Why did Obi-Wan give Luke Anakin's lightsaber?

I was thinking about this. In the context of the OT it made sense but in the PT we know that that lightsaber was used to slaughter many jedi. Because of this why did Obi-Wan give it to Luke? Thats like giving a serial killer's son his father's gun.

 

except that there are many many many guns available

 

You said it yourself. "In the context of the OT it made sense." I don't think George knew what a PT years in the future would hold for the story.

 

Obi-wan knew Luke had to help fight the Empire and The Emperor. He would need a saber. Also I believe that sometime during the PT Anakin may have said to Obi-wan "If I ever have any kids, I want them to train with my saber." I would guess then that Obi-wan would tell him how he can't have kids but would remember want he said

 

yoda's lightsaber would have been too small for Luke....

besides,lightsaber's don't kill Jedi, sith kill Jedi

the other option was to give him the lightsaber of a jedi killed by his father......

 

Symbology: The Mystic Guide gives the Hero a Magic Talisman.

The Story: Subtle Obi Wan manipulation to influence Luke.

The reality: Drama from the writer.

 

In the days of the OT, I thought it was sort of like Excalibur; at very least that Light Sabers were precious. I'm sure in the many myths George ripped off, the passing of the weapon is important (consider in Eastern Mythology the Samurai's sword). The fact that in ROTJ Luke had made a new one and it seemed to impress Vader greatly cemented that idea in my mind.

Then in the PT they're just kind of throwaway; lost yours? No problem, resupplies are on the way. Some of the EU alluded to a special quest to find a sabre crystal, et al, that I think would have lined up with the OT's feel.

After the PT, I don't get it; however, if you consider that Obi-Wan and Yoda considered Luke to be an assasin from birth, then giving him his father's weapon to kill him makes perfect sense.

 

What Luke doesn't know wont hurt him. The lightsaber was symbolic, he was giving it to Luke to 'avenge his fathers death' and to continue his legacy as a jedi. It was to motivate Luke to learn the ways of the force and become a jedi because he held a sense of awe and respect for his father because he never knew him. I've often also thought about the irony of giving Luke a lightsaber that slaughtered the Jedi order, but if he doesn't know about it he still keeps the ideals of the Jedi in his head.

 

He probally gave it to Luke because he thought that Anakin would have wanted him to have.

 

His reasons were simple. First of all, he knew that Luke would need a lightsaber as he progressed through his training in the Force. Secondly, Obi-Wan had no way to create a new lightsaber to give to Luke. In the days of the Republic, Jedi would travel to Ilum where they would gather the necessary crystals for the saber. In ANH, Obi-Wan does not have access to the necessary materials, let alone the actual crystals. Therefore, giving Luke Anakin's lightsaber is his only alternative.

 

That sums it up.

 

Obi Wan saw it as Anakin's lightsaber, not Vaders. The way he talks fondly of Anakin shows that he still liked, respected and missed the man Anakin was before he became Vader. It was that mans lightsaber that Obi Wan gave to Luke. And dont forget before Vader used it for evil it was the weapon of one of the greatest Jedi heroes of the clone wars, it did many good things too.

 

Exactly. And just because Anakin became Vader and used the saber to kill Jedi, wouldn't automaticly mean Luke would do the same.

 

I think Obi-Wan gave Luke Anakin's lightsaber for more than one reason. For one thing this was likely really the only thing that Obi-Wan had with him that belonged to Anakin, as such it had tremendous sentimental importance to him and no doubt Obi-Wan looked at it and thought of Anakin, his good friend and padawan, on many occasions. And so I think he thought it was important that Luke, Anakin's only son, should be able to have something from his father, a part of Anakin's legacy to hand down to Luke, who had never even gotten to meet him.

Also, Obi-Wan knew that Luke, with his strong connection to the force, was the only real hope they had to be able to train another Jedi to help in stopping the Empire. And with Obi-Wan finding Luke in the desert like that and the danger that the Rebel Alliance now faced, Obi-Wan sensed the time was right for Luke to begin to learn about these things. And if Luke was going to learn about the force and being a Jedi Knight, then he was going to need his own lightsaber. What better lightsaber than the lightsaber of his own father, which could once again be used fighting in the service of good in this struggle with the forces of evil?

 

Except that 'The Story' explanation is the retconned, falsified 'Tragedy of Darth Vader' version. At the time that the film was made, 'The Story' was that Obi Wan was honestly giving Luke the weapon of his benevolent Jedi father.

 

It would still arguably be manipulation on Ben's part to nudge Luke towards the path of a Jedi. I wasn't even thinking about Vader when I posted that.

 

Yoda's lightsaber was not working anymore. he lost it with the battle on coruscant. Lightsabers are scare in the OT. Why? because the clones went into the temple and destroyed everything. not only that, the took the lightsabers and destroyed them..also Grievous kept lots of lightsabers.

So obi wan did the right thing, he picked up the saber that Anakin had built, you cant find those crystals anymore...so what would he give luke to fight vader with?

it's not like Luke was going to make one. think back, could you make a 1950 car from scratch today? or something rare without the resources?

those lightsabers cost many credits too.

 

But... He made one between Empire and Jedi, so that doesn't really make a whole lot of sense.

 

he made one using obi-wan's saber. he took that one apart and then found some crystals on obi's home..otherwise luke wouldn't have any saber in ROTJ.

 

No, that's not true. If you read Shadows of the Empire, there's nothing in there that suggests that Luke deassembled Obi's lightsaber. It literally says he 'managed to collect most of the electronic and mechanical parts in Mos Eisley'. The only thing missing was a focusing crystal he made himself. He definetly used a manual that was left there, though, but that's it.

Far more importantly then that, where would he get Obi Wans saber? Vader had it at that point.

 

It could have been worse...He could have given Luke Anakin's arm that was lopped off during their duel.

"This is the hand that choked your mother. Your father wanted you to have this when you were old enough. It's decayed now, stunk up my homestead for years but..."

All joking aside, Luke would be the downfall of the Sith and by giving him the lightsaber, he was starting Luke down his path or destiny.

And agreed...Lightsabers don't kill Jedi, other Jedi and Sith kill Jedi. The weapon doesn't just spring to life on its own and go on a killing spree.

 

Although that would be awesome.

 

lightsabers were the weapon of the jedi and since the jedi were all but gone, i don't think lightsabers were readily available. i also think obi-wan knew of the goodness anakin once and still had.

 

It also just feels more epic for Obi-Wan to give Luke his father's saber rather than simply a random lightsaber.

 

Thats what I read into as well.When Star Wars was made into a movie,GL had already changed the characters and storyline so many times,it came down to Vader was just another evil henchman,there was a Good Jedi name Father Skywalker that was killed by Vader,and was Ben's good but murdered friend.Luke's father knew of his unborn son and wanted his son to have his lightsaber someday,or something along those lines.Ben honored that wish.

When ANH was filmed,this was the story line you were watching.Vader did kill lukes Father.When ESB was being written,Lucas changed it more so,making Vader lukes real father and then that led to the ROTJ closing.SO all these years later,he had to make the OT and especially,ANH story line and tie it together with the PT's.It tied together rather nicely,albeit a few mistakes I observed.