Obi-Wan Kenobi memorably cut off the arm of a cantina customer in the very first Star Wars film, but there has been some confusion over the years regarding the target. Obi-Wan, who was portrayed by Alec Guinness in every installment of George Lucas' original trilogy, was a part of several memorable scenes during his arc. But it was the Mos Eisley Cantina scene that became an iconic sequence in the Star Wars universe. While visiting the cantina on Tatooine, Obi-Wan got into a confrontation with fellow patrons, namely Dr. Cornelius Evazan and Ponda Baba. One of the two ended up losing his arm in the tussle, but who was it?
Evazan and Baba made their Star Wars debut in the 1977 film that launched the franchise. While their story has been primarily linked to A New Hope, materials that exist in canon have expanded their backstory. Baba actually rescued Evazan from a bounty hunter before the pair teamed up to smuggle spice for Jabba the Hutt. As wanted men, the pair hid in Jedha, which was where they ran into Jyn Erso and Cassian Andor in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story. They left before the planet was decimated by the Death Star, traveling to Tatooine, linking to their presence in A New Hope.
While spending time in the Mos Eisley Cantina, a drunk Baba picked a fight with Luke Skywalker. Evazan chimed in, escalating the situation before Obi-Wan came to Luke's defense. Despite trying to calm both parties down, Evazan refused a peace offering, and instead, he pushed the young man. Both Evazan and Baba pulled out their blasters, but before firing, Obi-Wan whipped out his lightsaber and struck both figures. While Evazan was slashed across the torso, it was the Aqualish, Baba, who lost his right arm in the confrontation. The movie didn't make it entirely clear whose arm was detached, but the sleeve of the severed limb matched Baba's jacket. The action, however, went deeper than settling an argument.
Some viewers have questioned why Obi-Wan went as far as he did in the cantina, asking if chopping off Baba's arm was necessary. In the Jedi's defense, both Evazan and Baba had blaster pistols, and Luke or himself could have been gravely injured if hit. By using his lightsaber, Obi-Wan eliminated the threat so he could carry on with his mission alongside Luke. Obi-Wan also likely figured that his action would have sent a message throughout the cantina. The establishment didn't attract the most respectable figures, and the Jedi wanted to let the other pirates know that he and Luke weren't figures to mess with, despite being noble Jedi.
That said, Obi-Wan was also sending a clear message to Luke about his power as a member of the Jedi Order. Luke already agreed to accompany Obi-Wan on a mission to get the Death Star plans to Alderaan at the request of Princess Leia Organa. This was just at the beginning of Luke's journey to becoming a Jedi, however, and he didn't yet fully understand the concept of the Force and the use of lightsabers. Chopping off Baba's arm was a way for Obi-Wan to narratively flash some of the Jedi skills in front of Luke while also showing he hadn't lost a step while in hiding like a hermit. By being aggressive at the cantina, Obi-Wan also seemingly accepted the fact that he was ready to fully join the rebellion since he was no longer worried about disguising his identity throughout the rest of the Star Wars trilogy.