batcasscainman

Latest Posts by batcasscainman

Because no one would ever be able to convince Cass that her dying wasn’t a good thing. She can’t explain why the first time was so liberating but it was and that’s that. But the second time? Cass changed someone’s mind by dying and that’s worth everything.

I really like the idea of her continuing to see her death and life by extension as this tool to save others. Because first it saved her and then it saved her friend who’s to say dying won’t work again?

Yessss like does Cass want to die? Not anymore. Is she willing to die? Absolutely. It's a tool in her arsenal, a break glass in case of emergency tool, but a tool nonetheless. Not death, death is the worst thing that could ever happen to someone and she will fight with everything she has to prevent it. But HER death? If the price is worth it, then sure.

Someone else risks their life and Cass is so furious, tears streaming down her cheeks, that she doesn't talk to them for a month. The next day she takes 20 bullets to stop two mobs from shooting each other and just rolls her eyes sullenly through Bruce and Barbara's stressed lectures. She could have died sure, but she didn't want to, it was just a necessary risk to save lives worth more than hers.

The Batkids play a game called “Guess Who Bruce Is Disappointed In Today” and it is a bloodsport.

It started as a joke. It is no longer a joke.

Every morning, without fail, one of them walks into the kitchen and says:

“Guess who Bruce is disappointed in today?”

And they all take turns guessing based on crime alerts, nightly patrol rotations, and vibes.

It’s become a system.

It went like:

Jason: “I knocked out a senator by accident. My odds are high.”

Tim: “I drank seventeen Red Bulls and fell asleep on top of the Batcomputer.”

Damian: “I released three bats into Gotham General Hospital as enrichment. They were bored.”

Steph: “I called him ‘Brucie’ in front of a senator.”

Cass: Just raises a finger and shrugs.

Then Bruce walks in, dead silent, pours his coffee, looks at no one, and walks away.

Tim: “It’s Jason.”

Jason: “DAMN IT.

Rules:

If you guess wrong, you have to do patrol with Damian and listen to him rant about the superiority of traditional swordsmanship for two hours.

If you guess right, you get to choose the movie on family movie night.

If Bruce is disappointed in himself, everyone gets ice cream. That’s the law.

It got so serious they made a whiteboard. Labeled it: “DISAPPOINTMENT LEADERBOARD.”

Top scores:

Tim (17 correct guesses, possible mind reader)

Cass (14, reads vibes better than Google Translate reads Latin)

Steph (11, mostly via chaos intuition)

Jason (2. constantly thinks it’s him. It often is. But not always.)

Damian (0. refuses to acknowledge he is ever the cause)

One time Dick guessed correctly for the first time in 3 months and everyone clapped.

He cried.

Alt. Version: Guess Who Bruce Is Proud Of Today.

Game cancelled due to lack of data.

Cass babysitting younger gen heroes and using her past to terrify them into compliance. Ma'ri doesn't want to eat her vegetables? You see this bullet wound on Cass's shoulder? She got that because she didn't eat enough vegetables. True story. Sin is mad at Dinah and doesn't want to listen to her advice? One time Cass didn't listen to Dinah and guess what happened. Two shots to the stomach. True story. Damian wants to try fighting Shiva? First time Cass tried that she ended up with a dislocated shoulder and broken arm, her life spared on a whim. And that one's actually a true story.

What is it with people using minorities to uplift/defend their fav white boys? Cass is more empathetic than Jason ever will be. Duke hates Jason. If Duke was getting bullied, he would knock out those guys before the rest of the fam even hears about it. Cass would not be the perfect therapist sister.

Seriously, your just using OCs and giving them names from canon.

