Warning: SPOILERS for the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi finale explained why Ben lied to Luke Skywalker in A New Hope about Darth Vader betraying and murdering Luke's father. When George Lucas' original Star Wars movie was released in 1977, it was believed that Darth Vader and Luke's father were two different people; in fact, it was believed that Darth Vader was Obi-Wan's apprentice, and Luke's father (then-unnamed) was another Jedi who was killed. The Empire Strikes Back changed everything when it came out a few years later.

Of course, the sequel dropped one of the biggest twists in film history, revealing that Vader was Luke's father all along. That forced Obi-Wan Kenobi to give Luke his famous "from a certain point of view" excuse in Return of the Jedi. Seeing as Anakin Skywalker turned to the dark side of the Force and became Darth Vader in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, it was fair to say that the Anakin people knew was gone. But Obi-Wan Kenobi's finale helped make Ben's case.

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After defeating Darth Vader in the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale, Obi-Wan broke down and began tearing up when he saw Anakin's scars. It was the first time he had seen Anakin's face since leaving him to burn on Mustafar, and so he apologized for everything that had happened. But in response to Obi-Wan's line about failing Anakin in Revenge of the Sith, Vader says, "I am not your failure, Obi-Wan. You didn't kill Anakin Skywalker. I did." It's only then, hearing these words from Vader, that Obi-Wan truly accepted the reality that his friend is truly gone, that the only thing remaining is the Sith Lord, Darth Vader. The scene explains Obi-Wan's explanation to Luke that Darth Vader murdered Anakin Skywalker, because in a way, he did.

Darth Vader is partially unmasked in the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale

The dark side of the Force is all-consuming. Once someone starts down the path to the dark side, it can be difficult to return to the light. In many ways, succumbing to the dark side transforms Force users, something that has been glimpsed when Anakin's eyes turn yellow once he joins Palpatine and begins killing Jedi during Order 66. So beyond the thematic explanation behind it all, Vader technically suppressed the good that was in him, the side that Anakin belonged to. It's what Luke saw when he went to confront Vader in Return of the Jedi.

Looking past Obi-Wan's justification for telling Luke that Vader killed Anakin, hearing that line from Vader set Obi-Wan free. For 10 years, he suffered the consequences of his actions on Mustafar, believing he killed the one person he loved - but he didn't. Knowing that Anakin's fate, suffering, and turn to the dark side weren't Obi-Wan's fault allowed him to become one with the Force again. That's why Obi-Wan was finally ready to see Qui-Gon Jinn's Force ghost at the end, because he let go of the feeling that he deserved his self-imposed suffering. In the end, Vader's line turned Obi-Wan into the Ben Kenobi people knew from the original Star Wars.

Next: Why Obi-Wan Didn't Kill Darth Vader In Kenobi Episode 6

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