"Help me Obiwan Kenobi..."

How did Leia know Obiwan was alive?

The Jedi were driven to extinction.
Yoda and Obiwan went into hiding.
Luke and Leia were seperated at birth.
Leia makes the statement in ANH that "Long ago you fought with my father in the Clone Wars..."
She only sees him die at the hands of DV on the DS, so she really never even talked to him in person.

So, how did she even know he was alive this whole time since he was in seclusion?

Dagsy edit: This forum does not allow spoilers in any way at all. Please do not post any possible spoilers. I've removed the one part of the post that *might be* a spoiler (I'm spoiler free, so I cant know for sure).

 

Well, Bail Organa would have told her about him.

And I'm guessing that she simply didnt know. But given that at the time the Tantive IV was attacked, they were right at Tatooine, she took a chance that he was still alive. Trusted in the Force.

 

I've always thought that she was sent there by Bail specifically to go and get Ben.


General Kenobi, years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire. I regret that I am unable to present my father's request to you in person, but my ship has fallen under attack and I'm afraid my mission to bring you to Alderaan has failed.

Its interesting since its generally assumed that Bail knew that Ben was hiding (I mean, he had the other half of the twins...) why would he want Ben to come out of hiding at this poinr...

 

I think that's the realy question Speigel... why did Bail break the silence at that particular moment?

Obviously he must know Ben is alive and hiding out. He probably told Leia as much as she needed to know about him, just that he served Bail in the CW and was a loyal ally. Does Bail know about Luke? Seems like he must.

But anyway... why did he call for Ben? I guess things just got that bad for the Rebellion. The Death Star was a pretty huge thing and they didn't feel they stood much of a chance. I'm not sure what Bail expected Ben to do about it... but this could be explained in Episode III. Maybe there was an understanding between the two caregivers. Maybe they agreed to contact each other after 20 years. If Obi-Wan really thought all along that Luke might be able to redeem Vader, and will be strong in the Force, he could have told Bail that in 20 years he may be able to do something to actually help the Rebellion.

I don't know, just wild speculation

 

Leia in the hologram says "Years ago you served my father in the Clone Wars. Now he begs you to help him in his struggle against the Empire."

Some of the language, esp. the word "begs" ties into the depiction of Obi-Wan in ANH as an old man, a retired warrior ("I'm getting too old for this sort of thing" etc.)

Perhaps Leia received the DS plans from the spies, learned what the Death Star could do and the threat it posed, and immediately contacted her father, who told her to go to Tatooine and find Obi-Wan.

Based upon the mere fact that Leia went to Tattoine on a "mission to bring [Obi-Wan] to Alderaan", there is no doubt that Obi-Wan's location is known to Bail or someone close to the Organa family, and it would seem likely that Obi-Wan told him this at the end of ep3.

Based upon Leia's use of the word "begs", maybe Obi-Wan tells Bail he does not ever intend to get involved in active resistance against the Empire, and that he intends to remain in hiding until Luke is old enough to be trained.

 

Bail probably found out about the Death Star, so he sent Leia to go pick up the plans from Toprawa. He also figured that it would be a good time for Obi-Wan to join the cause, and help destroy the Death Star, so he told Leia to pick him up as well.

 

How did Leia know Obiwan was alive?

Bail. Her (adopted) father.
I think everybody here has this right. Obi-Wan and Bail probably make some agreement in E3 , "You take that one, I'll take this one, dont ever call me." but when the death star is constructed, Bail figures its time to get the kids together again. I think this has more to do with re-uniting the kids than with finding help. It seems Obi-Wan agreed because he knew he was taking the son to rescue the daughter.
It was time.

Kinda puts a little spin on Bens smile right before Vader cuts him down. I always thought it seemed very manipulative for him to be satisfied that he would be turning Luke against his father. Thats what I always thought the smile meant.
But I guess you could say that he was just happy to see brother and sister together at last.

 

But I guess you could say that he was just happy to see brother and sister together at last.

Interesting point, never thought about it... but I like it

 

There might also be some special connection between Obi Wan and the Death Star. Perhaps he knew about it or found out something about it during ep. 3 (pure speculation). Remember, that when the Millenium Falcon comes out of hyperspace where Alderan is supposed to be in ANH, and when Han and Luke think they see a moon, Obi Wan instantly knows what it is: "that's no moon -- it's a space station." Maybe Bail Organa was trying to contact Obi Wan in order to draw on his supposed knowledge about the base's weaknesses.