Thinking about Cass Cain, the world's biggest proponent of "nobody dies tonight" still taking the time to desperately search for Steph even as she's working overtime to save the rest of Gotham. Wondering what she saw in Steph's body language in those last moments together, when she feared Steph was lying to her but couldn't chase after her. Wondering if she saw the fear, the hurt, the regret, the overwhelming despair and desperation, all in the anxious and exhausted tremble of her body. Wondering if the reason she couldn't tell for sure if Steph was lying was because there was just too much there, too many feelings, the weight of them too great, for Steph's body language to make any sense at all. Wondering if she knew, somehow, that if left on her own that the panicked-rabbit thrum under Steph's skin would lead her directly into something horrible. Thinking about Cass Cain, the girl who killed a man and saw him die in a way no one else could, in a way that changed her forever; who saw the shock and fear and pain and then the nothing, hearing that Stephanie was dead. Wondering if she imagined Steph's last moments as something other than what they were, because she wasn't there and she wouldn't ask and Bruce certainly wouldn't tell. Wondering if she thought about Faizul and imagined Steph terrified in the instant of realization, Steph knowing she was dying, Steph knowing that she would never run rooftops or play tag or feel her mother's arms again and that everything she could have been would remain unwritten forever; Steph alive and afraid and then nothing, nothing, nothing. Just thinking about Cass Cain and her way of perceiving things that no one else could understand, and a grief so deep that she didn't have the words for it and probably never will.

The Obi-Wan Kenobi Problem

More specifically, the Fanon Obi-Wan problem.

(Alright, my tiktok buddies convinced me to get tumblr just to share this here. I caved, because I do think this is much more fit for tumblr. So, hello everyone).

It goes without saying (if you know me) that I am a fan of Obi-Wan Kenobi. I could sit here and talk about how much he’s influenced who I am, and how my experience is just one of many lives that Obi-Wan has touched, but unfortunately that is not my purpose in this rant. Despite occasional exceptions, Obi-Wan is generally beloved in the Star Wars fandom, to such a scale that he is known for being beloved.

Among this, of which will be found in every fandom, one contrived of millions of people no less, issues and mischaracterizations will arise. Even in all my years of loving and studying this character, I am still trying to wrap my head around how deeply these fallacies run when it comes to Obi-Wan Kenobi, still trying to untangle the fabrication from canon.

I will make a few things abundantly clear before I lay my discussion. In no way do I claim to understand or love Obi-Wan Kenobi “the most”. Such a claim cannot be made by anyone, nor does it matter, when millions of voices so frequently join to celebrate this character. I am not here with a possessive mindset, nor am I trying to exert moral superiority. However, animosity for the fanon version of a character who has captured my heart so fiercely has been building for as long as I’ve been a Star Wars fan, and I am finally making an effort to properly give my voice and hopefully debunk popular fanons of Obi-Wan built on false foundations.

The Perfect Jedi, The Unfortunate Candidate

Many Star Wars fans are familiar with the glaring issues in the dynamic between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker, no matter how much love the two characters had for each other. Obi-Wan concluded that the best way to guide Anakin in the Jedi way was to emulate a so called “perfect Jedi”, while Anakin took this as Obi-Wan being such a model Jedi, that he could never relate to Anakin’s struggles, thus Anakin tried to hide his true emotions from Obi-Wan. This misunderstanding is the eventual downfall of their relationship after years of harboring resentment. None of this is new to us as fans.

Even while knowing this, several in the fandom, whether consciously or subconsciously, have fallen for Anakin’s misjudgment of his master. It is laced in the language they use for Obi-Wan, in their view of Anakin’s fall to the Dark Side. How can this be?

As Far As Your Wisdom Goes, You’re No Qui-Gon Jinn.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is a vessel utilized by the Force directly many times. Obi-Wan’s entire life is dictated by the will of the Force. Even if he is not the Chosen One, he directly mentors both Chosen Ones. He was responsible for Anakin Skywalker for a decade. Playing such a crucial role in the fate of the galaxy, so integral that some of been moved to say “there is no Star Wars without Obi-Wan Kenobi,” criticism of his behavior will arise, as of course it should. The beauty of fiction can often be highlighted most in character flaws.

Natural, too, is the comparison to Qui-Gon Jinn. Especially when considering the individual role’s Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan play in the will of the Force.

