"In my experience, there's no such thing as luck"

What the crap was Obi-Wan talking about when he said "In my experience, there's no such thing as luck"

It seems that in the prequels, he's been nothing but lucky.

In Episode I, he lucky manages to defeat Darth Maul. His group on Tatooine was lucky Anakin won the pod race and got them the parts for the ship.

In Episode II, he was lucky the Jedi and the Clones came to his rescure in the execution arena. He was also lucky Anakin and Yoda saved him from Dooku.

In Episode III, he was lucky Anakin didn't leave him on the ship to die. He was really lucky to have defeated General Grievous. He was lucky to have survived Order 66. He was lucky Anakin didn't kill him during their duel.

So what would make him think there's no such thing as luck?

 

In Episode I, Obi-Wan showed supreme skill in defeating Darth Maul. To me it was his greatest moment in the prequels. Had he been lucking, Qui-Gon wouldn't have died a moment later.

In Episode II, Obi-Wan is spared by Anakin and Yoda. It was Anakin's idiodicy that got them in the position that they were in anyway. It wasn't luck that brought Yoda to where Obi-Wan, Dooku, and Anakin were. Yoda asked the commander to ready his ship and went to the hangar because he knew Anakin and Obi-Wan would need serious help in fighting off Dooku. Through the Force Yoda had listened to Skywalker and Kenobi arguing over Padme. It was the will of the Living Force that things happened this way, not luck.

In Episode III, Anakin makes the concious decision not to listen to Palpatine regarding Obi-Wan. That was just Jedi mannerism. A Jedi will not leave another Jedi to die like that. That's not called luck. That's called doing the right thing. General Grevious and Obi-Wan battled fierecly. Obi-Wan used the Force as his ally, much like he did when he called Qui-Gon lightsaber to defeat Darth Maul. Was it luck that Obi-Wan opened Grevious's chest plate and found an opening to his internal organs? No. That's called stragedy. The thing about Obi-Wan surving order 66 was that it was based on timing. He used his intelligence and his warrior skills to get out of a cramped up situation. Against Anakin he does the same thing. Obi-Wan survives because of his brute skill, his knowledge of the Force, and his warrior's heart.

In my experience, there's no such thing as luck. -Ben Kenobi

 

There is no luck, only the the will of the force.

 

This topic is based around events throughout the PT. Moving to the PT Forum.

 

The will of the force and luck seems to be the same thing in my eyes.

 

Luck is random and happenstance. The force is not. Some muthaphreakas believe in luck. I believe in the force.

 

I guess it just relates to how in every SW film the heros always find themselves in sticky situations.

Episode I- The negotiations were short,the destroyer droids pop out as soon as Qui Gon starts on the door,He loses his lightsaber for a split second,they meet Anakin [the future dark lord....],Qui Gon dies,Anakin is introduced to the chancellor.

Episode II- He recalls falling into the nest of monarcs[I think thats what they were],He's shot off the assasin droid,They fly into the power thing,He's stuck with Anakin flying the speeder [''Anakin,pull up!''],Zhan is shot before telling them the information, He cant find Kamino,His padawan is sent on a solo mission that will eventually get him married and ensure his downfall,while battling with Jango his lightsaber is knocked out of his hand,He falls with Jango when he pushes him, He's captured at Geonosis, He's injured while fighting dooku.

Episode III- His ship is attacked by buzz droids,He's knocked out while dueling dooku, His whole chase with Grievous,When he loses his lightsaber again,When he is order 66'd, His Padawan turns to the darkside and destroys the Jedi order,He fights said padawan in an epic duel and eventually has to result to chopping off his limbs and leaving him to burn. Then Padme, a friend to him and Anakins wife, dies.

Other than that,He just knows its not luck,its the will of the force.

 

Luck is the residue of design.

Obi-Wan got "lucky" because his technique and execution were solid.

I'm sure to him it was not luck that saved him in those situations, but rather taking advantage of his opponents mistakes.

Think about sports. A bad team gets lucky once, but it just prolongs their demise. A good team always gets lucky and takes advantage of those lucky breaks to finish off opponents.

 

You have a point to be fair. But it's not luck it's the will of the force.

 

Jangoisadrunk, I enjoyed reading your post, but your position on the matter is unclear. I really want to turn this into a debate bewtween people that belive in luck,(those that think government is highest power in the land; liberals) and those that don't believe in luck (people that belive one's focus determines one's reality; conservatives)

















I'm joking, people.























Or, am I?

 

Ep 1 and 2 are perception. In Ep3, watch the Clone Wars cartoon, prequelling ROTS, and you'll know why Obi Wan tools up GG so easily.

 

I'm joking, people.


As well as generalizing and being off topic. The Hat Trick.

On topic. Jangoisadrunk is correct. Obi Wan's "luck" is the result of design. Which is why he states there is no such thing as luck when he is older, and in possesion of perspective.

 

Obi-Wan=luckiest man in star wars. Lucas made him as kind of a joke in the PT, which makes his quote "In my experience theres no such thing as luck." all the funnier because hes always lucky.

 

although its not very articulate, the old sports analogy fits:

"luck" is the result of being prepared and playing within one's self and relying on what you have been taught in practice and beleiving it will work.

the best teams always seem to have the most "luck."

this applies to obi-wan, imo

 

Hmm I dont know where you came up with that "sports analogy" but it aint true. A very good example of this was shown in todays playoff game Angels vs White Sox, it was mearly luck that the catcher was stupid enough not to tag the runner out, but it was good that the guy caught on to the fact he wasent tagged and ran down to first. Which resulted in a White sox victory.

The White Sox got lucky, but they were able to use the luck too win. Does that make them any less lucky? NO.

 

A nest of monarchs! Now that would be something!

"I am of royal blood! Thou cannot smite me!"

"Attacking monarchs? And you call yourself 'Knights?!'"

"Hey, give me back my crown!"

Seriously, though, they were gundarks. Han Solo also mentions them in The Empire Strikes Back.

 

Well luck is sometimes mentioned in the Stars Wars world one way or another.

I call it luck Han Solo

In my experience there's no such thing as luck. Ben Kenobi

Good luck! Leia

Unexpected this is, and unfortunate. Yoda

This turn of events is unfortunate. We must accelerate our plans... Sidious

Unfortunate that I know the truth.... Luke

It would be unfortunate if I had to leave the garrison here. Vader


Fortunate and luck are interwined in the Star Wars world so Darth Joshy's claim is valid somewhat.

 

Obi-Wan didn't really beat Maul by luck. After Maul knocked him into the pit he taunted him and was savoring his "victory." I'd say that he won because Maul was stupid.

 

Obi-Wan was lucky that Darth Maul was stupid.

 

True Darth Maul was pretty stupid. He could have flicked his wrist and Obi-Wan would have fallen forever.

 

Obi-Wan's destiny was to survive until Luke was ready to begin training. The Force helped him reach his destiny on many occasions.

What we perceive as luck, the Jedi perceive as the will of the Force.

 

I always took it as meaning that after all the hell he'd been through, Obi-Wan had no reason to believe in luck.



Obi-Wan is unlucky
/LM

 

A lot of the things in the first post aren't really luck at all. I don't think it was Lucas' intention to make Obi-Wan look like a lucky idiot.

 

Will of the force= Luck for non force users.

 

i guess you dont watch the NFL or listen to its coaches.

i consider this a bad call, so it really doesnt apply, imo. but if you want to get into it, i can easily make the case that Paul didnt do the above; he didnt tag aj p. as he is taught to do no matter what. so not relying on doing what he was taught led him to be unlucky. aj p. was lucky because he did the opposite of paul. is that really luck?