13 Things You Learn Rewatching Star Wars: A New Hope
2. The First Lightsaber Battle Is A Muted Affair
Maybe because I watched it on the back of the prequels - the lightsaber battles of which are manic and acrobatic - but the first lightsaber duel in Star Wars (both film and franchise) is a decidedly mute affair. This is not necessarily to the duels detriment, however, and in fact the solemn nature of Obi-Wans and Darth Vaders battle is fitting with the way the former of those bows out. Mirroring the way his Master (Qui-Gon Jinn) dropped to his knees in fervent prayer before his death at the hands of Darth Maul in The Phantom Menace (released 22 years after A New Hope, which shows just how great Star Wars is in its use of narrative symmetry), Obi-Wan ceases swinging his weapon and instead adopts a prayerful pose, his lightsaber held like a candle in front of his face. Vader strikes him down, and Kenobi succeeds in allowing Luke time to escape (a prolonged battle would surely have seen Skywalker try and aid Obi-Wan).
