Obi-Wan KenobiandLuke Skywalkerare easily two of the most significant Jedi inStar Wars, but who would have made the better Sith? The Jedi have been central figures throughoutStar Warsmovies and TV shows, and that began with Obi-Wan and Luke inA New Hope. As two of the earliest examples of Jedi, along with Master Yoda inThe Empire Strikes Back, Obi-Wan and Luke in many ways defined what it is to be a Jedi. That only makes it all the more exciting to imagine what each of them would be like as a Sith.
There’s little question that Luke Skywalker would best Obi-Wan when it comes to raw power. Both are very strong in the Force and are brilliant Jedi, but Luke Skywalker outranks Obi-Wan in terms ofStar Wars’most powerful Jedi. Power alone doesn’t determine who the better Sith would be, though. As Palpatine himself proved, many ofStar Wars’best Sith honed their strength in the Force with skill, discipline, and intelligence, making them a much bigger threat. In light of that, it’s clear who between Luke and Obi-Wan would make the better (i.e., more dangerous) Sith.
Obi-Wan Kenobi Was Trained In The Jedi Order
Luke Skywalker may very well have Obi-Wan beat when it comes to raw power, but Luke just can’t compete with the years of training Obi-Wan received in the Jedi Order. Like most Jedi Initiates, Obi-Wan was taken to the Jedi Temple when he was very young—young enough that he only has the vaguest memories of his parents and his younger brother. From that point on,Obi-Wan’s entire childhood and young adulthood were dedicated to mastering the Force.
Luke simply can’t compete with the years of training Obi-Wan received in the Jedi Order.
Everything Star Wars Has Revealed About Obi-Wan’s Family (& Why They Matter So Much)
Although Jedi are taken from their families very young, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s family, his brother in particular, remains important in Star Wars.
This is quite different from Luke’s young life, which saw him stuck on Tatooine with little to no awareness that he had access to such incredible power. It wasn’t until the events ofA New Hope, when Luke was already a young adult, that he fully learned of the Jedi and the Force and began to develop as a Force-user. Luke was then trained by two ofStar Wars’most prominent Jedi, Obi-Wan and Yoda, butthere’s simply no comparison when it comes to Obi-Wan’s training versus Luke’s.
Luke’s natural abilities with the Force, and arguably even his genetic makeup, would help him become a powerful Sith, butStar Wars’canon Sithhave revealed that the Sith Lords who truly succeed are the ones with formal training and discipline. A prime comparison would be Darth Maul versus Palpatine. Maul was undeniably powerful; he managed to kill Qui-Gon Jinn, a Jedi Master, after all. But Palpatine was on an entirely different level, able to amass such a strong following and orchestrate a war so perfectly that he ended up ruling the galaxy for decades.
In addition to Obi-Wan’s years of experience in the Jedi Order,he also would have had extensive access to the Jedi, particularly as a Jedi Council member. As destructive as Palpatine proved to be working alongside the Jedi in the Senate, Obi-Wan could have done that much more damage from within. Obi-Wan was also particularly trusted among the Jedi and seen as someone who was always honest, wise, and committed to the Jedi way. That trust could have easily been weaponized against the Jedi, making Obi-Wan a formidable Sith.
Particularly based on when Obi-Wan fell to the dark side, he could have done a staggering amount of damage.
Particularly based on when Obi-Wan fell to the dark side, he could have done a staggering amount of damage. While Palpatine was plotting his take-over for quite some time, presumably meaning Obi-Wan couldn’t have beaten him to the punch, Count Dooku revealed his interest in taking Obi-Wan on as his own Sith apprentice inStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. It’s difficult to say whether Dooku and Obi-Wan could have stopped Palpatine together, but that is just one path among many Sith Obi-Wan could have taken.
Luke, by comparison, wouldn’t have had the same influence. He presumably would have joined either Darth Vader or Emperor Palpatine as their Sith apprentice, and he would unquestionably have been a powerful Sith. Had he joined them inReturn of the Jedi, he also likely would have helped the Empire continue on for much longer. Even given that role, though, Luke didn’t have the ability to infiltrate one of the most powerful institutions in the galaxy in the way that Obi-Wan did. Luke did eventually have his own Temple, but that was far from the prequel trilogy’s Jedi Order.
Anakin Skywalker Would Have Joined Obi-Wan
What would make Obi-Wan all the more dangerous as a Sith Lord is the likelihood thatAnakin Skywalker would have joined him as his Sith apprentice. It’s no secret that Anakin was teetering on the edge of the dark side throughout the prequel trilogy, long before he finally fell inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. A major part of Anakin’s turn to the dark side was his inability to let go of his attachments—one of his most significant being to Obi-Wan.
Had Obi-Wan fallen to the dark side, it wouldn’t have taken all that much for him to pull Anakin to the dark as well. Obi-Wan could even have weaponized the very things Palpatine did to manipulate Anakin. Obi-Wan, like Palpatine, knew about Anakin’s relationship with Padmé (even if he didn’t know the full extent), and he could have pulled on the very same strings Palpatine eventually did to convince Anakin to turn. These tactics would likely have been even more compelling and effective had they come from the Jedi Master Anakin had long looked up to.
Did Obi-Wan Know About Anakin & Padmé’s Relationship & Did He Try To Stop It
Star Wars has dropped many hints over the years that Obi-Wan knew about Anakin and Padmé, but did he really, and if so, why didn’t he stop them?
It’s possible Luke also had students who would follow him, perhaps even Ben Solo/Kylo Ren. Like Anakin, Ben seemed to struggle with the dark side early on, and he would likely have been vulnerable to any manipulations towards the dark, particularly had they come from his uncle. Luke also very likely would have known to play upon Ben’s worries that his parents feared and were rejecting him, which would have shored up his allegiance to Luke and the dark side. Even if Ben joined him, though, this still wouldn’t rival Obi-Wan gettingthe Chosen Oneon his side.
Luke Skywalker Would Have Inherited An Empire—Obi-Wan Could Have Created One
Had Luke fallen to the dark side, it would most likely have happened inReturn of the Jedi, meaning he would have become either Emperor Palpatine or Darth Vader’s Sith apprentice. That undoubtedly would have created a whole host of problems for the Rebels and for any hope of the Jedi having a future, and that shouldn’t be overlooked. As grave a turn as that would be, though, Luke would in all likelihood still have been working within the Imperial framework that already existed.
Rather than creating something new, Luke would have joined a system that already had its plans in place. This again makes Obi-Wan so much more dangerous, as it’s unlikely Obi-Wan would have joined either Palpatine or Dooku. It seems much more probable that Obi-Wan would have struck out on his own, meaning thatwhile Luke would have inherited the Empire, Obi-Wan could have formed something entirely newin a pivotal era.
None of this is to say Obi-Wan is more powerful than Luke, which is an argument unto itself. Obi-Wan simply had much more access, experience, and opportunity than Luke did, had he chosen the path to the dark side. Without question, both Luke Skywalker andObi-Wan Kenobiwould have made terrifying Sith inStar Wars; one was simply more prepared than the other to step into the role of a true Sith Lord.
