Where Will Obi-Wan And Darth Vader's Duel Take Place?

Narrowing It Down

By Culture SlatePublished 2 years ago • Updated 2 years ago • 4 min read

It is a duel forty-five years in the making. Since their final confrontation in A New Hope, people have been wanting to see the full story of Obi-Wan Kenobi and his relationship with Anakin Skywalker. Now, following the prequel trilogy, the 2003 Clone Wars micro-series, and the epic seven-season spanning The Clone Wars, it seems we may finally be getting the last piece of the puzzle in the story of Obi-Wan and Darth Vader. Obi-Wan Kenobi, starring Ewan McGregor in possibly his final return to the iconic role, will follow the aging Jedi Master as he temporarily leaves Tatooine to go on a vital quest which will lead him into yet another confrontation with his fallen apprentice. There are hundreds of questions floating around the Star Wars fandom in regards to this upcoming series and how it will handle the duel between Obi-Wan and Vader. One of the most intriguing of these questions is where the duel will be taking place.

Let us eliminate a few places. Naturally, Tatooine is out of the question. Vader is completely unaware of Luke's existence until Boba Fett reveals it to him in Kieron Gillon's 2015 Darth Vader comic run. Therefore, he cannot visit Tatooine in the gap between the prequel and original trilogies or he would have sensed his son's presence upon landing on the planet. The Death Star is also out of the realm of possibility. The Death Star is meant to be a secret at this point and nobody in the Rebellion, including Bail Organa, who remains in contact with Obi-Wan, can learn about its existence prior to Rogue One. Even Obi-Wan himself expresses surprise when he sees the battle station for the first time in A New Hope, proclaiming "That's no moon. It's a space station." I am also going to say that Mustafar is off the table. Even though Fortress Vader could be a fitting location for the duel, I would rather Obi-Wan and Vader have their fight where they have never fought before.

With that said, the possibilities for where the confrontation could occur are virtually endless. However, there are a few worlds that I think would be especially good candidates. At the top of my list is Naboo. After all, Naboo is one of the most iconic planets from the prequel trilogy and a place of great emotional importance to Obi-Wan. It is where he lost his mentor Qui-Gon Jinn and also where he defeated Darth Maul. Having it also be the place where Obi-Wan finally lets go of his old friend could be especially impactful for his character. Aside from Naboo, there is also Coruscant where Obi-Wan and Anakin spent most of their time together as master and apprentice. The duel could even be set in the Jedi Temple, now the Emperor's Palace, further solidifying the end of the Jedi Order and the prequel era itself. It could also occur on Vader's flagship, the Executor. This could serve as a visual reminder that Obi-Wan is now a man out of time as a Jedi of the Republic on an Imperial star destroyer surrounded by stormtroopers.

The last planet that I think would be especially fitting as the setting for Obi-Wan's rematch with Vader is none other than Crait. This would not only help bridge the gap between the prequel and sequel trilogies, but it would also further solidify the parallels between the rivalry of Obi-Wan and Vader and that of Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren. There are also details in canon to back up this possibility. As explained in the novel Leia: Princess of Alderaan, Bail Organa establishes the Rebel base on Crait about three years prior to the Battle of Scarif. Since we also know that Bail has been in contact with Obi-Wan up until that point, it is possible that Obi-Wan could have fought Vader on Crait and informed Bail of the planet afterward. This could lead to Bail establishing a Rebel base there in the future. Of course, this is wholly speculation.

The galaxy far, far away is a large place. There are many possibilities for where Obi-Wan and Vader's duel could take place. Knowing Deborah Chow's track record as a director, wherever the location is, it is sure to be visually breathtaking.

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