Obi-Wan Kenobi's Lost Skills in Episode IV

In the commentary for Episode IV George Lucas tried to pass off the reasoning for the diminished skills Obi-Wan and Vader showed in Episode IV vs the PT as being a fight between an old man and a cripple. That Obi-Wan was an old man now and had lost the mobility he once had while Vader was hampered by the Vader suit and injuries he had sustained that put him in the suit. The reasoning for Vader's lost skills is reasonable but I don't buy the reasoning for Kenobi's diminished skills. I don't think age has anything to do with his lost skills. Old Ben Kenobi couldn't have been older then Count Dooku in Episode II and III. Dooku was a very tough customer at his old age. So if Jedi typically loose their powers at the rate Kenobi did from Episode III to IV then Dooku must have been one hell of a jedi when he was 20 years younger.


TLJ Edit: This can go (and probably already is) in one of the other threads about ANH-Ben and the duel, of which there are plenty of.

 

Dooku had been an ACTIVE Jedi/Sith who was constantly training. Obi-Wan, on the other hand, was not. He was sitting in a hut for nineteen years. The reason is perfectly understandable, as Obi-Wan had no real way of training.

 

Thats a good point though I would've thought handling a lightsaber would've been like riding a bike to someone with the experience of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

 

Remembering how to ride a bike after twenty years is a little different than doing a cartwheel after twenty years.

 

Other than Vader being injured

ANH just had a horrible fight scene

The ESB projects him much more quick and powerful