Comparing Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jesus: Are the Parallels Valid?
Comparing Obi-Wan Kenobi and Jesus: Are the Parallels Valid?
Arguably, Obi-Wan is a literary “Christ Figure.” That’s about character resemblance, not physical resemblance.
Obi-Wan’s Attributes:
- Is spiritual
- Performs miracles using The Force
- Is kind, forgiving, and fights for justice
- Sacrifices himself to redeem others
- Is resurrected as a Force Ghost
There’s a reason for this: it’s good theater and relatable, leading to the popularity of the character and the themes of the series.
Both Obi-Wan Kenobi’s and President Nelson’s quotes remind us that each of our personal quests for truth can have the same desire and objective, but can at times lead us to different conclusions and decisions as we navigate life. This also highlights why God is the only one who can judge us perfectly—because He is the only one who knows all the experiences that lead us to our conclusions about our beliefs.
Additionally, both of these quotes point out that true victory comes when we stay faithful to our values and do not lose sight of our spiritual identity and purpose, no matter what conflict we may be involved in.
Obi-Wan—who himself lost everything when the Republic fell—learned this lesson during his years in hiding on Tattooine. Similarly, President Nelson invited us to decide what is most important in our lives and drop the rest along with their harmful and hurtful labels.
Obi-Wan is trying to convey to his former apprentice that there is no way evil can prevail from the situation, and Jesus indirectly states the same notion. Jesus pleads to God with the knowledge that evil cannot win, hoping that his executioners will see the same truth one day.
Moreover, both are leaders foretold to be strong in power, destined to help balance the scales of justice in the world. Notably, both are born without the involvement of a human father. The light side offers a virtuous path to the Jedi, while the dark side offers a hateful path to the Sith.
In essence, the Star Wars universe is rife with Christian parallels, from memes of Obi-Wan looking like Jesus in his Jedi garb to the iconic phrase, ‘The Force be with you.’
Fan Reactions: Why Some Believe Obi-Wan is Like Jesus
Many fans shared hilarious memes and pictures after a fan compared Star Wars’ Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader, to Jesus Christ. In the tweet, the called Star Wars a ‘Christian story’ and Anakin ‘Space Jesus’.
While some were purely sarcastic remarks, others seemed offended by the comparison and made counter-arguments. Fans find the comparison bizarre as many seem baffled. Many were offended by the comparison, citing some of the most heinous acts committed by Vader. Anakin Skywalker, aka Darth Vader, is one of the most iconic characters in Star Wars and one of the most famous villains ever created in films. Skywalker’s tragic foray into the dark side of the Force forms the crux of the franchise’s story.
We’ve seen the popular meme going around social media joking about the uncanny resemblance between Jesus Christ and the most legendary Jedi master in the Star Wars universe. The now-famous Jedi Christ meme originated from an Imgur post in 2015. It featured Ewan McGregor in his brown Jedi attire while sporting his character’s trademark long hair with a voluptuous left-sided part and longer sides. The photo, which was filtered to make it look like a painting, indeed looked oddly reminiscent of Jesus Christ.
Interestingly, a Utah man gave his parents a picture of Ewan McGregor as young Obi-Wan Kenobi for Christmas and claimed it was Jesus. This was back in December 2018, and word spread quickly, making the video go viral as people couldn’t believe someone wouldn’t know that it was McGregor and not Jesus.
Ryan Buchanan pulled a clever prank on his Mormon parents. As a Christmas present, he gave them a framed portrait of actor Ewan McGregor portraying his iconic Jedi character. Amusingly, their parents didn’t notice the swap.
Ryan decided to use the same prank on his parents, but not as discreet as secretly replacing the picture of Jesus with the Obi-Wan Kenobi portrait. The prank was a huge success that Ryan couldn’t help but show a mischievous smile to the camera as his parents gratefully hugged him. The video went viral, and Ryan kept everyone updated with a post on Reddit showing a photo of the Obi-Wan Kenobi portrait already hung on the wall. He even joked about how he could get out of this prank alive when his parents finally figure out the truth.
One Redditor shared a photo of the popular Jedi placed on a mantle along with a cross because their grandma thought it was Jesus. “I’ve made a huge mistake. Mom loves her Jesus Christmas present and I’m not sure how to get out of this thing alive when she figures out.”
