Does Obi-Wan Ever See Masked Vader?

I wonder if Obi-Wan ever sees Anakin again after the duel? It is possible that he has never seen Darth Vader in his armored suit and helmet before their duel in ANH. In fact, Obi-Wan almost looks a little surprised when he sees him. Perhaps he felt the presence of Anakin before they met in the hallway on the Death Star, and was shocked to see what he looks like. I don't know whether people in the Empire have news broadcasts and photos of people like Darth Vader. Maybe Obi-Wan never saw the black clad Sith Lord until the fight to his death. He seems pretty isolated in his little Tatooine hut, it is possible that the meeting with Darth Vader on ANH was an unpleasant surprise to Kenobi.

 

Hmmm, it's a thought.
Perhaps Obi-Wan thinks Anakin really has died until he hears on the grapevine about what's goin down.
Even allowing for the Darkside, I should imagine there's gonna be one hell of a recovery period before the new-born Vader's up and swinging his saber again.

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He does see him in A New Hope, but he recognized Vader for who he was, so I'd say it would be a good bet that he did..

 

I think he does. Maybe he sees a partly "finished" Vader, and then after their fight, Anakin will have to wear the Vader-outfit as we know it.
I think most people in the Empire knew who Vader was, and that he was the righthand of the Emporer. Remember, princess Leia recognizes Vader immediatelly aboard her ship. She isn't even affraid of him.

 

I think that he doesn't see him face to face in the suit until ANH duel. But he knew what he looked like, because of press releases of Vader and whatnot. Just because Obi-Wan is a hermit, does not mean he cut himself off completely. He did not seem to be a stranger in Mos Eisely. He probably went there from time to time to keep up w/ current events.

Obi-Wan obviously knew who he was. He knew his name and did not seem shocked at what he was looking at. More the expression of it being more awesome in person than you expect from pictures.

 

But Leia is in official circles, in the Senate, with the In crowd. She probably had run into Vader and Tarkin and other imperials as a member of the Senate.

Obi-Wan, on the other hand, hid in a hut on the far side of the galaxy for 20 years. And he didn't appear to have a TV or radio. Definitely no internet, either.

 

This is an interesting question. I don't think Obi-Wan had ever seen masked Vader until ANH. I think after he beats him in their duel he does not see him again until ANH. He may have seen pictures depending on the Empire's news programs. He probably had a sense of what Vader looked like in costume either way.

 

Yeah, I think it could go either way.

I assume he knows Anakin took the name of Darth Vader before he left for Tatooine - otherwise, Vader could have simply been another Sith apprentice of the Emperor's.

So even on Tatooine, I'm sure legends would rise of a Dark Lord of the Sith going by the name of Darth Vader who is the right hand man of the Emperor.

The name is the same, but how would Anakin have survived The Duel?

It wouldn't be too hard for Obi-Wan to surmise that Vader would need extensive mechanical support to maintain his life.

 

I agree, he was probably aware that Anakin was badly disfigured and injured. But being aware of this, and confronting it face to face for the first time are two completely different things.

Besides, Darth Vader is a scary looking guy in the first place, so that would have given Kenobi even more of a shock if he'd never seen it before.

 

not to mention hearing that voice.

"I've been waiting for you, Obi-Wan."

"Agggggghhhhhhhh! Is that you, Vader? You really scared me!"

 

I agree with SLR on this issue. Obi became a hermit, but he wasn't completely isolated. I'm sure he picked up the "Empire times" now and then and put 2 + 2 together. Imagine if he thought Anakin was dead...then he sees Vader in the papers!

Now, what I really wonder is, if she lives, does Padme ever know what becomes of her husband?? [face_shocked]

 

I feel that Obi-Wan will of course have to know Vader as he was and who he is presently with the mask. So I think highly that he had to at some point or another have seen him prior to Ep. 4, or even if he had not, he had enough information to say who he was despite the now distorted image of Anakin .

 

Adding another aspect to it, I've just watched the duel again (on my today-delivered 1983 VHS version!! ) and Vader says "You should not have come back"

"Back"? Anyone get the feeling that Obi-Wan has encountered Vader on the DS1 before? I'm thinking sometime in between ep's 3&4. Perhaps some kind of recon mission? Maybe Obi-Wan escaped the first time before Vader could get hold of him?

Failing that, maybe Vader means that Obi-Wan shouldn't have come back to Alderaan (or where it was ). The lava pit could be there I suppose?

Back onto the main topic: If it's the former, then yes Obi-Wan's more than likely seen a fully suited-up Vader. It it's the latter, then he probably hasn't. Not in person at any rate.

Just a thought.

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I always felt it was more along the lines of "come back to face me again".

 

I agree with Damon - you shouldn't have come out of hiding, old man.

Either (a) Vader knew Obi-Wan was still alive, but didn't care, or (b) he didn't know, and Obi-Wan blew it by becoming active again.

 

I think that Vader figured Obi-Wan was dead after 20 years. So he was surprised when he sensed his presence on the DS.

Someone wrote a fan fic that had Vader capturing Obi-Wan, and then banishing him. It was an interesting piece, I don't remember the name of it. While I find that concept interesting, I believe that after Obi-Wan leaves Anakin for dead, they don't ever see each other again until ANH. And I like the thought of Vader's mask being unknown to Kenobi. The OT has a kind of Wild West feel to it, and there doesn't seem to be a real media or news present, so perhaps Kenobi knew of Vader only by reputation, but never saw pictures of him, much like a Wild West gunslinger would know about his enemy, but never set eyes upon him until their duel.

 

This is just one of these things that we just will not have a clue about until the movie.
Here is a new idea is it possable that Ani goes into the suit before he becomes Darth Vader and this is the thing that makes him go to the darkside.
I know this sounds silly, but have we being told anything in the five movies so far that would make us think otherwise.
We have always been told that Vader is not just the suit making us think that we get Vader before the suit is it possable we get it the other way around?

 

I doubt he has the suit before he becomes Vader in name. Both are really the final and ultimate symbols of his new "slavery" to Sidious. I think it'll all come to a head during/after the Duel- the climax of the Saga.

As for Obi-Wan seeing him before ANH... it's an interesting question. Something tells me no. But yes, it makes sense that he knows that Anakin must need some serious life support after his injuries and probably saw a picture of him sometime in those 20 years. I think Obi-Wan knew that Anakin was alive all along, feeling him and the Dark Side through the Force. They shared a close bond and Anakin is just that powerful. But I think the "surprise" of seeing Vader in real life needs to be saved for the OT.

 

I think Vader thought Obi-Wan was dead and I think Ben was just kind of in awe of massive being the Vader is both in the Force and Physically.

 

Why would he think Obi-Wan was dead??

edit: Ok, so you're talking in the OT

 

I suspect that he knows Anakin is alive, but never sees him again after the duel. On the Death Star, he can sense Anakin's familiar presence, but when he actually comes face to face with that 6'5" hulking black monster, he is shocked and horrified. He obviously knows the name Darth Vader, but I doubt he has ever seen him in person.

 

I agree with stormcloud8

 

I think he does. In ANH Obi-Wan knows it's him, so they have to meet at some point, in order for him to know that.

 

Obi-Wan can sense Anakin's presence, just as Vader can sense the presence of his old master. They don't have to actually recognize each other visually, the Force allows them to feel each other's presence. That way, Obi-Wan would know that Anakin is standing in front of him, even if he had never seen the helmeted Vader before.

 

I think that Obi-Wan will have at least seen Vader like on the holonet or something. Maybe not in person, but I would be suprised if he didn't know that Vader was Anakin or what Vader looked like by the time ANH happens.