Without question, Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the Star Wars franchise’s most iconic heroes, with many fans seeing Kenobi as the ideal Jedi Knight. However, being such a peak example of a Jedi Knight might not have necessarily been a good thing, especially considering all that Obi-Wan endured in the Star Wars timeline. For as good as Obi-Wan is as a character, he’s certainly not without his flaws.

The Jedi apprentice of Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi dedicated himself to training Anakin Skywalker following the death of his master in The Phantom Menace, who had believed the young boy to be the Jedi’s prophesied Chosen One. However, Anakin was ultimately corrupted by the dark side of the Force, giving way to the rise of the Empire and the destruction of the entire Jedi Order itself. Having been directly involved in both Anakin and the Jedi Order’s fall, it can be argued that Obi-Wan’s status as the “perfect” Jedi Knight was a core foundation for his flaws in the Star Wars canon.

Obi-Wan Was The Perfect Jedi… At A Time When They Were Deeply Flawed

Corrupted and Tainted By The Clone Wars

During the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi served as one of the Jedi Order’s most prominent and capable generals, leading the Republic’s clone forces into battle against the droid armies of the Separatists. However, the Jedi Order agreeing to become generals and commanders for the Republic instead of remaining keepers of the peace was a deeply flawed and hypocritical decision overall. This decision led to further hypocrisy and a general darkening of the Jedi Council as a whole, compromising their beliefs for the sake of bringing the war to an end as swiftly as possible.

On more than one occasion, the Jedi Council sanctioned acts of deception and even outright ᴀssᴀssination, betraying their core values during the three-year period that was the Clone Wars. Even as their ability to use the Force and look into the future was diminished via the growing power of the dark side, the Jedi Council continued operating out of pride and hubris. They believed themselves to be infallible…right up until they were decimated by Palpatine, Anakin’s turn and betrayal as Darth Vader, and the brutal events of Order 66.

Obi-Wan Wasn’t Willing To Step Out Of Line When He Really Needed To

A True “Company” Jedi

To his credit, there were a handful of moments during the Clone Wars where Obi-Wan Kenobi did speak out against the Council’s decisions, and he was determined to honor Qui-Gon’s dying wish to train Anakin, regardless of how they felt at the end of The Phantom Menace. Likewise, Obi-Wan all but knew about Anakin’s attachment to Padmé Amidala. However, most of the time, Kenobi simply obeyed the Council’s mandates, eventually becoming a member of the Jedi Council himself.

Obi-Wan’s status as the “ideal” Jedi Knight was problematic. Had he spoken out more against the Jedi Council’s hypocrisy, perhaps they could have stepped back and determined the true purpose of the Clone Wars before it was too late. Perhaps Obi-Wan stepping out of line would have prevented Anakin from falling to the dark side had Skywalker he could fully come clean and reach out to Kenobi for help. Instead, Obi-Wan remained dutiful to the Jedi Order despite its flaws during the Clone Wars, an inherent core flaw of Obi-Wan himself in the Star Wars canon, considering just how tragically everything fell apart.

Obi-Wan Is Still A Fantastic Jedi, But He’s Also A Purposely Flawed Character

He Doesn’t Realize It Until It’s Too Late

None of this is to say that Obi-Wan’s intentions were ever flawed, nor those of most Jedi. Seeking to protect the Republic with the galactic peace and democracy it once represented, Obi-Wan truly believed he was doing the right thing while serving the light side of the Force. However, he didn’t realize where all the compromising of values and hypocrisy were headed, and how it all contributed to Palpatine’s manipulations, until it was far too late.

The best thing the Obi-Wan Kenobi series does is show Kenobi’s guilt and recognition of said flaws and all that had happened, and how he eventually reconnects with the Force with a renewed Jedi mission to protect and train the galaxy’s new hope going forward. Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the best Star Wars characters, specifically because being this perfect, “ideal” Jedi Knight was one of his core flaws. Likewise, his redemption and evolution as a Jedi heading into the original trilogy are all part of what makes him so iconic, ensuring that the Jedi Order had a chance to live again.