Throughout Anakin Skywalker. The Jedi was an exemplary master, even though him taking Anakin on as a padawan happened under non-traditional (and tragic) circumstances. Obi-Wan’s love for Anakin never ended, not even when the younger man went down a terrible and dark path.

In Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan is broken upon learning that Anakin had turned to the dark side and slayed the younglings he had once protected. Later in Obi-Wan and Anakin’s duel on Mustafar, Obi-Wan knows he has no other choice but to kill the one person who means the most to him for the good of the galaxy, although he is anguished at doing so.

But after all the years spent together with Anakin, essentially raising him from childhood, did Obi-Wan ever anticipate Anakin’s fall to the dark side? Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison by Haden Blackman and Agustin Alessio implies just that. Obi-Wan seems to have known that Anakin would one day turn to the dark side, but not even this warning could stop the Jedi from bonding with his padawan.

After Anakin Becomes Darth Vader, His Rage Towards the Jedi Only Grew

Anakin Could Never Forgive His Old Master

In Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison, Anakin is only recently defeated on Mustafar and becomes the half-man, half-machine he remained for the rest of his life. Upon a mission to find the location of a secret Jedi prison used during the Clone Wars, Vader finds a memory chip that displays a hologram of a Jedi Council meeting, and in the center stands Anakin Skywalker in his prime. In the scene, Anakin demands to know what happens to the Jedi's prisoners of war, especially considering that he personally apprehends the majority of them. Anakin even refers to some of the POWs as “my prisoners", so it is clear the man feels some responsibility for the people he brought in.

The only Jedi Master that speaks up in response is Mace Windu, who lies to Anakin by telling him that there’s nothing to find. As Anakin fills with rage, preparing to lash out again, Obi-Wan approaches his apprentice and places a calming hand on his shoulder, advising Anakin to let the matter go. Anakin, unsatisfied with making no progress with the Jedi Council, promises to get answers from Palpatine instead. Theis moves prompts Obi-Wan to reply, “No doubt he’ll tell you what you want to hear. Make sure you understand the difference.”

Obi-Wan Allows His Emotions For Anakin To Override His Logic

Their Master-Apprentice Relationship Impacted the Entire Galaxy

Obi-Wan’s advice to Anakin in this situation implies that he is well aware that Palpatine is manipulating his apprentice. The Jedi knows Anakin is too rash to stop and think about things rationally. Palpatine knows exactly what to say to rile Anakin up and paint the Jedi as liars and untrustworthy, furthering his attempt to sway Anakin to his side. Obi-Wan is no fool. He can see Palpatine whispering in Anakin’s ear, but his love for Anakin and his desperate belief that Anakin will choose to do the right thing blinds him.

Over the course of the Star Wars prequels, sequels, and even Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Obi-Wan expresses that Anakin is a difficult student. The younger man is stubborn, fond of acting before thinking, and over-confident in his abilities - a trait that often puts him, his master, and his own student in precarious situations. Despite the difficulties that come with training Anakin, Obi-Wan is endlessly devoted to his apprentice. Even Pé Amidala, when seeing Anakin struggle with nightmares and fear, suggests that he seek out Obi-Wan for help, as she knows that Obi-Wan would do anything for Anakin without question.

"When Obi-Wan deduces that Anakin is the father of Pé's child, he pointedly does not inform the Council, just as he did not inform the Council about his suspicions that Pé and Anakin had been in a relationship for years."

Even in Darth Vader and the Ghost Prison, while Anakin from the past reflects on the council meeting, Obi-Wan immediately comes to his apprentice’s defense. He does not understand why the Council is so intent on keeping Anakin in the dark. If anyone had the right to know about the location of prisoners of war, it was the person who captured them. However, Obi-Wan’s attempts at fighting for Anakin are quickly shot down, leaving Obi-Wan with no other recourse or answer to give his apprentice.

The Jedi Council Failed Anakin Time And Time Again

Obi-Wan Tried His Best to Advocate for Anakin, But Was Outnumbered

The Jedi Council’s unwillingness to tell Anakin about the Jedi prison isn’t the only information they held back from the Jedi in training. Most significantly for both Anakin, the Council refused to tell the man about the prophecy which names him the Chosen One. Again, this is a decision that Obi-Wan objects to on Anakin’s behalf, but he is easily outvoted. When Obi-Wan deduces that Anakin is the father of Pé's child, he pointedly does not inform the Council, just as he did not inform the Council about his suspicions that Pé and Anakin had been in a relationship for years. Again, this is to protect Anakin from the Jedi Council who makes its intolerance of romance clear amongst Jedi.

As for why the Jedi Master is so devoted to Anakin, the answer is complicated. At one time, Obi-Wan questioned his own master Qui-Gon Jinn about his decision to take Anakin from Tatooine and bring him back to Coruscant to become a Jedi given Anakin’s advanced age. The older man helped Obi-Wan shed any doubts, and the latter promised a dying Qui-Gon that he would train Anakin. As fate would have it, Obi-Wan devoted himself to Qui-Gon in the same way he eventually became devoted to his own apprentice, Anakin. It’s not hard to imagine that Qui-Gon’s dying wish lingered in the back of Obi-Wan’s head every time he struggled with Anakin’s training.

Though Obi-Wan knew Palpatine was feeding Anakin lies, his faith in Anakin’s morality and overall goodness did not prove to be well-placed until decades later when Anakin turned on Palpatine. Obi-Wan, a Jedi Master, went out of his way to make choices that he deemed right for Anakin, despite the Jedi Code. He wanted nothing more than for Anakin to be happy and did everything in his power to bring about that happiness. Sadly, Obi-Wan’s unwavering devotion (and unintentional enablement) ended up playing a major part in Anakin’s turn to the dark side.