Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the most memorable and beloved characters in all of Star Wars history. In the original trilogy, Obi-Wan acts as a wise mentor for the young Luke Skywalker, sticking with him even after death to guide him and bring the Jedi back from near-extinction. In the prequels, we get to see Obi-Wan grow from a Padawan to a Knight, but we also witness his heartbreak at seeing his own apprentice Anakin Skywalker become corrupted by the Dark Side of the Force. Throughout all his adventures, Obi-Wan has delivered some of the series’s most famous lines.
Now, Obi-Wan has finally stepped into the spotlight in his own Disney Plus limited series. In Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan is forced to leave the quiet life he’s carved out for himself on Tatooine when Leia Organa is kidnapped off of Alderaan. Charged with both watching over Luke and rescuing Leia, Obi-Wan must come to terms with the fact that Anakin Skywalker is alive—and hunting him.
To celebrate Obi-Wan’s triumphant return to the Star Wars universe, here’s his most famous line—plus four runners up!
5. “What I told you was true, from a certain point of view.”
Remember, we’re talking about Obi-Wan’s most famous quotes, not necessarily his wisest. In A New Hope, Obi-Wan tells Luke that Darth Vader killed Luke’s father. Then, in The Empire Strikes Back, Luke finds out that Darth Vader is his father. In Return of the Jedi, Obi-Wan’s ghost comes to visit, and Luke calls him out on the lie. That’s when Obi-Wan tells him that Anakin Skywalker basically died when he turned to the Dark Side, and utters his now infamous line: “What I told you was true, from a certain point of view.”
This line has been debated, analyzed, puzzled over and mocked way too much to not be included in this list. Was Obi-Wan massaging the truth in order to prod Luke into becoming a Jedi? Or did he have to help the writers paper over a glaring plot hole? Either explanation is true … from a certain point of view.
4. “I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.”
In A New Hope, Luke, Obi-Wan, Han, and Chewie are on their way to Alderaan when Obi-Wan suddenly sits down, visibly shaken. When Luke asks what’s wrong, Obi-Wan says one of his most iconic lines: “I felt a great disturbance in the Force, as if millions of voices suddenly cried out in terror and were suddenly silenced.” Soon after, Luke and the others find out that there’s only empty space where Alderaan should be, and they realize the true scope of the Empire’s genocidal plans.
It’s a chilling moment, because it’s the only glimpse the movie gives us of what the destruction of Alderaan must have been like for the millions of people living on it. Plus, it reveals the power and depth of the Force itself, not to mention Obi-Wan’s sensitivity to it. If the Force is a web that contains every living thing, then the murder of countless lives all at once would of course produce a staggering ripple effect across the stars.
3. “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”
One of the most powerful moments in the original trilogy is Obi-Wan’s final duel with Darth Vader in A New Hope. After getting captured by the Death Star, Obi-Wan, Luke, Han, and Chewie sneak into the space station to disable the tractor beam that caught them and free Leia. Just before they all rendezvous back at the Millennium Falcon, Obi-Wan comes face to face with Vader. Vader is positively giddy (as giddy as Darth Vader gets, anyway) at the chance to show his old master who’s boss, but Obi-Wan is more collected as they start to fight. As soon as he says this line, you know that he’s staring down his own death—and he knows something about the nature of life and death that Vader doesn’t.
What’s great about this line is that it has a double meaning. Obi-Wan gives Luke a meaningful glance just before he stops fighting and lets Vader kill him. His sacrifice not only buys the group a little time to get away as Vader inspects his empty robe, but it also gives Luke a new sense of purpose. Plus, Obi-Wan is able to act as a spirit guide to Luke for the rest of the trilogy, guiding him and the other rebels to victory.
2. “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.”
No list of Obi-Wan quotes would be complete without this famous line. Luke and Obi-Wan go to Mos Eisley to look for a ship and pilot to take them to Alderaan, but when they get there, they find that the place is swarming with storm troopers looking for R2-D2 and C-3PO. When a storm trooper approaches them, Obi-Wan introduces us to the Jedi mind trick, encouraging the trooper to ignore them and let them pass. There aren’t many lines that have spread to the rest of pop culture quite as much as this one.
1. “Use the Force, Luke.”
The trench run is one of the most famous scenes in any film. In this climactic scene in A New Hope, Luke takes his shot at firing proton torpedoes at the tiny exhaust hidden in the Death Star’s exterior. Luke may be a crack pilot, but his true destiny is to be a Jedi Knight, and Obi-Wan reminds him of that by telling him to turn off his targeting computer and—you guessed it—use the Force instead.
“Use the Force, Luke” isn’t just a memorable line, it’s a turning point in Luke’s life. That moment is when he realizes that mastering the Force is actually within reach for him, and it sets him on his journey to study under Yoda and then grow into a Jedi in his own right.
What’s your favorite Obi-Wan Kenobi quote? Would you order these quotes any differently? Any important quotes that you think should be on the list? Sound off in the comments!
(image: Lucasfilm)