“After all, if Obi-Wan had been the one to die on Naboo, wouldn’t the rise of Darth Vader and the downfall of the Republic never happened? Isn’t that why it’s called Duel of the Fates? Obi-Wan was overly critical, and held Anakin back from being a master, which harbored Anakin’s resentment for the Order, ergo Vader.”

I will give flowers where flowers are due, there are true elements to such a viewpoint. And in simple terms, yes, Obi-Wan needed to live for Darth Vader to be born. But he is not the origin of Darth Vader, nor is Darth Vader a direct design of Obi-Wan Kenobi, as some fans like to claim.

Am I in any way going to imply that Obi-Wan was a perfect teacher? Not at all. Is he above criticism? Of course he isn’t. However, I do believe such popular fan conclusions do not depict an accurate image of Obi-Wan’s role in creation of Darth Vader.

In the claim that Obi-Wan was presenting as the perfect Jedi, many take this to believe that he was harsh, dismissive, and unfeeling. In such assumptions, it is obvious that they do not understand the Jedi Order at all. Nor do they understand Obi-Wan’s failure in his perfect Jedi mask.

There is a recurring impression that Obi-Wan left Anakin alone to flail in a sea of unfamiliar Jedi tenets, and expected Anakin to fall in line with a foreign Order without exceptional difficulty. This couldn’t be farther from the truth, and is a basis that relies on a weak foundation of if it wasn’t shown on screen, it didn’t happen.

Obi-Wan is shown both critiquing and praising Anakin throughout Attack of the Clones. In The Clone Wars Season 4 Episode 11, Kidnapped, Obi-Wan talks with Ahsoka about making sure to look out for Anakin, considering his past as a slave, as they had been sent on a mission to free Togruta colonists from the Zygerrian Slave Empire (the argument that Anakin should not have been on such a mission in the first place will undoubtedly arise, which of course is true, although not something Obi-Wan can control. And if Anakin himself is being brazen and headstrong about the mission, restless to barge in “guns o’blazing”—how much less can Obi-Wan dictate where he goes and what he does? He is no longer responsible for Anakin.)

In Season 6, Episode 5 of The Clone Wars, The Rise of Clovis, Obi-Wan takes the initiative and privately talks with Anakin, to offer a listening ear and hopefully some comfort to Anakin after Obi-Wan noticed Anakin’s troubled state. In the scene, he approaches Anakin not as a Master, but as a friend, eager to ease Anakin’s discomfort. Obi-Wan encourages Anakin to open up about the true nature of his feelings for Padmé, gently promoted Anakin to reason aloud that it was jealousy that had him perturbed. This scene has always struck me, because Obi-Wan himself goes as far as to open up about his feelings for Satine Kryze, even though this couldn’t have been more than a few months after her death, very likely less than that. Obi-Wan’s demeanor and voice are gentle, non-threatening, not accusatory, not judgmental. He talks to Anakin with a perspective of understanding. It is Anakin who brushes him off and refuses to confront his feelings for Padmé out loud to Obi-Wan.

In fact, Anakin is shown lashing out far more than he opens up. In most cases, while Obi-Wan tries to level with him, Anakin is far more inclined to point fingers. Again, this is not to say all the time. In Revenge of the Sith, Anakin sincerely apologizes to Obi-Wan for his bad attitude, and Obi-Wan reinforces his admiration of Anakin. I am not trying to paint Anakin as the root of every issue, but I am saying he was responsible for his own decisions.

The creation of Darth Vader should not be attributed to a single moment. But I am of the firm belief that fans give Anakin too much credit on this front. It is shown as well as stated in The Phantom Menace that Anakin always had the Dark Side of the Force in him, in a way that would result as an unbalanced, unstable Jedi. This is not something I am trying to blame Anakin for, at the time he was a child. In fact, having Anakin trained at all doomed both him and his Master. I believe making sweeping claims of finality about either’s attitude completely misunderstands the point of Star Wars. The situation was greatly complicated, and I have no intention to oversimplify it. Both master and apprentice had their strong moments and their incredibly low ones, but I also believe that Darth Vader will always boil down to Anakin’s inability to accept his own failure, Anakin’s arrogance, and Palpatine’s years of manipulation, not Obi-Wan’s conduct as a master.

