Summary

  • Obi-Wan's confusing line in Revenge of the Sith continues to baffle viewers.
  • The Jedi's perspective on the Force contradicts Obi-Wan's statement.
  • The Sith embrace moral ambiguity, challenging Obi-Wan's assertion.

One Star Wars' best movies. However, some of the complaints viewers raised when it premiered remain accurate today.

One of the biggest complaints about not just Revenge of the Sith but also the prequel trilogy more broadly was that the dialogue occasionally fell flat. Although this mainly pertained to Anakin Skywalker's grandiose speeches about his power, there was one particular line from Obi-Wan Kenobi that seemed confusing at best and nonsensical at worst. However, unlike many issues with the prequels that have been improved with time, this one Obi-Wan Kenobi line in Revenge of the Sith has only grown more befuddling over the years.

Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope to the left looking serious and in the prequels looking curious to the right
Related
10 Things You Didn't Know About Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi has been an important character in Star Wars from the beginning, but not everything about him is well-known, including these 10 facts.

The Jedi Have Very Black-And-White Thinking About The Force

Before Anakin and Obi-Wan's duel on Mustafar, Obi-Wan confusingly said, "Only a Sith deals in absolutes." This was immediately confusing for a number of reasons. For one, arguably, such a statement is an absolute itself, which is fairly ironic. However, it also contradicted what had been shown about the Jedi up until that point.

Specifically, the Jedi have very binary thinking when it comes to the Force. They are very clear about which of Force powers, beliefs, and behaviors are on the light side and which are on the dark; this is why the Jedi have such strict rules about attachments, after all. Moreover, the Jedi seek balance in the Force, but, to them, this has always meant defeating the Sith and rejecting the dark side. It seems impossible that the Jedi don't also view certain things in absolutes, and it isn't clear why Obi-Wan made such a broad assertion.

The Sith Are Much More Comfortable With Ambiguity

What makes Obi-Wan's assertion even stranger is that Star Wars has proven time and again that the Sith are much more flexible and willing to accept moral ambiguity than the Jedi are. In fact, Qimir just made this readily apparent in The Acolyte. Although he was identified as a Sith, Qimir was all about working in the gray and not being too rigid in his perspective. His objective with Osha (whether it's true or a manipulation remains unclear) even seems to be allowing her to free herself to feel what she truly feels.

The Sith are much more flexible and willing to accept moral ambiguity than the Jedi are.

This doesn't suggest that Qimir thinks in absolutes, which directly contradicts what Obi-Wan said. Qimir also isn't the only example of a dark side Force- being more flexible in their thinking than the Jedi; Barriss Offee, Kylo Ren, and Asajj Ventress would all absolutely fall into this category. Sadly, it remains unclear why Obi-Wan Kenobi made such an assertion in Revenge of the Sith, and it seems Star Wars may never clear it up.

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    Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith
    PG-13
    Adventure
    Action
    Science Fiction
    7/10
    177
    8.6/10
    Release Date
    May 19, 2005
    Runtime
    140 Minutes
    Director
    George Lucas

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    Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith details the fall of the Jedi Order and Anakin Skywalker's transformation under the influence of Darth Sidious. Released in 2005, the film explores Anakin's internal conflict and the shifting political landscape, leading to the rise of the Galactic Empire.

  • The Acolyte Poster Showing Jedi Order, Mae, and a Sith Lord Holding Lightsabers

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    The Acolyte
    Sci-Fi
    Fantasy
    7/10
    121
    6.2/10
    Release Date
    2024 - 2024-00-00
    Showrunner
    Leslye Headland
    Directors
    Leslye Headland, Alex Garcia Lopez

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    WHERE TO WATCH

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    The Acolyte is a television series set in the Star Wars universe at the end of the High Republic Era, where both the Jedi and the Galactic Empire were at the height of their influence. This sci-fi thriller sees a former Padawan reunite with her former Jedi Master as they investigate several crimes - all leading to darkness erupting from beneath the surface and preparing to bring about the end of the High Republic.