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Obi-Wan knew that his best-friend and student, Anakin had fallen to the dark side. Knowing the truth, he was shocked in terror. Obi wan even told Master Yoda that he would not kill Anakin, because he was like a brother to him. But when Yoda convinced Obi-Wan that the Sith must be destroyed, Obi-Wan had doubts in his mind. After that, he went to Padme to ask about Anakin's whereabouts. He delivered the news that her husband had fallen to the dark side and the news regarding Palpatine as a Sith Lord. And when Padme was shocked about all of this, Obi wan needed to find him.

She asked:

PADME AMIDALA: you are going to kill him, aren't you?
OBI-WAN KENOBI: he has become a very great threat (...) Anakin is the father isn't he? I'm so sorry.

So what was Obi-Wan's plan in going to Mustafar, Was it to kill Anakin or to redeem him?

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  • Did he have doubts in his mind? My impression was after watching the recording he didn't and he told Padme specifically to find his location knowing she would go to him.
    – Servitor
    May 17, 2018 at 20:37
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    I think Obi-wan knew he had to kill Anakin, but what got him to Mustafar was the hope that he could redeem him. That's why he talked to Anakin before fighting him, he had to make sure there was no going back, that Anakin really was as evil as the evidence suggested. After that, as Valorum said he'd leave it up to the Force to decide who walked away.
    – DaaaahWhoosh
    May 17, 2018 at 20:55
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    Anakin? I've come to bargin.
    – Jack B Nimble
    May 17, 2018 at 22:05
  • Anakin, by the time, had become Darth Vader. He had already killed the younglings in the temple. He was beyond redemption.
    – TimSparrow
    May 18, 2018 at 9:37
  • @TimSparrow There is always hope for redemption.
    – Darth Vader
    May 22, 2018 at 15:09

2 Answers 2

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Obi-Wan's goal was to kill Anakin.

“You are with me, or you are against me,” Anakin replied.
“Only a Sith Lord deals in absolutes, Anakin,” Obi-Wan told him, and ignited his lightsaber. Now I will do what I must.
Anakin’s face twisted as he ignited his own weapon, and the battle began.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith (junior novelization)

That's not to say that he wasn't reluctant to actually strike the killing blow.

Obi-Wan looked down. It would be a mercy to kill him. He was not feeling merciful.

He was feeling calm, and clear, and he knew that to climb down to that black beach might cost him more time than he had. Another Sith Lord approached.

In the end, there was only one choice. It was a choice he had made many years before, when he had passed his trials of Jedi Knighthood, and sworn himself to the Jedi forever. In the end, he was still Obi-Wan Kenobi, and he was still a Jedi, and he would not murder a helpless man.

He would leave it to the will of the Force. He turned and walked away. After a moment, he began to run.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith - Official novelisation

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  • 4
    At this point I'm pretty sure Valorum knows all the Star Wars novelizations by memory...
    – tilley31
    May 17, 2018 at 21:11
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    @tilley31 - It certainly helps to have actually read them...
    – Valorum
    May 17, 2018 at 21:12
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    "Only a Sith Lord deals in absolutes", he said without a trace of irony...
    – Paul
    May 18, 2018 at 3:08
  • So that's why Luke is the best Jedi ever.
    – The Witch King of Angmar
    Aug 9, 2019 at 4:34
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Plan was to confront Darth Vader, one of two Sith, not necessarily to kill Anakin on sight

Although Jedi in the era of End of Republic were significantly under influence of Dark Side, they still didn't fall so low to act as mere assassins, simply killing people to resolve problems. We could see that in this case, Obi-Wan didn't try to sneak up on Anakin and eliminate him, instead he revealed himself to him. Even Yoda walked into Emperor's office and did not attack right away.

On the other hand, both Yoda and Obi-Wan (especially Yoda) were under impression that redemption is not possible, and that confrontation will likely end up as mortal combat:

Twisted by the Dark Side, young Skywalker has become. The boy you trained, gone he is. Consumed by Darth Vader.

This of course is understandable to a degree. They both saw killing of younglings, and Yoda throughout his life expresses firm belief that that redemption from Dark Side is not possible. As for Obi-Wan, I'm not so sure. At first, he wanted to confront Emperor, exactly because he didn't want to fight against Anakin. When they finally met, Kenobi did some half-hearted attempt to reason with him. It ended up in failure, and Kenobi drew first.

Conclusion would be that both Yoda and Kenobi expected fight to death, but Kenobi at least formally tried to redeem his opponent to honor Jedi tradition and way of Light Side.

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