ROTS - Yoda and Obi-Wan should have ganged up on Sidious instead of splitting up

Okay, I realize this whole idea is somewhat moot because Obi-Wan had to fight Anakin in the big, long-awaited lava duel.

But just for the sake of analyzing, and disregarding the prophesy, why did Yoda and Obi-Wan decide to split up and tackle Vader and Sidious 1 on 1? From a strategy standpoint, they should have first ganged up on Sidious. They might have had a chance at beating him (yes, I know you have to disregard 4-6, but they didn't know what was going to happen.) Then they could have handled Anakin together. Or vice versa - they could have attacked Anakin together first.

One answer - it probably had to do with the theme of Jedi arrogance. They couldn't conceive of actually being beaten by the dark side.

Anyhoo...

 

As much as I'd like to believe that Obi-Wan could hang with the likes of Sidious and Yoda, it's canon for now that he isn't quite at their level in the Force.

Now, if Qui-Gon were alive (who's canonically as good as Mace), it'd be a different story.

 

True. But I would think that the Yoda/Obi-Wan combo could potentially win. Obi could at least distract Sidious while Yoda could do some real damage.

 

Or Obi-Wan could just get killed needlessly.

 

It would be Sidious v Yoda within about ten seconds anyway.

 

Obi-Wan would have died almost immediately and so it would have ended up being Yoda vs. Palpatine anyway. Sending Obi-Wan to kill Vader has two advantages. Firstly, if Yoda or Obi-Wan dies it isn't the end of the Jedi. Secondly, If Obi-Wan can kill Vader but Sidious lives, then the master has no apprentice.

 

Good points, guys.

But I don't know if Sidious would have whacked Obi-Wan that fast. Obi's pretty powerful - He did almost kill Anakin and leave him to die.

And Mace Windu almost defeated Sidious - though I admit that scene is debatable. But still, I think it's clear that Palpatine was trying to kill Mace but wasn't able to without Anakin's intervention.

In AOTC, Anakin said that he believed Obi-Wan was "as powerful as Master Windu." In Episode IV, the only reason Obi-Wan was killed by Vader was because he let him.

I'm not an Obi-gusher at all. I'm just looking at the facts of the films and thinking they might/should have done things differently. I think the point about them splitting up to make sure the Jedi survived is probably the best.

 

I'm in the same boat as you, primetime; I think the films show Obi-Wan to be a whole lot more skilled than current canon says he is.

But, canon is canon; disagreeing with it is like saying the sun doesn't come up in the morning.

 

Obiwan was relatively powerful and he matched his power with a level head to be a formidable opponent. However, I don't believe he would last long at all against Sidious. Obiwan was able to defeat Anakin, because Anakin was emotionally unstable and his lack of focus led to bad decision making. Power like Sidious had, plus focus, would take Obiwan down even more quickly than Dooku did - twice.

As for Obiwan being as powerful as Mace, I don't believe Anakin saying it necessarily means that it's true.

 

For that matter, why didn't they first go after Anakin first, then go get sidious?

 

Because Anakin might have easily killed both of them, if he'd been more down the road in his Sith training.

 

He would've had to have been a fair way further through his training to achieve that.

 

Just the same-they didn't know just how good Vader was as a Sith.

And frankly, kill one of them, and they probably would've had the effect of the other raising an impenetrable wall around himself, which was already the case with Sidious.

IMO the main reason Yoda went after Sidious alone is that Sidious was the least vulnerable. He's on Coruscant, with thousands of clones looking for Jedi surrounding him, plus the Royal Guard and his own obviously formidable skills-Yoda knew that Mace went after Sidious, and obviously did not survive the encounter. Vader is in the middle of nowhere by himself and his skills as a Sith may or may not be exceptional; Yoda and Obi-Wan didtheir best with the limited knowledge they had on their opponents.

Also-Yoda is old, old, old by the time of Order 66. If he died, it's not that horrific a loss to the Jedi; he's not going to be around much longer anyway. If Obi-Wan dies, then the youngest known-surviving Jedi (that Yoda and Obi-Wan know about, anyway ) has been axed and the last surviving Jedi is nearly 9 centuries old and at the end of his life.

 

No idea what you guys count as canon, but going from the movies only I don't think Obi would have been able to to survive long against the emperor, seeing how he couldn't hold it in a 2v1 duel against Dooku. And going after Vader first would not have been a good idea, since the emperor needed to be stopped asap.

 

As much as I love and respect Obi Wan, he'd be setting himself up here.

Obi Wan was pwned twice by Count Dooku, and that's just Sidious's apprentice. Obi Wan would be taken out first by Sidious, just like Mace's posse was. Then Yoda would have to square off against him and still have to flee.

Then Yoda would have to go take on Vader too, but by them time he fled from Sidious and tracked Vader down he'd have rendevouzed with Sidious by then.

 

but anakin was the only one who could beat sidious so they could have went in the 20 deep and all would have bee beaten. it doesnt matter.

 

Yes, in light of the prophecy it's all academic. They didn't know that though, so it's interesting to analyse their strategy.

 

they did know.

 

They seemed pretty doubtful about the prophecy in ROTS. If Yoda knew that only Anakin could defeat Sidious, why would he bother pursuing either of the Sith?

 

I personally think the whole 'Chosen One' thread was grossly misplayed by Lucas.

Many ways to play the chosen one card -- but Lucas simplistically distilled Anakin's heroism down to his cellular constitution.

When we learn that super-hero Anakin may have been mysteriously 'created' with "unnatural" biological attributes by a Sith Lord, Lucas essentially equates Anakin's heroism to Eugenics, which is "the self-direction of human evolution."

 

your right. they should have not gone after either one and just started making a get away plan with the babies. Though that wouldnt of made much of a movie

 

I agree. I'm not sure that there was any need for a prophecy at all, and the biological determination angle that Lucas took robbed the saga of a lot of its mystery. Whenever I watch anyone dueling Anakin or Sidious now it always occurs to me that they were all wasting their time!

 

Except for this guy:
[image=http://www.cine-collector.com/catalog/images/obi-wan-mustafar.jpg]

 

The Obe-meister plays by his own rules!

Perhaps I should have said anyone trying to kill them was wasting their time.

 

That being said, Lord Boba... onscreen Kenobi WAS more powerful than all but Sidious and Yoda. Throughout the PT he jumped farther, sprinted faster, had more Force in his fingertips and even survived a fall that "no one could have"... not to mention he stalemated Mr. 20,000, all while carrying the hopes of a new generation of fans upon his back.

Like you said, canon is canon with the films being the highest...
onscreen, Kenobi's actions far exceed what the EU says about him.

This is one case where its all backwards.
Wanted more Maul, got stuck with too much Gary-Stu Kenobi.

Midi's demystified the Force.

Chosen One name tags make me .
That uber-name in the GFFA is dumber than Jar Jar, and more absurd than some senseless idiot who puts a lightsaber's emitter in his mouth and flicks the ignition...