At the climaxes of both Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, Obi-Wan Kenobi urges a Skywalker to "let go."
In Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan confronts Anakin Skywalker as he is using the Force to choke his wife Padmé in a fit of fearful, jealous rage. "Let her go, Anakin!" Obi-Wan urges. "Let her go!"
In A New Hope, Obi-Wan's disembodied voice speaks to Luke Skywalker as he is preparing to fire his proton torpedo into the Death Star. "Use the Force, Luke," Obi-Wan urges. "Let go, Luke."
These two scenes draw a contrast between Anakin and Luke. Obi-Wan's appeal to Anakin to "Let her go" echoes Yoda's instruction to Anakin: "Train yourself to let go of everything you fear to lose." Anakin's inability to let go ultimately leads him to turn on the Jedi and become Darth Vader, who is shown overseeing the construction of the Death Star at the end of Revenge of the Sith. Unlike his father, Luke is able to follow his Jedi Master's instruction and let go, and when he does, he brings about the destruction of the Death Star at the end of A New Hope.
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Characters: Anakin Skywalker / Luke Skywalker / Obi-Wan Kenobi
Films: Episode III: Revenge of the Sith / Episode IV: A New Hope
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Concepts: letting go
Interpretive Tools: Ring Theory
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