I've seen it suggested that he used some kind of a force conceal. However, I don't buy that idea, since if he was, he'd be moving about much more freely and wouldn't have to duck around corners, hide in the shadows, and keep his lightsaber at the ready. Any theories?
He snuck around. He could sense where Imperials were, so he knew to avoid them. He could also use Force trickery to distract people, as we saw in the movie. His powers & guile allowed him to allude everyone except Vader, who could sense him.
This reminds of the Jedi speed force power glimpsed in TPM that many anti-prequel fans cite as being a plot hole that they never use it again. I just realized you could argue the same with this. Why didn't Luke use this Jedi power in ROTJ to sneak into the Imperial Endor compound and set the charges on the shield generator himself??
Old dude in weird crusty robes casually strolling the halls of the most advanced military installation in the universe. What's to notice?
From the novelization: Without warning, a secondary door close behind him opened. Hurriedly reclosing the panel cover, the old man slipped deeper into the shadows. A detachment of troopers had appeared in the portal, and the officer in charge moved to within a couple of meters of the motionless, hidden figure. "Secure this area until the alert has been cancelled." As they began to disperse, Kenobi became one with the dark. --------------------- The half dozen troops milling around the entrance to the power trench were more interested in discussing the peculiar disturbance in the detention block than in paying attention to their present boring duty. So engrossed were they in speculation as to the cause of the trouble that they failed to notice the fey wraith behind them. It moved from shadow to shadow like a night-stalking ferret, freezing when one of the troopers seemed to turn slightly in its direction, moving on again as if walking on air. Several minutes later one of the troopers frowned inside his armor, turning to where he thought he had sensed a movement near the opening to the main passageway. There was nothing but an undefinable something, which the ghost-like Kenobi had left behind. Acutely uncomfortable yet understandably unwilling to confess to hallucinations, the trooper turned back to the more prosaic conversation of his fellows. ----------------------- Ben Kenobi ducked into the shadows of a narrow passageway, seeming to become part of the metal itself as a large cluster of troopers hurried past him. Pausing to make certain they had all passed, he checked the corridor ahead before starting down it. But he failed to see the dark silhouette, which eclipsed the light far behind him. ----------------------- Kenobi had avoided one patrol after another, slowly working his way back toward the docking bay holding the freighter. Just another two turns and he should be at the hangar. What he would do then would be determined by how inconspicuous his charges had been. Because he went on ahead to distract Vader and Palpatine from the Endor group. He knew Vader could sense him, and that would lead Vader directly to him, along with Han and Leia.
Or the tl;dr version: teh fursh Though fun fact about that scene where he tricks the two stormtroopers, I always thought he was using the Force to bump something off screen to distract them rather than just a mind trick. That sound effect is so misleading
The (updated for newcanon) junior novelization's version: Using the Force, Ben flexed his fingers and gestured at the two troopers. Both suddenly heard - or thought they heard - a muffled explosion from the doorway behind them, and turned away from the power terminal. "What was that?" asked the second trooper. "That's nothing," said the first trooper. "Outgassing. Don't worry about it." Neither noticed Ben step onto the bridge and exit the generator trench.
I read an article in the german Star Wars Magazine around the time of the release of TPM about the rough cut of ANH. It was mentioned there that there was a lot more material of Obi Wan sneaking around on the Death Star filmed than what was used in the movie. I really would like to see these scenes.
Any acting from Alec or Ewan is gold. Also, the voice actors for Obi-Wan, young and old, were stellar. Gotta love Obi-Wan in any medium, including novels and comics.
By the way, is anything known in which time period the Obi Wan Movie is supposed to be set in? If it's about a young Obi Wan, we might get another actor who will play him. Wonder who it will be in this case.
I know Ewan will make it great. I just hope we get more info. I believe that would be on the Anthology films thread (spoiler version). Somebody's gotta know something. Ewan will own it.
This is a Death Star corridor just after 10 stormtroopers have passed. Unless these stormtroopers came from a corridor on the right side (and ahead of the duct Kenobi was hiding behind), he must have been hiding in plain sight of these stormtroopers.
Kenobi probably can make himself invisible through the Force, although not for long. That's just my take. He's skilled at hiding, as well. He walked around those corridors for several minutes, and not one officer stopped him. But, then, Vader wanted his posterior. #dueltime
Or perhaps Kenobi sensed that most if not all of the stormtroopers he encountered were rookies that had the same problems like Luke: "I can't see a thing in this helmet." So the ten stormtroopers marching by Kenobi probably exercised how to walk through a Death Star corridor without hitting the walls.
Unless they've been expressly told to, why would troopers on the Death Star ever be on the look out for intruders? Without any prior warning of an incursion or perimeter/security breach, everyone that is on that space station is supposed to be there.
That's the point of having sentries, stormtrooper patrols, security systems in any military ain't it? to always be at some level being alert... and in ANH especially the empire was at full alert because of Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewiee rescuing and trying to escape with the princess....
I guess that would be the point of surveillance cameras covering every inch of a "technological" terror" too.
