Alec Guinness’ iconic portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi in the original Star Wars trilogy introduced the world to the Jedi. From the wisdom he imparts to Luke to his curious powers like the Jedi mind trick, Guinness made Obi-Wan an unforgettable character — and left behind a pretty big robe to fill.

When George Lucas filled in Darth Vader’s backstory with the prequel trilogy, he cast Ewan McGregor to play a younger Obi-Wan. Unlike most actors who take on a role made iconic by another actor, McGregor managed to satisfy fans with a fresh, but familiar performance. Both incarnations of the character have plenty of memorable lines.

10 Originals: “If You Strike Me Down, I Shall Become More Powerful Than You Can Possibly Imagine.”

Although the later lightsaber duels would introduce more intricate swordplay, the first one audiences saw is still pretty exciting. Obi-Wan’s rematch with Darth Vader on the Death Star is more emotionally charged after Revenge of the Sith filled in the tragic context.

When it becomes clear that Vader is winning this one (after hopelessly losing the last one), Obi-Wan tells him, “If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.”

9 Prequels: “So Uncivilized.”

After besting General Grievous in lightsaber combat, despite having a quarter of the number of lightsabers, Obi-Wan chases the fleeing general through the mountainous terrains of Utapau.

During their final confrontation, Obi-Wan loses his lightsaber, so he Force-pulls a blaster into his hand and uses it to shoot Grievous in the heart. Missing the elegance of a lightsaber, Obi-Wan tosses the blaster aside and says, “So uncivilized.”

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8 Originals: “Who’s More Foolish, The Fool Or The Fool Who Follows Him?”

When the Millennium Falcon gets caught in the Death Star’s tractor beam, everyone on board has to act fast before Stormtroopers board the ship. They hide out in the storage panels underneath the floor. Han says, “I use them for smuggling. I never thought I’d be smuggling myself in them.”

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Obi-Wan promises to get the tractor beam shut off in time for the Falcon’s escape. When Han calls him a “damn fool,” Kenobi cracks, “Who’s more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?”

7 Prequels: “You Were Right About One Thing, Master. The Negotiations Were Short.”

In the opening scene of The Phantom Menace, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan arrive on a Trade Federation ship to negotiate the changes to their trade routes. Qui-Gon tells Obi-Wan that he doesn’t expect the negotiations to take long.

Before the negotiations even begin, the Trade Federation sends droids to kill the Jedi. Obi-Wan quips, “You were right about one thing, Master. The negotiations were short.”

6 Originals: “So, What I Told You Was True… From A Certain Point Of View.”

In the original 1977 Star Wars movie, Obi-Wan tells Luke that his father was a Jedi who was murdered by Darth Vader. However, in The Empire Strikes Back, Vader tells Luke that he is, in fact, his father.

So, in Return of the Jedi, Luke asks Obi-Wan’s ghost why he lied to him. Since the corruption of the dark side effectively killed Anakin, Obi-Wan says, “What I told you was true… from a certain point of view.”

5 Prequels: “Goodbye, Old Friend. May The Force Be With You.”

If Obi-Wan was on Coruscant when Anakin completed his journey to the dark side, he might’ve been able to save him. However, since he was sent to Utapau to investigate General Grievous, he was absent for the darkest moments in his apprentice’s journey.

Before he leaves for Utapau, Obi-Wan warmly tells Anakin, “Goodbye, old friend. May the Force be with you.” Little does he know, that’s the last time they’ll speak as friends. When he returns, Anakin has gone full dark side.

4 Originals: “These Are Not The Droids You’re Looking For.”

When Luke, Obi-Wan, R2-D2, and C-3PO arrive in the wretched hive of scum and villainy that is Mos Eisley Spaceport, their speeder is approached by a couple of Stormtroopers looking for the droids.

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With a wave of his hand, Obi-Wan deters the Stormtroopers using the Jedi mind trick. He says, “These are not the droids you’re looking for.” The head Stormtrooper repeats him: “These are not the droids we’re looking for.”

3 Prequels: “It’s Over, Anakin! I Have The High Ground!”

At the climax of Anakin and Obi-Wan’s explosive duel across the volcanic landscape of Mustafar, Obi-Wan climbs to a higher vantage point and declares, “It’s over, Anakin! I have the high ground!”

This line has a double meaning. Obi-Wan has the literal high ground, which gives him an advantage in his fight against Anakin, but he also has the moral high ground.

2 Originals: “Use The Force, Luke.”

The final battle in the original Star Wars movie is still a high benchmark for modern blockbusters to top. The Rebels’ first couple of attempts to blow up the Death Star miss, so it’s all on Luke.

Obi-Wan’s disembodied Force ghost appears to him and says, “Use the Force, Luke.” Luke reluctantly turns off his targeting computer and uses the Force to guide his torpedo into the exhaust port, blowing up the Empire’s battle station.

1 Prequels: “Hello There.”

Only Obi-Wan Kenobi would jump into the middle of a robotic army that wants him dead and confront his four-armed killer cyborg arch-nemesis by casually saying, “Hello there.”

This was also Obi-Wan’s first line in the original 1977 movie. When he arrives to save Luke and his droids from the Tusken Raiders, Obi-Wan removes his hood and says, “Hello there.”

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Ben Sherlock
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Ben Sherlock is a writer, comedian, independent filmmaker, and Burt Reynolds enthusiast. He writes lists for Screen Rant and features and reviews for Game Rant. He’s currently in pre-production on his first feature (and has been for a while, because filmmaking is expensive). You can catch him performing standup at odd pubs around the UK that will give him stage time. Previously, he wrote for Taste of Cinema, Comic Book Resources, and BabbleTop.

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