Obi-Wan vs. Darth Vader is an absolute Star Wars goosebumps moment – and a disappointment nonetheless

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There is nothing more breathtaking in the Star Wars universe than the moment when two lightsaber blades collide and an image rush ensues glowing colors and furious movements breaks loose. The lightsaber fights in Star Wars not only provide a template for spectacular action scenes. They also serve as a stage to play out the stirring conflicts of the star saga.

The expectations are correspondingly high when two of the most iconic Star Wars characters reunite for the first time in 17 years to explore their torn relationship between sparks flying. The big encounter between Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) in the 3rd episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi definitely causes goosebumps, but also disappointment.

Obi-Wan Kenobi: In episode 3, Darth Vader appears as a monster in the night

As a fan of the prequels, the fateful battle on Mustafar in Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith is one of the greatest Star Wars scenes for me. Against an apocalyptic backdrop, Obi-Wan and Anakin collide as an unstoppable flow of lava flows tearing the galaxy into the abyss. The republic has fallen, the empire is taking over. Although Obi-Wan ended up having the high ground achieved: There can be no question of a victory.

You can watch the trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi here:

Every second of Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+ lets us feel the devastating consequences of Order 66, which wiped out almost all Jedi. The prologue of the series shows this extinction in an extremely impressive and devastating image: At the attack on the Jedi temple a lightsaber blade literally disappears after the other. The light of the Jedi is dying and the crushing darkness is spreading.

It is precisely from this darkness that Darth Vader emerges when he surprises Obi-Wan on the barren planet of Mapuzo. First are just those spooky green and red lights of his armor before the menacing silhouette appears and the deep voice of James Earl Jones sounds in the original version. “What happened to you?”, Obi-Wan asks his former student, stunned. Goose flesh!

Obi-Wan Kenobi presents the mirror version of the epic Mustarfar duel

Director Deborah Chow stages Vader’s performance as an atmospheric horror moment, as if we were witnessing the final act of Order 66. Ten years separate the events of Revenge of the Sith and Obi-Wan Kenobi, but not a second seems to have passed for Obi-Wan and Vader. The series now presents us with the Mirror version of the tragic duel from Episode 3: This time Vader throws his master into the flames.

We’ve now seen Obi-Wan as a tormented Jedi for three episodes. But nothing compares to Ewan McGregor’s pained face, while Vader gazes stoically through the fire. The moments when the camera is close to the characters are the best. They are intensified when the reddish and bluish flickering of the lightsabers conveys the stirred up feelings to the outside.

It’s strong, really strong. However, once the series changes perspective to capture the confrontation away from the gripping close-ups, the atmosphere is completely lost. The slowness of the fight is not the problem at all. After all, both characters have something broken in them. That lack of awareness of the environment and the structure of the duel falls all the more in the face.

Obi-Wan vs. Vader: The ideas are right, but the execution just can’t keep up

The best Star Wars fights can be broken down into dramaturgical stations in which the conflicts of the combatants are illustrated by the locations around them. Star Wars 9: The Rise of Skywalker did a great job of that last time, when Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) took on the remains of the Death Star negotiated the legacy of the Skywalker saga with the lightsaber.

In Obi-Wan Kenobi there is no trace of the chasms that open up on the mine-ravaged planet Mapuzo. Aside from the two central figures, there is shockingly little that characterizes this important sequence, despite the emotional impact robs you of some of the power of persuasion. While individual moments of the duel are for eternity, an overall picture like in Revenge of the Sith unfortunately does not come about.

This becomes particularly clear in the long shots. The scenery of the duel does not tell a story. We move through an undefinable gray environment that could easily depict the Empire exploiting the planet. On a symbolic level, Obi-Wan’s heart is ripped out of his chest. The mighty machines that Scavenging Mapuzo in the backgroundbut can hardly be made out in the darkness.

However, the final shot brings back the initial goosebumps. After Vader tortures Obi-Wan, the child-murdering Sith Lord is left alone at the end. There he stands in front of the sea of ​​fire that he has conjured up himself – frightening, but also lonely and lost. The flames are reflected in the black eyes of his helmet, as if they were tears he can never shed.

Obi-Wan Kenobi has been running since May 27, 2022 on Disney+.

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How did you like the duel between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi?