Warning! Spoilers for Star Wars #15 (2015)
Before the events of Star Wars: A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s friendship with Owen Lars fell apart when he discovered his secret Jedi agenda. Owen was once grateful for Kenobi, but after learning he had plans for Luke, the Lars kept a distance.
The Star Wars expanded universe has filled in many gaps left by the movies. However, between George Lucas’ original and prequel trilogies, there wasn’t much left unexplained. The only remaining story threads left by the end of Revenge of the Sith involve Obi-Wan Kenobi’s time on Tatooine, as he takes on the name “Ben” and watches Luke from a distance. With the upcoming Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi, there is some promise that his story will be completed. In the comics, readers have already had a glimpse into Kenobi’s desert exile, after Luke discovers his journals in Star Wars #15 (2015), written by Jason Aaron with art by Mike Mayhew.
Although Obi-Wan Kenobi gave Owen and Beru Lars an adoptive son in Luke, they didn’t remain friendly. The last moment they shared in Return of the Jedi made it seem they had an understanding, but by the time of A New Hope, Owen condemns Ben Kenobi in conversations with Luke. While fans have always known that Obi-Wan intended to train Luke as a Jedi someday after he was born, Owen didn’t know realize until much later. When he learns that Obi-Wan wanted the Lars to raise Luke before he trained him in the Force, Owen yells at the exiled Jedi to leave them alone. "I told you, I'm not gonna let you warp the boy like you did his father. You brought him to me to protect, and that's what I'm doing. Protecting him from you.”
The dynamic between them could be replicated in the upcoming Disney+ series, which will continue to fill in the gap between the films. During their encounter, Owen doesn’t hold back, even giving Obi-Wan the same line of reasoning that he references to his wife Beru briefly in A New Hope. In the scene from Star Wars #15, he also degrades Obi-Wan, blaming him for the death of Anakin, who he doesn’t seem to realize is still alive in the form of Darth Vader.
This is another fascinating takeaway, as fans were likely to assume that Owen knew what happened to Anakin, considering the events of Revenge of the Sith. It turns out that Owen would have been just as shocked as Luke to learn that his father is the galaxy’s most notorious Sith. Although Obi-Wan Kenobi was a master at keeping secrets, he couldn’t conceal his Jedi agenda from the Lars.