You’ll forgive me, I have scoured the internet, but I cannot find the source of this comic panel. If anyone does know, please inform me. However, there is a lovely post by @thesecondbatgirl that I think drives my point home.

The suggestion that Obi-Wan is insensitive, harsh, cold, or anything of the sort, are all ideas given to us from Anakin’s point of view—Anakin, who is known to be arrogant, and unable to face criticism.

Knowing all of this, it is logical to conclude that Anakin’s judgement of Obi-Wan’s performance as a master cannot be a fair one, with this hubris and tendency to blame Obi-Wan for things that are not Obi-Wan’s fault so painfully obvious. Even so, many fans have adopted his attitude towards Obi-Wan, whether consciously or subconsciously.

I am not saying Obi-Wan never misjudged Anakin, or that he always reacted well when Anakin made an understandable, youthful blunder—but that’s exactly my point, sometimes is incredibly different from always. Just because it exists doesn’t mean it exists all the time. Obi-Wan is the farthest from perfect, he is shown making terrible mistakes, especially in The Clone Wars, like in the Deception arc, where Obi-Wan did not take into account just how deeply his actions would hurt his loved ones and severely broke trust

However, the notion that Obi-Wan was an unfair master who expected too much of Anakin is one that must be stopped. In reality, Obi-Wan was just as desperate to please Anakin as Anakin was to please him, if not more so. After feeling cast aside by Qui-Gon, then bearing the undeserved responsibility of training the Chosen One, it is ridiculous to assume that Obi-Wan could fit well into the ideal Jedi mold. Or at least, what people perceive to be the “ideal Jedi mold”.

Does the Prequel Trilogy clearly explain the causes of Darth Vader in a way that is sound and cohesive? In my opinion, no. There is vital context added in The Clone Wars, such as Anakin’s Padawan leaving the Order. So too, are his actions explained more soundly in the Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matthew Stover. Therefore, I cannot completely blame those who attribute more blame to Obi-Wan than is necessary, especially if they are a more casual fan, given the poor framing of the movies.

My point is, Obi-Wan (and by extension, the Jedi Order) is commonly used as a scapegoat, discounting any and all good he does especially towards Anakin, typically to bolster Anakin if they favor his character. Therein lies a refusal to see things from Obi-Wan’s point of view, and in doing this strip Anakin’s agency from him by blaming Anakin’s actions on others. This also suggests a muddled view of Anakin’s intentions. At the very least, there has been a failure to offer a little more grace to Obi-Wan, who always gave his all to everything he did.

Now that I have laid my case about Obi-Wan and the creation of Vader , the rest of my discussion will delve into a far more widespread fanon. And one that in my opinion, paints Obi-Wan in a far more detrimental light than any unfair ridicule he might face.

Fandom’s Chosen One

If you consider yourself in a Fandom, then you very likely have some experience with fanfiction—whether having occasionally skimmed websites, to your fic being the main project in your life. From fanfiction, essentially anything can blossom. Many times, perceived versions of characters stem from fanfiction, and bleed into our perceptions of canon. This can be great fun, and a great tool. Sadly, it is all too easy for such perceptions to be misguided, to an extent that does a disservice to the original story rather than showing honor and appreciation for it.

Before we get into the fanfic contents, we should at least consider what these fanfiction writers are basing their works off of.

George Lucas has never been subtle in his storytelling. Much of his writing in the Prequel Trilogy relies heavily on exposition. Lucas has also been very transparent about taking inspiration from real-world events, which is evident especially when considering the timing of writing. Despite this, unfortunately, a large number of fans have missed the clear messaging from Lucas, and Obi-Wan is by no means an exception.

George Lucas wrote Obi-Wan Kenobi with heavy East Asian coding, as he did with the Jedi Order as a whole. In the Original Trilogy, Obi-Wan was meant to be Lucas’ version of the wise, Samurai mentor stereotype. Lucas’ initial idea in writing Obi-Wan was for Toshiro Mifune, a Japanese actor, to portray him. Mifune turned down the role, however, and Alec Guinness was cast. Asian influence is perhaps most obvious in Obi-Wan’s name, which follows similar consonant-vowel patterns found in Chinese and Japanese.

