"Will of the force". What does this mean?

Actually, the test was about Luke's patience and anger. He did not like what he saw in Luke, but he also knew that he had no choice. Events happened as the Force allowed them to. It is Luke and not Leia who came to Obi-wan to begin his journey. Yoda is concern because he doesn't want another Vader, but he also knows that the stakes are too high to not to. That is why he sighs and asks Ben if the boy will complete the training. Which he doesn't, which is why he points out that he is as reckless as he feared.

And Obi-wan was filled with anger, in his youth. He did have a desire to be adventureous. Once upon a time, he craved the excitement that being a Jedi afforded him. Obi-wan himself was also reckless about other things. Such as taking on Anakin, whether the Council approved or not. He was reckless to believe that Anakin would turn out fine and would never betray them.

 

There's also Obi-Wan jumping out of a window to grab onto a small flying droid.

 

Taking on Anakin with or without the Council approval was reckless, but having trust in Anakin was not. If that is your definition of reckless, then the whole Jedi Order was reckless for trusting Anakin and Yoda was reckless because he placed faith in Dooku and Dooku betrayed him. The actions of Anakin do not make Obi-Wan reckless.

 

Obi-wan's blind faith in Anakin by ROTS, was a bit reckless. He was not letting himself see that Anakin was not in a good place and he needed to look a lot harder and a lot deeper. He also needed to consider that Anakin was capable of as much good as he was of evil.

 

Reckless and stupid aren't the same. Obi-Wan was being naive and a bit stupid in ROTS but not reckless. Obi-Wan could reasonably forsee Padme getting pregnant but there is no way in hell Obi-Wan could forsee Anakin being seduced by Sids and falling to the Dark Side. Recklessness implies you needlessly place youself in danger or ignore an impending danger. Obi-Wan did neither, therefore he was not being reckless.

 

Nah, not to me, I'd say that Obi-Wan's faith in Anakin was a strength. If I were making a list, the Emperor worried most about . . .
#1 Obi-Wan
#2 Yoda
#3 Mace
He wanted to leave Obi-Wan on the Invisible Hand, he mentioned "all the Jedi including your friend, ObiWan Kenobi is now a enemy of the Republic." If Obi-Wan was with the Windu arrest party, Anakin wouldn't have turned. In that one area, Yoda and Mace could've learned a thing or two from Obi-Wan.

 

I completely concur with this well formed opinion. Anakin was a respected hero of the Clone Wars, a hero of the Invisible Hand landing and the savior of the kidnapped Supreme Chancellor. Had the Emperor not planted the seed in the council that Anakin should seek out Greivous, Anakin might well have been selected for the task.

Let me explain. Palpatine used reverse psychology. He needed Anakin there to finalize his long time coming plan to seize power. Palpatine knew that whatever he suggested, the council would do the complete opposite. So by asking for Anakin to confront Grievous, Palpatine surmised that the council would send another instead, most likely Kenobi. Separating Kenobi from his former apprentice was essential to the coup de grace, the takeover. It could not be done with if the two remained together.

Instead, Palpatine planted the final seed to sprout his climactic takeove by recommending Anakin to seek out and destroy Grievous, and knowing with some degree of certainty that the council would pick Kenobi instead. With Kenobi gone, the Sith Lord could cultivate the dark side within Skywalker and complete his long running plan to grab control of the galaxy and destroy the Jedi order.

With Obi Wan out of the way, there was no way the Jedi or their once vaunted council could stop Palpatine from taking absolute power and annointing Anakin as his Sith apprentice.

Point, game, set, match -- Palpatine!

 

QFT

 

Palpatine didn't need Anakin to finalize his plans. He was just an unexpected, but most certainly welcomed bonus. What Palpatine did was use this to his advantage, but it was certainly not a requirement that he turn the boy first and then destroy the Jedi.

 

As far as he knew. Because it was Anakin's destiny to destroy him, and whomever his apprentice happened to be at the time. Perhaps Palpatine knew this, and that's why he started in on him early

 

Excellent observation, Darth_Draconus! This is sooooo Sidious -- understand the prophecy of the Chosen One and make him his Sith apprentice, knowing that in making the Chosen One a Sith, and the Sith staunchly obeying the rule of two (only one master and his apprentice), Anakin must destroy himself along with his master in order to fulfill the prophecy! What Sith worth is weight in salt would do that?

Whoa!

 

Well, that's if Palpatine knew about the prophecy. He started on Anakin early because he knew that the boy needed to be trained by the Jedi, since he didn't have the time to steal him for himself. He also had to influence the boy since he knew nothing about the Force, unlike Dooku. He needed the most powerful canidate, but he needed to build him up. He must prepare him for Dooku, so he can take the next step.