Characters Obi-Wan Kenobi: What would a good Jedi do?

This thread is not a social thread (Obi-Wan appreciation society) or a discussion of what he has done in the past.

To quote a mod in response to a question of mine:

We know that no two folks see the same character exactly the same, but still most of us fanfic authors want to know if our Obi-Wan is in-character (IC) or not (OOC) - here's the thread to discuss how Obi-Wan would react or feel in such situations as you wish to set forth for discussion.

Example: I have a story in development where a grown Obi-Wan has left the Jedi, by choice - I'm not going to give away anything at this point, but there will be situations he'll find himself in and I may solicit his reactions as I reach that point - he considers himself not a Jedi, but still committed to the Force, and so I'll ask if he does this do you consider it OOC or not.

Note: I feel its pertinent to also discuss other characters close to Obi-Wan as the actions of others influence Obi-Wan, so if you want to know if character Y does something would Obi-Wan react like __ or more like ___ that to be in keeping with the scene.

 

I think he would be in character since the Force would be a part him regardless if he is a Jedi or not and so either way will be committed to the Force.

 

Oh, sure, but would he be bound by the Code? Let's say an opportunity to indulge in some "passion"? The Force wouldn't care; the Order would. Would an IC-Obi-Wan still feel morally bound by the Code he left behind, or would the situation itself influence him - that's the type of discussion I hope to encounter.

 

I think he would at first be a little off put by the lack of code, and may choose to stick with it. He has learned it will improve his Force ability, correct?

As the time would pass, he would possibly decide upon a code that suits him, and what he hopes to achieve with the Force and with his life. Be it passion, emotion, yet still being respectful and peaceful towards beings.

I would never see him as the type of person to give up any morals easily though, and so I still think that some of the code would continue to carry over for the rest of his days.

I am going to ponder this further...

 

Oh, the above was more an example of the type of discussion we can have here - in the above scenario, Obi-Wan would NOT be giving up any morals only perhaps accepting as "natural" certain behaviors the Code probably "forbids" or seems to "forbid." (There is no passion could be interpreted differently by Jedi).

Heck, he could decide to fit into a family life (say, an "adoptee") while retaining all his innate traits.

Someone else may wonder if Obi-Wan would sacrifice his principles, or his soul, in order to accomplish ________. For example (I read something like this in someone else's story - this is not my scenario), would Obi-Wan accept the mantle of "Darth Vader" with all that entails in order to save Anakin from that same fate? Assume he's well aware that atrocities he abhors will most likely be done by "Darth Vader" - would he allow Anakin to bear that when he could spare him, or would he stop short of adopting such a fate even for Anakin?

 

Obi-Wan becoming 'Darth Vader' to save Anakin seems no different then Anakin doing it to save Padme to me... And it represents an unhealthy attachment, saving one at the *known* cost of many others. And in the end the message is that we can't avoid our fate or keep the ones we love from meeting theirs. Some things we just have to learn to accept and then move on from their. It's not easy but I think it's something Obi-Wan understood and did his best to act.

The point could be made that these atrocities would happen either way, but I feel the original principle would stand in Obi-Wans mind.

 

As for him following the code, I truly think he would quickly learn to interpret the 'rules' into what's right for him. Life is not black and white, and many people are capable of being 'good' while following their own idea of what's right. The council can be seen as rigid and so the code but I don't feel they're meant to be taken at strict literal meanings. They're more like guidelines, anyway. Right?

 

Guidelines, yes, I quite agree. And I also agree that Obi-Wan would probably never compromise his principles - but I hesitate to say absolutely never.

 

Never say never! I would always be willing to believe almost anything with the right situation. I think it's important to have an open mind.

Where does Anakin end up in this deal? Dead? Happy? In Obi's position? Or unknown?

 

I don't remember all the details of that story and it was abandoned, although the author did PM readers with her outline for the rest of the story. I don't think she really went into the philosophy of Obi-Wan's decision; I just remember the generalities. But questions similar to that are ones I often toss around in my own stories - like would Obi-Wan shoot a guard in the Rako Hardeen arc if he absolutely had to keep his cover for the good of the galaxy (saving Palps from an "evil" assassination plot) and how would he struggle - if he struggled - with the proper decision. What factors would he weigh? What factors would carry the most weight? Does the end EVER justify the means, and is that affected by just what those "means" are?

 

I would hope that he would never compromise his principles.

If his integrity is in question I believe even though he left the order he would still retain his principals; one would hope. In my eyes whether he's a Jedi or just a man, he has the same values. And his compassion for other human beings is still there and although he may not abide by the code in all things, he would keep the code safely in his subconscious, and in his own way he would serve the galaxy in anyway he could even if he had been treated badly.
It’s in his make-up. As a Jedi he was the guardian to the future of the order and he played his part diligently. As a non Jedi I can't see him changing all that much. He serves the force.

 

Good question. I agree with @Admiral_Volche that in the beginning he would probably adhere to the Code (he has done that his entire life after all), but after some time he would find it difficult to stick with it because humans are very much influenced by our surroundings, and it is easier to stay true to your convictions if the people around you share the same ones or at least respects them (which I don’t think many would, because to normal people the Code sort of forbids some of the good things in life).

I don’t think Obi-Wan would simply throw away the Code; the way I see it, the Code was a set of guidelines to help the Jedi stay on the path of light and therefore not something that a jedi easily discarded, but I think he would acknowledge that the very strict version (the one with the: “There is no passion, there is serenity” etc.) is simply one interpretation. I can see him returning to the original mantra (“Passion, yet serenity”) and either stick with that or make his own interpretation.

