#ataru

Obi-wan Kenobi is the sum of a man who resolved to survive in order to help others. If his survival did not help others, then he was willing to give his life if that would help.

He always was willing to give himself if required for the survival of others, but he understood deeply the need for defenders to actually survive to defend the defenseless.

He gives no purchase to fear, because it is not important. It is merely an obstacle to vault over. He has had much experience with fear and pushing through it.

He literally went, “I will not die if people are depending on me.” And so he did whatever needed to be done to facilitate that end.

Qui-gon Jinn died with two people dependent on him, and Obi-wan literally went, “Wellp, I’ll not be doing that.”

He dedicated the rest of his life to not dying until the galaxy had no further use from him being alive. Obi-wan Kenobi died when it was actually more expedient for him to be a ghost.

The sum of his life was the choice to serve.

Like in The Threat Within where Qui-gon is training with a sixteen-maybe-seventeen-year-old Obi-wan and he realizes that Obi-wan is subtly directing the spar, giving ground, allowing Qui-gon to press him… it rings with the later quote in the Revenge of the Sith novelization I think, about his style as a grown man. Obi-wan gave ground because it was his way. One who watched and waited. One who cultivated patience.

Even though he was learning Ataru, an aggressive and offensive form of combat, he was still smart and strategic about how he fought. He gave ground. The groundwork for the solid Soresu he would later build was already there. From specializing in Atari for the first half of his life to dedicating himself to Soresu for the rest of it, he was not afraid to start completely over in this important part of his life.

Obi-wan was not too proud to start over.

Obi-wan was not too proud to learn lessons.

And she calls them "Daddy" and "Mommy"!