But what does any of this mean for Fandom, our perception (or misperception) of Obi-Wan, and our patterns in portraying him?

“Space Scotland”

The name Stewjon is the only specific thing we know about Obi-Wan’s home planet, because the Jedi Order are meant to be perceived as his culture and family—his adopted heritage.

Ewan Mcgregor is a Scottish actor. Because of this, many fans have decided that Obi-Wan’s home planet should be based off of Scotland, and this has turned into relatively popular fanon. Fans quickly latched onto the playful remark made by Lucas as an homage to Jon Stewart in calling Obi-Wan’s home planet Stewjon, and such, a relatively consistent culture of Stewjon has remained prevalent in fanfic. This is hardly questioned by those interested in exploring what has been written of Stewjon. I was in a similar boat, I had seen jokes of Obi-Wan being Scottish by birth, never thought about it one way or another, because I knew what little information we had about his origins. As far as my personal projects as of yet, Stewjon was not relevant to me or my portrayal of Obi-Wan

Mcgregor brings none of his Scottish heritage into his portrayal of Obi-Wan, not even using his natural accent. So then, why? Why must Obi-Wan be Scottish? It seemed random to me, the more I thought about it. There is no inspiration taken from Alec Guinness’ background to comprise Obi-Wan’s birth culture. Moreover, the concept of “Space Scotland” goes against what we do know about Obi-Wan’s culture in canon. That being his name.

Below, I have linked two essays from Archive of Our Own that expertly provide answers to such questions of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s heritage and the fanon that has been built around it. The first linked is written by tellinowritesmeta (tellino), a Scottish Star Wars fan, giving a full explanation of why Obi-Wan Kenobi is quite clearly not Scottish, and never has been.

Stewjon Isn't Gaelic: Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Problem with "Space Scotland"

The second, an essay that came before tellino’s and inspired it, is by an Asian American Star Wars fanfiction writer, detailing the East Asian influence in Star Wars, and the coding around Obi-Wan specifically.

Obi-Wan, Ben, and the AU

I cannot fit every essential point surrounding Stewjon specifically here, my intention is to connect such issues to a larger misinterpretation of Obi-Wan, which is why I implore you to read both essays linked if you can. They both give far more in-depth, relevant information regarding how Fandom treats Obi-Wan’s mysterious Stewjoni heritage, and lead to points of my larger critiques of how fans choose to view Obi-Wan himself. If you are a Star Wars fan who loves Obi-Wan, both are worth your time.

But what is the issue here? Isn’t “Space Scotland” still technically treated as a Fandom inside joke? Or, relatively harmless fan-speculation utilized by fancreators?

As tellinowritesmeta’s essay throughly explains, “Stewjon” is commonly presented as a lazy mockery of what non-Scottish, people unwilling to do research perceive Scottish culture to be. In everything I have read detailing Stewjon, it has been a mock-up of Gaelic cultures, mixed and matched, based off of stereotypes, with some aspects of Scottish culture being completely thrown out, presumably because it didn’t fit the “aesthetic”. But beyond the ignorance prevalent in such fanon, “Space Scotland” tosses the culture Obi-Wan was written around aside completely.

George Lucas wrote the Jedi with heavy East Asian coding, basing their tenets off of Buddhism, basing their style off of samurai warriors. With the Force, he echoes Chinese concepts such as Qi.

So, we have his adopted culture, the inspiration for his character, and the name Obi-Wan Kenobi.

All of which have been almost completely disregarded by Fandom.

In a refusal to embrace what we are given from canon, in a refusal to understand the Jedi, they do not understand Obi-Wan. They cannot reflect him accurately in their portrayals. They look at him, how loyal and devoted he is to an Order that seems so mystical and foreign. Perhaps this stems from a misguided view of the Jedi, because of Anakin, or some internal bias. And they refuse to acknowledge how these ideals, this culture, these beliefs influence, Obi-Wan. It’s not comfortable. So, they strip all of that away, they don’t take into account the heavy coding around East Asian culture Obi-Wan was written with.