 

Why did Bail tell Leia about Obi-Wan? Because it was thier "most desperate hour" he was thier only hope.

 

Yeah, I always assumed that maybe Obi finds out about the Death Star sometime in EP3, which would explain his "Those guys actually built the thing!" look in ANH.

 

classixboy, I've thought that myself. Obi-Wan knows about the Death Star...or should know by the end of Ep. 3... I mean, c'mon, it WOULD bring a connection to the "That's no moon" line.

 

Cool,I thought I'd be all alone on this one. Plus Obi Wan seems to know exactly where to go to shut down the tractor beam.

 

Dude, get out of my head.... I pondered that SAME thing. I thought it was maybe digging alittle too deep, but I never passed it up as a possibility. (The tractor beam part)... The Death Star is obviously its own unique design, and it seemed odd to me that Obi-Wan would know directly where to go without having some knowledge of the thing. But like I said, that might be pushing it... but doesn't make it anymore less likely. The 6th installment can only reveal...

 

I know I've read somewhere where Leia explained that Bail Organa had told her if her problems ever became desperate, she should contact General Kenobi on Tatooine.

And I'd say that being pursued by a Star Destroyer while in possession of stolen Death Star plans qualifies as desperate.

 

Rastafarian_Jedi: Dude, get out of my head....

LOL! This is what happens when you live with a movie for 20+ years.

 

Herman Snerd - no doubt Leia was desperate, but there has to have been something more: Leia says that her father requests Obi-Wan to help him, and that she's on a mission to bring him to Alderaan.

 

True.

I think the tidbit about Leia contacting Obi-Wan on Tatooine if she ever became desperate came from the ROTJ novelization, but I'm working from memory here.

Anyhoo, at the beginning of ANH the Rebellion had just won its first victory against the Empire and in the process had managed to steal the Death Star plans.

It stands to reason that the Alliance would want to use this as a rallying cry to attract new people to their cause, and if Organa could bring Kenobi to Alderaan and reveal this great hero of the Clone Wars was on the side of the Rebellion, that would serve to build support for the Rebel Alliance.


As far as Obi-Wan knowing his way around the Death Star, recall that Artoo made the location of the power couplings appear on the monitor while they were in the control room.

 

Bail Organa probably told him.

I can just imagine Leia reading about Obi-Wan in the history holobooks when she was eleven, trotting over to Bail, and

"Daddy, who's this Obi-Wan Kenobi?"

And daughter and father probably got into Obi-Wan Kenobi, and Bail later told Leia about Obi-Wan's hiding place when she was more, um, reliable with keeping safe but important information. The Empire was getting nosy and Organa might as well have known that he might not be here forever, and Obi-Wan might come in handy to Leia when he wasn't there. Basic Father instincts, I suppose.

Nadia

 

Actually, I'd wager that Bail intended for Leia to get trained by Obi Wan.

Bail (as far as we know at the moment) had no idea that Padme had twins. Leia was her only child.

When the battle with the Empire gets desperate, Bail gets Leia to go to Obi Wan. Not because he can help the Rebellion, but because Bail knows that Leia has Skywalker blood...that she could be a powerful weapon for the Rebellion.

At least, thats how I see it.

 

Hey Rastafarian Jedi,
Obi-Wan knows the position of tractor beam controls because R2 plugs into the Death Star computer and shows him a map of where it is located on the screen relative to the guard/control room they were all in.

After Ben leaves, R2 finds the execution schedule for Leia and also find the location of the detention block which he again displays on the screen.

You don't really expect Ben to remember all the schematics of the entire Death Star even if had seen them 20 years earlier?

 

Actually, I'd wager that Bail intended for Leia to get trained by Obi Wan.

Bail (as far as we know at the moment) had no idea that Padme had twins. Leia was her only child.

[keanureevesvoice] woah [/keanureevesvoice]

i NEVER thought of that, i mean the DS plans is an obvious one but this one kind of makes sense too now that you mention it

 

When the battle with the Empire gets desperate, Bail gets Leia to go to Obi Wan. Not because he can help the Rebellion, but because Bail knows that Leia has Skywalker blood...that she could be a powerful weapon for the Rebellion.

Whoa, I never thought of that. Nice idea!

 

In the radio version of Star Wars, which I have on tape. Bail tells Leia when she tells him that she is going to get the plans that she needs to bring back Obiwan Kenobi and gives her the coordinates.

 

Bail and Ben are good friends I think. And Bail probably knows that Ben will stay alive untill Luke is ready. They probably stayed in contact also. He told Leia to go get him.