Warning: The article contains spoilers for Ahsoka episode five.
For years, many criticized Obi-Wan for not killing Anakin when he had the chance and instead just severing his remaining arm and both legs, thus giving him the chance to wreak the havoc he eventually did. However, the latest episode of Ahsoka shows that he doesn’t get enough credit for whatever he did manage to accomplish.
The fifth installment starts with Ahsoka still stuck in the World Between Worlds with the Force Ghost of Anakin, who informs her that he is there to complete her training, and she will have to do it if she wants to make it out of there alive. They travel back in time to the Clone Wars and the Battle of Mandalore before Anakin transforms into his Darth Vader persona, switching from training Ahsoka to outright attacking her viciously.
It’s a chilling few minutes as we get to meet a fully functional Darth Vader, even though it’s still a watered-down version as the Force Ghost Anakin has real control here, and his only agenda for bringing out his Dark Side is to ensure Ahsoka that giving up is not a choice.
But that does little to hide the heights of the destructive chaos Vader would have been able to unleash if he was not restricted to a life support suit and rendered useless without it. We just got a terrifying peek at Vader working at full capacity and knowing how difficult it was to defeat the severely compromised version of the Sith Lord, it would have been downright impossible to overpower the one we meet in Ahsoka.
Obi-Wan couldn’t kill a defenseless Anakin, either because he was following the Jedi code or he was unwilling to end the enemy who he still regarded as his brother. Though he failed to neutralize the threat, he majorly subdued its intensity and brought down Vader’s capability to be an indomitable villain.
Ahsoka airs weekly, every Tuesday, on Disney Plus.
