The final episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi is out now, with many fans reacting positively to it online. Much of this comes down to the performances of Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader.
WARNING: SOME SPOILERS AHEAD FOR OBI-WAN KENOBI EPISODE 6 AHEADThe fight between Kenobi and Vader is already being hailed by some fans as one of the best duels in live-action Star Wars, but of course, it’s not the only epic duel Vader has ever been in. It seems that, in this duel, Vader’s mask becomes an epic symbol of his redemption when factoring in his duel with Ahsoka in Rebels and his redemption by Luke too.
Twitter user Lalo/@clonehumor recently shared an image showing how Vader’s mask has been damaged by the three figures above. The duel between the two in Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 6 sees Vader’s former mentor break the right side of his mask, after which Obi-Wan and Anakin share one more heartbreaking conversation. When he duels Ahsoka in Star Wars Rebels, she breaks the left side of his mask.
The symbolism is pretty clear here. The two closest to Anakin are unable to break the mask that he’s adopted, the mask of Darth Vader, and reach the goodness that is still inside him—as hinted by Padme in Revenge of the Sith. It’s only in Return of the Jedi, when Luke convinces his father to turn against the Emperor and he lays dying, that someone is able to fully remove the mask and reveal the man, Anakin, behind Darth Vader.
Notably, Luke is able to remove this mask without violence, where violence is what damages his mask in previous duels. This leans heavily into the ideas of the Jedi Code, and all in all, it brings a nice symmetry to the Vader’s mask. After all, chronologically speaking, his mask would play a huge role in Kylo Ren’s turn to the Dark Side in the Star Wars sequel trilogy.
With the final episode out now of Obi-Wan Kenobi, it remains to be seen what happens to the show. It was originally conceived as a mini-series, but it seems several people involved are now keen on an Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2. If it happens, it’s unlikely Vader returns, but there’s still plenty of time left between when Obi-Wan Kenobi takes place and Episode 4: A New Hope.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is available now on Disney Plus.