This resentment culminated in the epic climax of the entire prequel trilogy, with Anakin and Obi-Wan's fateful battle on Mustafar in Episode III. Then, Vader's hatred for Obi-Wan was solidified before their final encounter in Episode IV during the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi.
learn how Vader felt upon striking down Kenobi. from Yoda, rather than feeling relief. or vindication at finally destroying his old master, Vader, or rather Anakin, was instead. overwhelmed with utter loneliness and sorrow, having killed one of his last. remaining links to his former life.
Kenobi wanted to distract Vader long enough for Leia, Luke, and Han to leave the Death Star. He couldn't put up a long, sustained battle and hope to win. He was going to die, regardless. In dying, he would become “more powerful than you (Vader) could possibly imagine”.
What happened to Darth Vader after Obi-Wan Kenobi?
He then dueled with Obi-Wan, who dismembered him and left him burning to death near a lava flow. Palpatine rescued Vader and had him encased in mechanical black armor that kept him alive.
The Empire would pay dearly for Vader's vengeful act of narcissism. By sparing Obi-Wan, Vader created a path for the heroic Luke Skywalker and the relentless Rebellion to orchestrate the fall of the Galactic Empire.
Obi-Wan spared Anakin despite knowing killing him would "burn his heart to ash" and feeling regret for what Anakin could have become. Obi-Wan's decision to spare Anakin was influenced by the dark feeling that accompanied Emperor Palpatine's arrival, preventing him from finishing him off.
On a very practical level, Vader could see that Obi-Wan had allies, and he probably sensed that there was a ring of Jedi supporters. If he captured or killed Kenobi right then, he would have had a much smaller chance of tracking down the other Imperial dissenters who were helping Jedi survivors.
Could Obi-Wan have beaten Vader in A New Hope on the Death Star if he really wanted to? Most likely, yes. Obi Wan had already demonstrated that he was a comparable opponent for skill with a light saber on Mustafar where Obi Wan beat Anakin.
The canonical comic Star Wars: Darth Vader #7 confirms the younglings' deaths caused Anakin grief, self-loathing, hatred, and pain, fueling his descent even further into the Dark Side.
Anakin Skywalker ultimately ended up hating Obi-Wan Kenobi for many misguided reasons, but Darth Vader's subconscious response to the Jedi's final declaration of love in the Star Wars prequels shows the real reason he could never forgive him.
A year later, in 4 ABY, with his health rapidly declining, Yoda died of old age when Skywalker returned to see him. He became one with the Force, shortly before Luke redeemed his father Anakin, who fulfilled his destiny as the Chosen One by killing Sidious.
During the battle, Anakin, who had been known as the Sith Lord Darth Vader, was redeemed by Luke and brought balance to the Force. However, the redemption cost Anakin his life, having been mortally wounded by the Emperor, Darth Sidious, while killing his former Master.
But did Vader ever regret his transformation? RELATED: Sauron vs. Darth Vader: Who Is the Greater Dark Lord? The short answer is yes, without a doubt, Vader regretted becoming a cybernetic monstrosity.
On the heels of his defeat at the hands of Obi-Wan, Lord Vader is keen to continue his pursuit. His conversation with Darth Sidious dissuades him though, as his Sith master cautions him that his emotional encounter with Obi-Wan has left him weakened.
Kenobi's hesitance to fight Vader, and his fear of this despite beating Anakin before, all comes from Kenobi's intense guilt that has been building over his 10 years in hiding.
He couldn't bring himself to kill Darth Vader, however, because he continues to associate him with the Anakin he trained as a boy. This is also the exact reason why Obi-Wan didn't kill Anakin on Mustafar despite the opportunity a decade earlier in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
And all the way up until the third sister told him otherwise, Obi-Wan truly and completely believed that Anakin was dead. He believed that he died on the banks of Mustafar. And even if they knew for a fact the Anakin had survived, it comes back to the split personality.
Though Obi-Wan was often an important ally for Anakin, the young Jedi could never see past his envy, even going far enough to allow himself to believe that his master was having an affair with his wife. In the end, Anakin's own jealousy was his undoing and the reason that he would never surpass his master.
And despite Vader's weaknesses, it's not as if Luke was unskilled, as he spent plenty of time honing his connection to the Force after Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, and was likely the most skilled lightsaber-wielder Vader had faced in a long time.
While Obi-Wan Kenobi was frail by the time of Star Wars: A New Hope, he was still stronger with the Force than Darth Vader. The duel between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader in Star Wars: A New Hope looks dated by today's standards.
