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After massacring the Tusken Raiders, Anakin brought his mother to Lar's Homestead. The next morning, Padme talks to Anakin. Anakin says:

It's all Obi-Wan's fault. He is jealous. He is holding me back.

Why did Anakin say this? Was Obi-Wan jealous of Anakin? Was Obi-Wan holding Anakin back? If yes, how?

2 Answers 2

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Anakin certainly blames Obi-Wan (and by extension the Jedi Council) for the death of his mother, largely for making him babysit Padmé instead of looking for the assassins. He seems to be of the opinion that with his talents, that they'd have cleared up the messy issue of who was trying to kill Padmé (and thus been back in time to follow up his disturbing dreams) days or even weeks ago.

“It’s all Obi-Wan’s fault!” He stormed across the room and slammed his fist onto the workbench again, nearly dislodging the plate of food. “He put me out of the way.”

“To guard me,” she said quietly.

“I should have been out with him, hunting the assassins! I’d have had them a long time ago, and would’ve gotten here in time and my mother would still be alive!”

“You can’t know-“

“He’s jealous of me,” Anakin rambled on, paying no attention to her at all. He wasn’t talking to her, she realized, but was just playing it all out verbally for himself. She could hardly believe what she was hearing. “He put me out of the way because he knows that I’m already more powerful than he is. He’s holding me back!”

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones - Official Novelisation

As to the question of whether Obi-Wan was actually holding Anakin back, the answer is a very definite yes. There are several occasions where he stresses to Anakin that he needs to slow down, take stock and trust in the Living Force to guide his actions rather than blundering around like a half-stunned gundark.

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  • Valorum,How is Obi wan holding Anakin back? May 2, 2017 at 20:09
  • @anakindchosenone05192005 - I assume there are deeper mysteries to the Force that are only known to the Jedi Masters.
    – Valorum
    May 2, 2017 at 20:12
  • Obi-Wan made the "King Agnarr and Queen Iduna" mistake of thinking "Hey, this kid's super powerful, let's try and restrain them as much as possible so they can learn to control it", rather than actually properly guiding and nurturing Anakin, and allowing him to grow into his power, as Qui-Gonn might have done. May 3, 2017 at 10:54
  • Anakin didn't recognize, if he had been hunting the assassins with Obi-Wan, he could have helped his mother even less. If Kenobi hadn't put him on the babysitting assignment, he would never have had a chance to hear her last words, nor to revenge the Sand People.
    – Essen
    May 5, 2017 at 4:17
  • @Essen - At this point they don't know that the assassination is a small part of a much wider plot.
    – Valorum
    May 5, 2017 at 5:47
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For no good reason Anakin is forbidden from saving his mother from slavery and he is criticized for loving his mother and wanting to protect her. Anakin and the Jedi could have easily saved one single slave and one would say they have the moral obligation to help all those slaves and they don't. That's evil in my books. Imagine some morons babbling some nonsense about how you should forget about your mother who is (was) living in slavery and should stop caring about her. Basically, garbage talk no sane person would ever pay attention to. If those idiot Jedi had been reasonable they would have freed both Anakin and his mom. At the very least I would expect them not to obstruct Anakin from freeing his mom and giving her a better life. Had he been allowed to save her, she could have moved somewhere more safe and she would not have died so gruesomely.

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  • Hi, welcome to SF&F. This seems to be aimed more at the Jedi teachings in general and the way the Jedi order operates than the specifics of what Obi-Wan is directing Anakin to do. It also reads as a rant, which is mostly extraneous to the answer. (You don't even mention Obi-Wan in your answer.) Please make this about the relationship between Obi-Wan and Anakin, and if Anakin is justified in feeling resentment towards Obi-Wan's mentorship.
    – DavidW
    Jul 26, 2021 at 16:04
  • I don't entirely disagree with you, but this doesn't seem to answer the question of why Anakin would feel Obi-Wan is holding him back.
    – FuzzyBoots
    Jul 26, 2021 at 16:04

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