Hunting Themselves
In "Part I" of Obi-Wan Kenobi, the Grand Inquisitor expounds on his philosophy for hunting Jedi. When a saloon keeper on Tatooine says that the role of the Inquisitors is to "hunt Jedi," the Grand Inquisitor explains: "In actuality, I would say the Jedi hunt themselves. Do you know the key to hunting Jedi, friend? It is patience. Jedi cannot help what they are. Their compassion leaves a trail..." The Grand Inquisitor’s argument is that the Jedi are self-defeating; because their code compels them to help those in need, they are unable to remain in hiding but inevitably reveal themselves, doing the Inquisitors' work for them.
The Grand Inquisitor's explanation has some truth to it. After he finishes his speech, the Inquisitor Reva throws a knife at the saloon keeper, prompting the hiding Jedi Nari to step in and expose himself. The compassion of the Jedi can be leveraged against them. Ultimately, though, the Inquisitors are much more self-defeating than their Jedi targets. The Grand Inquisitor claims that "patience" is the key to hunting Jedi, but the Inquisitors' impatience to outdo each other hampers their effectiveness as an organization. The Grand Inquisitor sees the "compassion" of the Jedi as a weakness that he and his underlings can exploit, but the Inquisitors' lack of compassion leads them to fight each other instead of the Jedi they are supposed to be hunting.
Obi-Wan Kenobi uses this same language in "Part V," when he discerns Reva's true motives: "You're not serving [Darth Vader], are you? You're hunting him." Despite the Grand Inquisitor's claim, it is the practitioners of the dark side who hunt themselves, not the Jedi.
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Characters: The Grand Inquisitor / Nari / Obi-Wan Kenobi / Reva
Shows: Obi-Wan Kenobi
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Concepts: compassion / hunting / Jedi / patience
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