Why Obi-Wan Kenobi Didn't Know Darth Vader (Anakin Skywalker) Was Alive For 10 Years! (Canon)

#obiwankenobiseries #obiwankenobidarthvader #starwarsdisney
There are spoilers for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series in this video. Why didn't Obi-Wan Kenobi know that Darth Vader was alive for 10 years? Well, here's an in canon explanation.

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[Blazecap]

I personally don’t find unbelievably in the context of this show. Obi-wan purposefully cut himself off from the force so he couldn’t find out the same way Ashoka did. Also he most definitely kept it on the down low probably not entering town and making contact with larger Tatooine society. IDK why people find it hard to believe Obi-wan wouldn’t know that information he’s not omnipotent.

[dianesinger]

It makes sense why Obi-Wan doesn't know Vader/Anakin is alive. It also makes sense that he is closely guarded secret and the fact that the Empire is not on Tatooine because it is on the outer rim and it is controlled by the Huts think about it, the Empire really has nothing to do with the Huts.

[bonniehoepker]

He heard Palpatine call him My new apprentice Darth Vader. Wasn’t that right before Order 66?

[JohnFourtyTwo]

The way I see it, just because it wasn't mentioned in a book, comic, or on screen doesn't mean they didn't have up to date news on Tatooine and other outer rim planets, it just wasn't a necessary plot point to worry about. As for everyone knowing about Vader even in real life we don't know about every high profile military official during peacetime but during wartime we get to know them like Nimitz, Halsey, MacArthur, Patton, and Bradley to name a few during WWII and Schwarzkopf during the Gulf War.

I suspect the Empire considered most of their 20 year run as peacetime filled with skirmishes all over the place. After the loss of the Death Star though, they were clearly in an all out war and not just dealing with pesky pockets of insurgents all over the place, so I can understand Vader's recognition amongst the masses coming to the forefront after these events with no problem, but before that, yeah, he kept a pretty low profile but only because there wasn't a a full-scale war going on instead of some conspiracy theory that he must remain secret yada yada yada.

[politicalaccountabletheory]

He didn't know because Vador don't give press briefings .

[Darksaviour]

Makes perfect sense
1. Tatooine is in the outer rim far away from the majority of the empire
2. He laid low for 10 years and made little outside contact, even cutting himself off from the force
3. Only a very few people actually knew that Anakin and Vader where the same. And Vader was a boogeyman for the empire. To the common folk Vader was just an enforcer who hunted Jedi. So he would be know on the level of the emperor.

[michaell]

It's a good point about the lack of imperial presence on Tatooine, before 3PO and R2 take the escape pod in a New Hope. That never occurred to me, but now it makes alot of sense that there weren't storm troopers already on Tatooine who could have carried out the original Recon mission. Obi-wan knew Anakin had been renamed Darth Vader, because he saw it in a holo, but he believed Anakin died on Mustafar (the dude was pretty badly burned up). I don't see what inconsistency people are complaining about.

[indiana_holmes]

Everything you've stated is exactly true. It's in no way shocking that Kenobi isn't aware of Vader's survival.

[Death_To_Kong]

Luke was 19 years old and had no knowledge of darth vader. Why is it so hard to believe that OW didn’t hear about him for 10 years.

[thomashobbes]

Watches security recording of Palpatine calling Anakin “Lord Vader.”

Kenobi 10 years later: “What do you mean Vader is Anakin!?!”

[mriforgiate]

I wouldn't say Padme "died of sad", although it sounds hilarious. There are indicators that would rather point to the idea that Padme died, because Sidious was pulling her life force out of her to give to Anakin to keep him alive in his most vulnerable time to start his healing and be able to live through having his cybernetics installed. I definitely prefer this idea over her simply giving up on life because she lost Anakin and could not follow him on his new path...

[haydenjohnson]

Devil's advocate, Leia knew about Vader in a new hope 🤷‍♂️

[Vumvee]

I’m sorry but the intergalactic news network line of questioning for Darth Vader bit was hilarious

[jwaynecitizen]

Most people never met or seen a Jedi up close at the height of the Republic & Jedi Order. Why would everybody know about ONE enforcer?

[junior]

The ANH scrawl states "Sinister agents."

Vader was, until this point at least, a covert operative. Later, it is revealed that the senate is no more and Vader was able to move to the fore. By ESB, we see him regarded by some of the military old guard as something of an indulgence to the Emperor, barely tolerated and inwardly scorned (Admiral Ozzel treated him with the exasperated patience of a parent with an unruly toddler) whilst the likes of Piett saw past the cute, cuddly thing and recognized him as a legitimate threat.

That Calrissian addressed him as Lord Vader suggests the Empire's PR guys did some "Hearts and Minds" stuff.

[MattsCollection]

There's a book which I believe falls under Legends now which is the Rise of Darth Vader. It's an excellent book and at the end it has a scene where Obi-Wan is on Tatooine and watching Owen, Beru and Luke in Mos Eisley. While there, he sees a news holo that mentions Darth Vader and he askes Qui-Gonn if it's Anakin and Qui-Gon responds that his is. Until that point, Obi-Wan thought Anakin died on Mustafar.

Now from what I can tell from Episodes 1 and 2 of Kenobi, it looks like Obi-Wan has been trying to commune with Qui-Gon, but for some reason, Qui-Gon hasn't responded yet. Like you, I've always been under the understanding that Vader wasn't really known about in the galaxy at large. He's known about in the Imperial military and the Senate, but the average Joe on the outer rim isn't going to know about him. Couple that with the fact that Obi-Wan is living a very solitary life, he's not really going to know much of anything in the galaxy.

Good stuff man! Glad to see you're still putting out content. My channel is getting a little too infrequent for my taste because of our upcoming move. 😀

[ianotimelord]

I've watched many reviews on this. Yours is the one that makes sense. With people moaning at how weak Kenobi is with the force...its cause he was in hiding...keeping a low profile. He starts using the force and using his lightsabre somome would notice.

[LaraA]

@Star Wars Fanatic What you stated works for me. As I see it, Vader acted initially more like as a "secret" agent. He only completed or handled difficult jobs which the underlings wouldn't be able to do, in the 19 years of peace time before the rebellion/war took hold.

And you raised a good point about Ezra, Kanan and even Ahsoka not knowing about him. From the Ahsoka novel, she couldn't feel anyone in the force and presumed Obi Wan and Anakin to be dead.

Also, Obi wan was living life as a hermit, working, not talking to anyone ( well apart from Owen yelling at him) and didn't socialise in bars to find out out any exciting news in relation to the Empire.

Also, Tatooine, before a New Hope was not on the Empire's radar, due to being considered of nothing of importance. So I doubt the Empire would be on the 6 pm nightly holonet news on Tatooine for Obi-Wan to watch.

[skits_d]

have a question how did Leia not hear Reva shouting Obiwan Obiwan over and over again?

I was watching closely and she was next to him when she cornered them at that port.

[tarzankom]

Did Obi Wan even know that Anakin was renamed Darth Vader in Episode 3? From what I remember, during and after their fight, nobody actually used the name Darth Vader in Obi Wan's presence. I think it's completely possible that Obi Wan didn't make the connection for years.