Ultimately, fan-favorite Star Wars character, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, has been heavily joked as and mistaken for Jesus, the Messiah/savior of the Christian faith. Beyond his appearance, is there really further evidence that they can be compared? Arguably, yes.
By the time of writing this article, a number of Space Jesus memes have already hit Twitter depicting Obi-Wan as Jesus. One of the most popular images shows Obi-Wan holding Baby Yoda like a saint with the Christ child.
The Cultural Impact of Obi-Wan as a Christ Figure in Media
In giving his life for Luke and appearing after death, Obi-Wan Kenobi clearly fits the role of a Christ figure. However, this does not help him discover a critical fallacy in his Jedi faith.
Obi-Wan grapples with his new, quiet, and mostly ineffective role. Meditating during a drought on Tatooine, he laments: “It was no rumor that people were dying. And I was letting it happen… You never trained me for this Master Qui-Gon. You never taught me how to fade away…” He realizes he could not solve every problem or help every person. Nevertheless, he knows he must focus on protecting Luke. He also learns to commune with Qui-Gon, so that he too could speak to the living when he dies. In this way, both Obi-Wan’s and Jesus’s spirituality agree, facilitating a life of service and sacrifice.
Obi-Wan’s disciplined focus on his mission prepares him for the events of Star Wars: A New Hope. He makes daily choices to do what is best for Luke. Consequently, he could sacrifice his life for Luke aboard the Death Star so easily and peacefully because he had already sacrificed his life for 19 years. Additionally, he could give his life easily because he knows there is life after death.
Although Obi-Wan could believe he failed Anakin, he did not start his faith journey by acknowledging his moral failing; he too needs redemption. Consequently, all his meditation and discipline could never help him believe in redemption for another. He could only attain this by honestly reflecting on his own selfishness and witnessing that sacrificial love can rescue a person from the Dark Side.
As a narrative warning, let’s not be like Obi-Wan. We can start by honestly looking at our lives and deciding if we need forgiveness and change. If this leads to shame or guilt, we should that Jesus does not want us to dwell there. Rather, He would want us to focus on His love for us, His sacrificial act, and His forgiveness.
Obi-Wan Kenobi, aka ‘Old Ben’ Kenobi, is described as a hermit, a wizard, and a crazy old man. When we first see him, he’s dressed like Jesus in all those old gospel movies. He ‘raises’ Luke, who had been knocked out by the Tusken Raiders. As the master and teacher of the Force, he confronts his former student and archenemy, Darth Vader, and says to Luke, ‘You can’t win — but there are alternatives to fighting.’ The alternative he chooses at the decisive moment is to sacrifice himself.
After turning off the tractor beam, restoring freedom to the heroes, he gives up and lets Vader kill him. However, he warns Vader, ‘If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine.’ He fights Vader just long enough so that when he is killed, Luke will witness his death. While he has confronted evil, he does so in a way that does not embrace aggression, which is part of the dark side. Thus, he achieves victory over evil through his voluntary sacrifice.
Obi-Wan’s death allows him to be present with Luke at crucial moments later in the story, guiding him in ways that he never could in bodily form. After Obi-Wan gives up the fight, and Darth Vader swings his lightsaber for the death blow, his body disappears, leaving only his monastic robes lying on the floor. There is no body left to bury; nevertheless, Luke can hear Obi-Wan’s voice, and Obi-Wan will come back to him in visions. This can be viewed as a form of resurrection, although not a bodily one, hinting at a somewhat gnostic perspective on the afterlife.
It’s important to note that Obi-Wan did not save Luke. In fact, he was wrong about Luke having to kill his father. What saved Luke was his response to Obi-Wan’s sacrifice. Luke followed what Obi-Wan did, not what Obi-Wan said. Thus, he became a kind of savior by following Obi-Wan’s example. However, it was not Luke’s sacrifice that saved Vader; rather, it was his own repentance after witnessing Luke’s willingness to sacrifice himself. This kind of salvation by example is one of the hallmarks of Arianism.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is the primary Christ figure because his death is voluntary. He sacrifices his life to allow the escape of his friends. The sacrifice of his terrestrial body enables him to communicate spiritually, through the Force, to Luke Skywalker.
