Why Obi-Wan calls Vader "Darth"

Well A voice-over fix would be pretty difficult at this point.

 

well...ANH was written without knowing Vader's name as far as i know...Darth is his title, like calling someone King.

so, i think it's fine. JUST LIKE WHEN GREEDO SHOOTS FIRST...MWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA

 

In ROTJ Vader says, "That name no longer has any meaning to me," after Luke calls him Anakin Skywalker. In Vader's mind, the person that he was (a.k.a. Anakin Skywalker) had ceased to exist after he adopted his new name and persona.

 

TESB would have a pretty boring ending if Ben had called him Anakin, thus revealing that Vader is Luke's father.

Also, I take it as kind of distaste for his former student's downfall. Kind of mocking his status as Sith. Like Palpatine basically spat out the word "Jedi" in RotJ.

 

real answer: darth was originally his first name.
now answer: mocking, yes. what he said.

 

real answer: darth was originally his first name.

I know youre right, but doesnt that seem so weird now? It fits so well as a dig, it seems like it was done that way on purpose.

I take it as kind of distaste for his former student's downfall. Kind of mocking his status as Sith. Like Palpatine basically spat out the word "Jedi" in RotJ.

Thats the way I see it, too.

 

Remember Kenobi no longer believed that Anakin Skywalker even existed anymore. So why would he call him Anakin if Anakin was dead as far as he was concerned?

 

What does Darth and Vader mean?
And does anyone know where this name arose from?

 

What does Darth and Vader mean?
And does anyone know where this name arose from?

 

I think there's a few different theories, but the one I've heard is that Darth is an abbreviation of DARk lord of the siTH, and Vader a truncated form of "Invader," harkening to his opening scene first appearance in ANH.

I think the real world answer is simply that it sounded cool and made for a good bad-guy name for a movie -- Dark Invader just wouldn't have had the same oomph!

 

Ahhh yes, the Darth part makes total sense.Dart Sidious, Darth Maul.
But the Vader part, hmmm, I think there may be more. Thanks though.

 

I think Obi-Wan calls Vader "Darth" because Vader was the only Sith Lord at that time with Darth in his title. Palpatine/Sidious always went by the name of Emperor.
IMO, Obi-Wan calls Vader "Darth" because Obi-Wan knows there isn't much of Anakin left, like he says in ROTJ; Vader being more machine than man. It could also be a little denial from Obi-Wan; he knows that machine in front of him is Anakin, but he refuses to adress Vader as Anakin, because he thinks of Vader and Anakin as two different persons, in denial of his faillure. Vader too does think of Anakin and Vader of two different people; in ROTJ, he says the name Anakin has no meaning for him.
Just my two cents...

 

You may want to check out the thread Origins of Names. It has a pretty detailed analysis of the origins of both "Darth" and "Vader."

 

Kenobi calling Vader, "Darth" is no big deal since the word Darth is the first part of his name. No biggy.

 

Even if it was decided before ANH that Darth was his title and not his name, it wouldn't be a big deal for OB1 to call him Darth. It would be the same thing as if I were to meet my Senator and simply said, "Hello, Senator." I don't have to use his name, addressing him by his title is as permissible as calling the President "Mr. President." Of course, calling W "Mr. President" would actually be much more polite than what my wife and I usually call him.

 

I think it has more of an effect since he now addresses him as someone completely different than his old padawan.

 

You also got to look at Kenobi calling Vader, "Darth" because to Kenobi, that isn't the Anakin Skywalker he knew. That part of him is dead.

 

I think it is an official decleration of Obi Wan that Anaki is unreedemable in his eyes, it's no use calling him Anakin because he won't listen. I think it is a verbal line being drawn since Obi Wan knew that he wouldn't get off the death star alive and so he was imprinting the word Darth as a last jab.

 

Why Obi-Wan calls Vader "Darth"

Because it's his name. And as others have pointed out, "that name no longer has any meaning for me". If Vader didn't use it why would Obi Wan? I'm pretty certian at that point if Obi Wan could've defeated Vader he would've.



"still makes that pathetic shoving fight look and sound even worse."

You're a little off. Let me guess you're either a teenager or just regurgitating what everyone else has said for you.

In 1977 when ANH was made that's how people fenced in the movies. It was no where near how it's done in real life. They used the classical "Shakespear" theatrical approach to it. There was actually quite a bit filmed but it was edited into what we see for whatever reason. Alec Guiness was a trained theatrical fencer, which is different that real sword fighting, and helped choreograph the later fights in ESB and ROTJ for realism. We all loved it than.

In the 40's Eroll Flynn was considered an accomplished fencer even though all of his moves were choreographed. I've seen those movies and compared to ANH the fighting looks goofy but they are still considered swashbuckling classics.
Enter the 90's and the martial arts invasion in the 80's. A different style, more energetic and flashy, and a different audience, with the attention span of a newt, but more or less the same. You don't fight that way in real life, with all the flourishes and spins, not if you want to survive. Ray Parks (darth maul) even said so on the news when he was in town at a Star Wars convention in Plano and he's actually a Martial Arts expert in swords. I don't recall what discipline he actually follows. Sword fights in movies are done differently now is all. More flourishes and noise, not to mention the wire work is 10x better than it was in the past. Nothing else is different. The fights are still choreographed and utilize alot more moves and time than would happen in reality. Even in the Star Wars reality they would go for the quick kill, i.e. Mace and anyone he fought in AOTC.

 

"still makes that pathetic shoving fight look and sound even worse."

Ha! You're talking about one of the most classic sword fights in history. You probably wanted bullet-time, did you?

He calls him Darth to make it VERY clear to Vader that he no longer sees him as Anakin, a friend or his apprentice. Obi-Wan is pissed off. He has NOTHING good to say to his former pupil. He's almost using 'Darth' as an insult.

 

Yeah Obi-Wan is calling him Darth as an insult.

 

Its definately an insult, kind of a put down. (like when one refers to a spoiled child as "His Royal Highness", or Prince *fill in the name*.

As far as Obi Wan is concerned the person that was the Anakin he knew is dead in spirit if not in actuality. Vader doesn't acknowledge that part of him either..not to mention with Luke listening, it would give away a major secret and leave him wanting some 'splaing.

Darth is genreally accepted to be something of an honory title for DArk Lord of the SiTH.

Vader is a name he took, though in an off topic note, it is also German for Father, which is rather fitting, and gave the plot away much quicker to those who speak German. (not me I only know a few words). But when he became a different person he took a new name, all Sith apparently do. (I doubt Maul had Maul on whatever passes for a birth Certificate in SW). Most of these titles apparently are modifications of words describing something evil in nature (Maul, Tyrannous, Vader, Sidious...)

 

Obi-Wan belived that Anakin was dead, so there was no further purpose in calling him that