“Space Scotland” is a concept just foreign enough to still intrigue them, to make Obi-Wan “exotic” while still fitting him into their mold, making him more palatable. There is even a trend to rename him Ben—as a given name—not to acknowledge someone who has been torn from their home and is now isolated (as is what Ben means to him in canon, the whole point being that it’s not the true him) as reflects the lives of many diaspora—they use it because it’s familiar in western culture. And then, they make a ridiculous pastiche of Scotland, one full of stereotypes and a blatant lack of research. There is absolutely no basis for it whatsoever. It’s for the aesthetic, it’s convenient for them. It’s nothing short of erasure.

There are headcanons, patterns, memes, that I have seen from fans that have for years led me to the realization (though I had not truly comprehended how large the scope of it was until recently).

So many fans do not want Obi-Wan Kenobi. They want an attractive white man who they shape to become more relatable, more familiar, so they can mold him into something that never aligned with his character, while keeping just enough of the “exoticism” by having him based off a foreign culture. Because how could they possibly relate to him without all those pesky Jedi teachings in the way! Well maybe, just maybe, he doesn’t live a lifestyle like yours.

(Note: this is not me saying that exploring Obi-Wan as a non-Jedi or bringing him into a modern AU is at all wrong in itself, but it is all about how it’s presented and the attitude towards him and his coding as a whole.)

Now that we’ve identified the all-too-common Obi-Wan caricature, we will consider another area in which he has been completely divorced from his canon portrayal.

The Negotiator

Obi-Wan Kenobi is portrayed by Ewan Mcgregor in the the prequel trilogy. Ewan Mcgregor is a conventionally attractive man. Obi-Wan is canonically described as charismatic, and dubbed “The Negotiator” for his diplomatic skills. Obi-Wan is appealing to Fandom. Of course, how could he not be? He’s kind, his sarcasm and wit entertains us for hours, and he never loses his integrity, no matter what he faces. Fandom has been enchanted by him for years, and will certainly continue to be.

He’s a stylish man, flashy to an extent, obviously gives a damn about looking neat, and isn’t afraid to utilize his charms.

However, aspects of him have been cherry-picked, and specific traits have snowballed. Specifically, the idea of Obi-Wan using his body, for business and for pleasure, is taken as canon. Frankly, I would be surprised if you had not heard the term “Slut Obi-Wan. It’s played for memes, it’s expressed in fanfiction, in casual mentions of his character. Frankly, it is everywhere.

What aspects of his personality allude to this? Well, the first and foremost thing has nothing to do with his personality at all, because it’s simply: people are physically attracted to him. In itself, there is nothing wrong with this. However, this, paired with his charisma, projection onto the character himself has been blown ridiculously out of proportion. But what does the text say? What would happen if we really looked at these interactions? But, of course, most of Fandom will not do this, and I do not expect them to. Why examine any further, after all, when it’s so easy and comfortable here?

But don’t take my word for it. Let’s examine Obi-Wan’s mindset from the canon.

I’m sure no one is surprised that the first interactions we are going to examine are those between Obi-Wan and Asajj Ventress. In almost every duel they have, playful banter that often crosses into flirtatiousness is played for comedy.

In the canon (as of now) novel Dark Disciple by Christie Golden, this is addressed directly.

However, it is stated to be purely tactical in nature. (Note: this discussion will not be me dictating who you can and cannot ship him with. merely, when we refer to canon Obi-Wan, and how he has processed romance and intimacy).

Nothing about this is for physical pleasure, merely a mental challenge, a way to hopefully catch the other off guard. It’s not difficult to understand that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Asajj Ventress have no genuine interest in each other, aside from the possibility of an amusing challenge from an intellectual equal, hence the mind games. Adding to this, too, they both have different canon love interests, and both characters are shown to be devoted only to their canon love interests, as far as romance goes.

