"It's over, Anakin. I have the high ground." Sincerity or Trickery by Obi-Wan?

What do you guys think Obi-Wan (or should I say GL) had in mind at that pivotal moment?

I see two possibilities that GL could be conveying:

Sincerity: The idea GL had was simply at face-value: Obi-Wan was serious. He really thought he'd broken the stalemate and that Anakin, tactically had no chance of winning at that point since he had "the high ground". In other words, in Obi-Wan's mind there could only be victory for him now...whether thru surrender or saber strike from superior position. Anakin lost any advantage and the duel was now Obi-Wan's to lose. Plain and simple.

Trickery: GL had some more subtle in mind here. Obi-Wan needs a true advantage to win this duel and takes a chance by using his superior intelligence and experience to exploit Anakin's youth and ego by egging Anakin into doing something impetuous and stupid. In other words, Obi-Wan knew he didn't have a real tactical advantage with "the high ground" and that Anakin could have done any number of things (without attempting that huge leap) to continue the duel so Obi-Wan, with the intent of slaying him, says something to Anakin to damage his pride and GET him to do exactly what he wants. This means that Obi-Wan knows full well that having the "high ground" is not a lock to victory and will only matter if he can get Anakin to try and jump over him so says something to get him to do just that...because if Anakin doesn't take the bait and simply hops onto the ledge and charges up the hill, this duel is far from being over.
Obi-Wan tricked Anakin and it worked.

What do you all think?

PS: Moderators, please don't put this into some "offical duel thread". This is very specific. It doesn't belong there. Thanks.

 

Well, he warned him not to jump, he did, and he lost.

 

It?s kind of both, I guess. Obi-Wan really didn't want Anakin to make a dumb move that would force him to attack Anakin, so Obi-Wan warned him not to jump. I?m sure that Obi-Wan knew that if Anakin were to jump that he'd be able to counter Anakin, but I really wouldn't call it a "trick" per-say.

 

That's a good topic question yeah.


I say sincerity. Obi-Wan didn't even want to be there to begin with fighting his former student/friend.

Plus, if it were a strategic oppurtunity, Obi-Wan wouldn't have telegraphed it by telling Anakin. He simply would have bided his time and waited.
Relying on Anakins own pride and arrogance wouldn't cut it, Anakin was perfectly aware Obi-Wan had the high ground, he didn't need to be informed. Obi-Wan I feel just wanted a cessation of hostilities to attempt to perhaps reason with Anakin. Of course Anakin would have none of that sentimentality.

 

My opinion is this:

I'm sure what Lucas meant but Trickery seems like the better answer for the sake of credibity and a believable story. IMO, Obi-Wan's a fool if he really believes he's got it won with "the high ground". So he's in a higher position on the hill...BIG DEAL. Of course, Obi-Wan isn't gonna say "Careful stepping off the raft, Ani" but to think GL scripted that scene to be taken at face-value kinda bothers me. After that long, grueling, trying and dangerous duel (I mean Anakin jumped off a collapsing pillar and onto a distant small robots head for crying out loud...that looked a bit harder than the climactic predicament), it's hard for me to believe Anakin truly had no other option if just stopped and thought about it for a second. So I'm opting with Trickery. I sure hope that's what GL meant. Otherwise, it's kinda lame.

 

Or did he? Perhaps Obi Wan said it so that Anakin would do it.
The power of suggestion? He was ready for it and goaded Anakin into it.

I don't believe this, by the way. The look on his face after the duel says
it all. He didn't want Anakin to force his hand while he was in a superior
position.

 

Hmm. That's an interesting way of looking at it. Personally though, if Obi-Wan had "peace" in mind, he would have tried that in th beginning before the duel. I have to believe that at the moment in question, Obi-Wan has resigned himself to the fact that it's to the death...unless he runs way. (LOL). Obi-Wan knows Anakin's a lost cause (at least for Obi-Wan) at that point. I stick with trickery.

 

I felt it was a bit of both actualy.Obi Wan knew how to press his buttons,but I believe he didn't want him to jump.

I think in hindsight it was Obi Wans final test for Anakin.

 

I see what you're saying but that would mean Obi-Wan is still looking for a peaceful resolution. IMO, whether or not he cares for Anakin (and we know he does), Obi-Wan knows he has to kill him or be killed. I say Trickery.

 

Thats certainly true, but Obi-Wan previously didn't really have an area of pause, Anakin was all over him from the moment it began to that brief interlude. Earlier, there were explosions, lava, things occuring that prevented any real break in the fighting. Oh, aside from the lava platforms, Obi-Wan tried talking some sense briefly, maybe he was attempting to do so again.

