We all know that one of the greatest Star Wars duels of all time was the fight between Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar during the events of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Obi-Wan managed to get a win on Anakin by taking advantage of his former Padawan’s hubris. Of course, it was clear that Anakin had the advantage in that fight before Obi-Wan used his own pride against him. So, what would have happened if Anakin had won that fight and killed Obi-Wan?
Anakin would have reached his full potential as a Force user if he had won that fight with Obi-Wan. However, this also means that Palpatine would have gotten what he wanted: Anakin’s body. As such, if Anakin had killed Obi-Wan, the prophecy of the Chosen One would not have been fulfilled.
In a way, everything happens according to the will of the Force, and Anakin’s loss was also the Force’s will. That’s because history would have been totally different if Skywalker had killed his master on Mustafar. As such, it is clear that Anakin’s loss was important because the Force ensured that Palpatine wouldn’t get what he wanted. Now, let’s look at some things that would have happened if Anakin had killed Obi-Wan.
Anakin Would Have Reached His Full Potential
The very reason why Anakin was taken by Qui-Gon Jinn to be trained as a Jedi was that he had a midi-chlorian count that was higher than any other Jedi in history. In short, Qui-Gon believed that Anakin was the Chosen One, which was mentioned by an ancient Jedi prophecy. And the fact that he had an incredibly high midi-chlorian count was why his potential as a Force user was higher than anyone.
But Anakin never reached his full potential. During the time of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, he was already incredibly powerful and was strong enough to defeat a true Sith Lord and match the powers of some of the greatest Jedi Masters in the Jedi Order. But while he was strong enough to defeat a lot of Jedi in the Siege of the Jedi Temple during Order 66, he was still far from reaching his full potential.
Here’s What Would Happen if Obi-Wan Killed Anakin
Anakin never reached his full potential because he lost to Obi-Wan Kenobi in their battle in Mustafar. Due to his hubris, Anakin attempted to overcome Obi-Wan’s tactical advantage, leading to Kenobi severing all of Anakin’s limbs. Obi-Wan also allowed the lava of Mustafar to burn Anakin alive. Anakin’s injuries left him permanently disfigured, and the fact that he lost his limbs and needed a life-support suit was the reason why he was never able to reach his full potential.
But he wouldn’t have gotten injured if Anakin had defeated and killed Obi-Wan in their duel on Mustafar. That means that Anakin’s body wouldn’t have become weaker. As such, he would have reached his full potential as a Force user sooner or later, especially considering that his use of the dark side of the Force sped up his growth and development.
Palpatine Would Have Taken Over Anakin’s Body
After Anakin lost to Obi-Wan, Palpatine quickly sensed that the newly-christened Darth Vader was in danger. That was why he went to Mustafar to rescue Anakin. And the reason why Palpatine rescued Anakin was not that he cared for his apprentice, but was because he cared about Anakin’s powers.
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The fact that Palpatine was able to return from the dead in the events of the sequel trilogy explains what he had planned for Anakin before Skywalker’s injuries. In Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker, Palpatine wanted to take over Rey’s body due to her innate talent in the Force. Of course, Palpatine’s body at that time was an artificial one created through cloning, as he had no choice but to transfer his essence into that body to stay alive. And Rey was important to him because he was looking to transfer his essence to her so that he could return to his full power.
That means that Palpatine wanted Anakin to fall to the dark side so that he could eventually take over his body. This was what Palpatine meant when he and Darth Plagueis uncovered the mystery of eternal life. Instead of prolonging his body’s limits, Palpatine wanted to transfer his essence into Anakin’s body. And because Anakin had a higher potential than any other Force user, Palpatine would have been unstoppable.
The Emperor Would Have Ruled for a Long Time
Emperor Palpatine never shared power with anyone, which meant that he never meant for Anakin to eventually replace him as the new emperor. That’s because his original plan was to take over Anakin’s body, and that was also the reason why Palpatine was quick to discard Vader to try to lure Luke into joining him as his new apprentice, as it was clear that he was looking to take over Luke’s body.
So, if Palpatine had successfully conquered Anakin’s body by transferring his essence, he would have ruled longer. Palpatine’s original body had an expiration date, and transferring his essence into a younger body would have extended his rule as the emperor of the Galaxy. And because he had a younger and more powerful body, there wouldn’t have been anything the Rebels could do to defeat him.
As strong as Luke was, he would probably be no match for Palpatine in Anakin’s body because Anakin had the highest potential in the Force in the history of the Galaxy. Palpatine, of course, was the reincarnation of evil. And that means he would have used Anakin’s body unimaginably.
The Prophecy of the Chosen One Would Not Have Been Fulfilled
The Prophecy of the Chosen One was fulfilled because Luke Skywalker was able to convince his father to return to the side of the light. Darth Vader’s compassion for his son overcame his dark side, which made him betray and kill Emperor Palpatine. In that regard, his destiny as the Chosen One that was supposed to destroy the Sith would have been fulfilled.
But if Anakin had killed Obi-Wan, no one would have watched over the young Luke Skywalker and seen to it that he would eventually become the new hope of the Galaxy. Moreover, Anakin’s body would have been overtaken by Palpatine. So, even if Luke were to find a way to learn more about the Force, there was no way he would ever convince Anakin to return to the light side because Palpatine would have already taken over his body at that point.
That means that the Prophecy of the Chosen One would not have happened if Anakin had won the fight against Obi-Wan and killed his former master. His loss to Obi-Wan was the will of the Force because that was the only way for the Force to ensure that Palpatine would not take over his body. And because Vader was still redeemable, he finally came to his senses and killed Palpatine to fulfill his role as the Chosen One.