In The Clone Wars season 2 episode 17, Bounty Hunters, Obi-Wan and a bounty hunter named Sugi are somewhat depicted to be fraternizing, with playful banter that wouldn’t be a stretch to label as flirting. However, if you’ll notice, the second she turns away, Obi-Wan’s demeanor completely changes, with his face immediately hardening into something devoid of playfulness or anything resembling desire. It is clear his only purpose in entertaining such a dynamic with the bounty hunter is to keep her as an ally and soften her view towards the Jedi’s involvement.

In The Clone Wars episode Innocnets of Ryloth, a droid states that General Kenobi is “known for his deceptive maneuvers.”

Obi-Wan is also shown using his charisma in ways that don’t involve anything flirtatious or remotely romantic. He is simply charming, puts people at ease, a balance of non-threatening calm with the confidence of a leader. He is shown staging fake surrenders, and speaks calmly to his enemies far more than he raises his voice.

So, in the canon, is Obi-Wan seeking physical pleasure, or does he merely act out of tactical necessity?

The Real Voyage of Temptation

Among the many things Fandom will happily graze over to stuff Obi-Wan into their caricatured version of him, how he processes sex and romance is one of the most prevalent misinterpretations. In the novel Padawan by Kirseten White, Obi-Wan explains that sexual intercourse always seemed “more like an obstacle, rather than a temptation.”

Because of what is in canon, I will now mention his relationship with Satine Kryze through his eyes. However, I will reference his EU love interest, Siri Tachi from the Jedi Apprentice series, because the same points apply.

We don’t have much about Obi-Wan and Satine during the blossom of their romance. We know that they were between the ages 15 to 18, that they had a year’s worth of time in proximity, and that they were constantly in life-or-death circumstances. Mirroring his relationship with Siri, he and Satine would often bicker. The root of the tumultuous bickering with Satine is typically their differing political views, but as with Siri, it is meant to depict their begrudging romantic attraction. However, both overcome their difference with Obi-Wan. The basis for romance had a foundation of trust and compromise. And in both cases, Obi-Wan chooses duty over love.

Despite fanon speculation (such as the theory that Korkie Kryze is the illegitimate son of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Satine Kryze, one Obi-Wan does not know about) in Obi-Wan’s relationship with Satine, it is implied that they do not acknowledge their feelings aloud until long into after they have built lives in which the other had no involvement. The first time they confess to each other’s faces is during a famous confrontation in The Clone Wars episode, Voyage of Temptation.

When Obi-Wan says his famous line “had you said the word, I would have left the Jedi Order,” what struck me upon first hearing the line is his use of past tense. He is admitting to Satine that he loved her enough to leave the Order as a teenager, but now he has so much more responsibility and such a different life, it is obvious that he would not leave the Order for her now. This is proven when later this same episode we see the two sharing a bittersweet goodbye. This situation mirrors Obi-Wan’s Legends romance with Siri Tachi. The two Padawans planned to leave the Jedi Order to be together whilst forced into proximity on a mission. However, upon their return to the Temple, they cancelled this plan and vowed to never speak of their feelings for each other again.

Siri Tachi and Satine Kryze both die in Obi-Wan’s arms during the Clone Wars, and they both reaffirm their love for him as they do so. Obi-Wan lets them both go.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is only ever shown having romantic interest for someone he trusts deeply, and has a strong emotional bond and sense of camaraderie with. And in both cases, he chose to stay in the Jedi Order.

In Padawan, after being away from the Temple for some time Obi-Wan identifies a desire for attachment—but not necessarily a romantic one. He describes having a best friend, a true one, a confidant, an equal, someone he can share emotional intimacy with.

“Obi-Wan was hit with a sudden pang of longing. Not for any of them, specifically, but for that intimacy with anyone, generally. To clasp fingers, sneak off into the dark, have the weight of secrets, and affection and… connection. Attachment.”

However, immediately after identifying this, he rebukes himself, saying it bordered too close to attachment. This is obviously sometime he had to fight all his life. And, of course, the fight was hard-won, but won nonetheless.