 

You really think trickery?

I dunno, I just don't see it. I think he genuinely loved him, even as he
was burning there in front of him. I think he loved him in ANH
aboard the DS which is why he sacrificed himself.

Obi Wan warned him because he was still ever the teacher. It was to be
the second to last lesson Ben would give him, the last being
about more powerful than you can imagaine on the DS>

 

Obi-Wan was clearly upset from the moment he watched the security tape. That doesn't change the fact that he knows he has to kill him or turn him back to the light. I think it's clear Obi-Wan knows that turning back is not an option once he talks to him before the duel. As much as he doesn't want to or hates the idea of it, I think he knows he has to kill him and must find a way or be killed.

I stay with trickery. He egged him into harm's way. He had to. Otherwise they'd still be fighting.

 

The way he says "Don't try it," makes me think he's sincere.

But I'm sure he's doubtful that Anakin will actually surrender. Not exactly the Sith way.

 

Otherwise they'd still be fighting.

Point.

But Obi Wan makes an effort to talk to him at first. It's not as if he is dead
set on killing him. In fact, it seems like the very act of telling Anakin that he
has the high ground is in a way giving himself an out from killing him. Except
Anakin makes the attack. Obi Wan does, as he said, what he must.

 

I know he didn't want Anakin to jump let alone be fighting him. But what was Obi-Wan's intention then? To get Anakin to stop fighting and give up? He knew he wouldn't. I still say he egged him into a truly vunerable position by getting him to jump...even though he hated the idea of doing it. There was no other option other than dying himself.

 

I believe it was sincerity. As other's have said, Obi-Wan didn't really want to kill Anakin, and when later faced with that choice he didn't take it. He didn't want Anakin to jump, the warning was sincere, but yet he knew that Anakin would because of his arrogance. But Obi-Wan also knew that he had to stop Anakin, he couldn't just let him get away, whether it was through mental or physical means.

 

maybe. but I still think it was clear to Obi-Wan that a peaceful solution was off the table atb that point. He DID try though. But he knew i the end that it was hopeless. He needed to break the stalemate.

 

Isn't it great when someone starts off a thread by imploring the mods not to move or lock it?

Anyway, as I said before, Obi-Wan really wants to believe that Anakin could turn back, thus he tells him not to try it. But as many people have pointed out, Obi-Wan is a sharp cookie, so he figured that Anakin was a Sith and wouldn't be changing his position just because he's a few feet lower than Obi-Wan. I also think that the statement is not literal in some sense: he has the high ground morally as a Jedi. Anyway, we've already probably thought about this line more than GL did.

 

I don't doubt he loved him. I know he did. But at the same time, he knew it was hopeless at that point. I see your point that Obi_wan was sincere. But would that mean?? That really thought or hoped Anakin would stop? Maybe. But I still like the idea that he exploited his weakness.

 

True. And I see how one can feel that way. I kinda do. It just seems kinda naive on Obi-Wan's part. I know he doesn't want to do this but Anakin's left him no option.

 

His intention was to make him think or be cut down.I'm paraphraing here o course."I could teach you everything but to think"

 

LOL. Yeah. But I had to. I've had a couple locked on me already...

 

I think that Obi-wan was being sincere when he said that he had the high ground. Obi-wan's mind is clear. He knows that if Anakin tries anything, it will only end badly and he doesn't want to kill him, though he knows that he has to. He can sense that Anakin was going to jump and he knew what would happen.

 

I know what you mean but are you saying that, in reality, Anakin could no longer win at that point? That's one part I have trouble with. Because if that's what GL intended, he's making some less than credible limits on what Anakin can do at that point. I found Anakin's escape from the falling pillar to be a much more daunting task than where he found himslef against Obi-Wan at that pivotal moment. So you're comfortable with the idea that Lucas intended for this situation to put Anakin in a no-win position?

Anakin didn't need to attempt that rash leap. Obi-Wan's words pushed him to try it IMO.

 

It is my opinion that it was Obi-wan's attempt in tricking Anakin because he KNEW the guy would try it, he always hated his apprentice and would have wanted nothing more than to sneak up on Ani while he's asleep, take a pillow, and put it over his...

...in any case, I digress; he tricked the poor Sith into a situation he couldn't resist, and I hope the DVD includes the cut scenes that show Obi-wan walking up to Anakin and shoving dirt in his face, pulling his underwear over his head, and flicking his ears before stealing his lightsaber.

Just kidding, he was saying it for Ani's own good.