s awareness of Luke, this was absolutely not the case.
On the contrary, suchattachments were forbidden by the Jedi, so there would be no precedent whatsoever for lightsabers to be passed down in this way (yet, Obi-Wan’s discussion of Anakin’s supposed desires indicated no such thing). No, Obi-Wan doesn’t come right out and say the Jedi allowed families in this way, but the implication is certainly there.
With this line, Obi-Wan is clearly presenting the idea that Anakin, a full-fledged Jedi Knight, not only knew his son but also intended to leave his lightsaber to him. Unfortunately, none of this was the case, only adding to the number of liesObi-Wan Kenobitold Luke Skywalker inA New Hope.