 

I agree that Obi-wan would be attached to the Code for a very long time, but say he couldn't remember the code per se. Yeah amnesia Obi-wan is one of my favorite things to contemplate. He remembers parts of being a jedi, but perhaps not all of the intricacies of the code, what then? Is he still a man of integrity or maybe he's willing to take things a bit further then before and falls to the human condition of wishing for more.

Just something to think about.

 

Funny you should ask that - I have a mind-wiped Obi-Wan story in the pipeline. He won't have the restraints of the Code, but being essentially who and what he is, I don't think he'll stray far. I think the Code reels him in a bit more than his natural propensity - yet it also fits him and his personality. He might be freer to show emotion, but it still won't control him. He might not "fear" attachments, but they won't spout like weeds overnight because he doesn't know he's supposed to avoid them.

 

I agree. It's a great way to explore the "human" condition and what is truly born into us and what is taught. I'm sure if your writing it, it will be better then anything I can put on paper. I'm not trying to speed you up, but hurry! LOL

I just like the conflict I feel is residing in Obi-Wan at every turn, especially with some of the things he says in ROTS. You can almost feel that he isn't sure that adherence to the Code is right in this turn of events or that. I find it refreshing to see him outside the restraints of the jedi code and all that it entails.

 

But will mind-wiped Obi-Wan know he was a Jedi? Would he still have the Force? That could make a huge difference in how he sees the world around him. And would the Jedi want to get him back?

 

If you're asking me, he'll be able to "do" things with the Force without understanding exactly how. This is the prequel to an already posted story where he was found by Qui-Gon and restored to the Jedi, so much like GL, i'm constrained by the already presented.

My "issues" with the story is the "why/how" of his mind-wiping (target? accidental victim?) and how deeply does the mind wipe go? My original plan was to regress him back to infancy - no language - but rapid learning. In trying to work out a lot of this (unsuccessfully) I sought ideas from others and it seems perhaps better to avoid the "infancy" stage and go straight to "no memories" but retaining his language skills, etc. Yet, I DO want a certain amount of childish naivety in his early behavior so I'm still conflicted on how best to handle.

 

I would say that the force would be something he would be aware of but perhaps unable to control. Maybe like a child who is just learning to ride a bike, they get the idea, but they still fall off. That is just my take on it though.

Yeah I've written amnesia Obi-wan and I just took him back to before the Clone Wars started. Therefore he believed Anakin to be a much younger child, those kinds of things.

I like the childlike naivety aspect as well. That would make for a very interesting read.

 

Have you read "Renewed" by The Burninator Named Trogdor? I really think she's found a great balance between what Obi-Wan has retained and what he has lost after a (in this story) succesful mind wipe on Phindar. The way she portrays a mind-wiped Obi-Wan is both sweet and heart wrenching at the same time.

 

Takianna: I'm QUITE familiar with your wonderful story. Though Obi-Wan...leaving...

FARK2005: I try not to read similar stories when I'm writing for fear of it influencing my story; the last thing I want is to unintentionally copy some aspect of it.

 

I got ideas for characters without the Force from reading stories and came to different solutions.

Inferno will explore that idea

 

FARK2005 I might have to check that one out since I finished mine.

Valairy Scot I know that you are familiar. You are the only one who reviewed the last chapter. I'm not known for the sweet happy ending, but I couldn't kill Obi-wan after he'd been through so much! LOL

I get ideas about how Obi-wan is seen by other people by reading their stories. I try not to read something close to what I'm working on at the time, but sometimes it happens. I like to see how other authors work out the conflict between doing what is right and code. Yeah, I'm stuck on it because it kinda reminds me of religion in a way. I'm still figuring it all out.....

What do you think Obi-wan would've done if he was the one to discover Anakin? I've thought about that before. Would he have stuck to the code and known that Anakin was too old, or would he have sensed that Anakin was the "chosen one?" What would the good jedi in him do?

 

Takianna: Hmm, TPM Obi-Wan...Anakin. Hard to say - would he be in a position to draw the inference of Anakin's Force potential? If yes, I'd see him reporting Anakin to the Council and suggesting someone keep an eye on him to keep him from being snatched by the Sith. If he feared Anakin was in danger, he might well ask the Council for a way to free him (and Shmi, perhaps) to remove them from the notice of the Sith - perhaps asking for credits. I don't think TPM Obi-Wan would bet Watto as Qui-Gon did.

I'd have to really think on this, since we never really saw Obi-Wan see Anakin in his native environment, or pod-racing, so it's really a guessing game.

I don't think Obi-Wan believed in prophecies - most folks don't. Prophecies are usually obscure, partial, and prone to being twisted to the hearer's liking.

 

It's a really good story, but unfortunately it's incomplete and hasn't been updated in five years. I would recommend reading it anyway, but now you've been warned

 

@Valairy_Scot: You’re not the first author I’ve come across who has such stand (which I completely understand), I just assumed when you said that you had sought ideas from others that you have been looking at other fanfics.

Anyway, concerning the mind wipe: I can’t claim to be an expert on brains, but as far as I know the memory centre and language centre are situated in two different parts of the brain, and one could therefore argue that a mind wipe would not eradicate a persons language skills per se; I think all the words that person has learned would all be there, but since the memories are gone that person can’t associate a specific word it’s meaning: for instance, he/she would know the word “tree” but they would need someone to help them make a connection between the word and a tree – all the dots would have to be reconnected so to speak.