Obi-Wan Kenobi was loyal to the Jedi Order, whether he wanted it or not. In both timelines where he has romantic feelings for someone, he never forgets them, nor does he let his attachment overcome his life.

On another extreme, there is a tendency to undermine Obi-Wan’s love for such characters in a way that infantilizes him (again, this is not to say not shipping him with these canon love interests, I do not ship him with these characters. This is something else entirely). Among his choosing to stay in the Jedi Order, I have picked up a mild trend among fanfiction, that show characters such as Satine Kryze, or perhaps whomever the author would prefer to pair Obi-Wan with, emotionally or even physically “preying” on Obi-Wan. There is a delicate balance between how much he desires romance, how much he desires sex, and his dedication to the Jedi Order, all of which are blown far out of proportion by fanon. Once again—the issue lies when such things are taken as canon. His sexual desires are extremely low, as is obvious in many Star Wars novels, and yet he is objectified heavily. He can recognize his romantic feelings for both of the love interests he has had through Star Wars, while also deciding the Order is where he belongs.

These are his desires, and his priorities. Obi-Wan Kenobi’s actions speak of someone who is fiercely loyal, who loves deeply, and who is certainly not self-indulgent. Nothing about him says that he would share himself in such a way with a stranger, especially not if he harbored romantic feelings for someone else. Especially not when it took so much for him to fall in love in the first place.

Obi-Wan Kenobi (Why This Matters)

“Millie, why does any of this matter? Fandoms have been mischaracterizing & embellishing canon since the dawn of time. Why do you care so much?”

Well, I could state the obvious that anyone who loves storytelling in some capacity will have to be familiar with, fiction reflects reality. So, yes, it does and always will matter how we chose to portray our world and the people in it.

Years ago, I finally made the decision that I would stop kicking around what little information I had with the core nine movies and finally watch The Clone Wars. And since then, I have loved Obi-Wan so deeply it has uprooted and changed my life. I have studied him as best I can. I’ve made wrong assumptions, I’ve concluded things about him that were false. But every single time, I have done all I could to research what was given to me from canon. There are trials in this, Obi-Wan has been portrayed by a myriad of different authors and writers over the years, and I have identified discrepancies between portrayals, especially if one considers canon vs. the EU. But beyond that, I just want to try and know him. And because of that, I am angry at what this Fandom does to him, and will no doubt continue to do to appease their idea of what he should be.

If you genuinely don’t care about him—if you enjoy your, fetishized, simplified, empty version of him after reading everything just covered, then there is likely nothing I can say to give canon Obi-Wan a modicum of merit in your eyes.

But if you do claim to love this character—not an idea of him, not a watered down version, stripped of nuance, and cultural coding, and subtext—but him, and you still refuse to acknowledge what has been given to you from the canon of Obi-Wan Kenobi, if nothing else, pause to consider: is that love?

I always find the melodrama around Obi Wan being Anakin's master a bit funny. Basically a teenage dad! Struggling single parent! Traumatized child in the care of a traumatized child! Eldest daughter syndrome etc..... Yes, he was grieving, and it must have taken courage on his part to present that ultimatum to the council, and had he had to leave the Order to train Anakin, I can see how that would have been deeply challenging, true. But like,

It's the clone wars cartoon that really renders it for me. Anakin was.... I think quite objectively less ready for knighthood at the end of aotc than Obi Wan was at the end of tpm, but the cartoon basically has it happen right away. He was an actual teenager. He, unlike Obi Wan, canonically did not really want a padawan at that time. Also, he had to raise a padawan in a warzone? Hey, he also had just lost a parent, wow, the parallels. The show also establishes quite thoroughly that jedi learn to look after children and teach... possibly even before becoming padawans themselves, judging by Ahsoka, and that there is also a good degree of communal teaching even with the apprentice system, judging by Ahsoka. But never mind all that

So we're cuddle-piling the 25 year old trained teacher with a solid support system who was applying for a position that he expected to include raising a padawan, i guess... truly the meowest of meows, the burdenest of burdens. No wonder Anakin fell!

My favorite little headcanon is Chewie knew exactly who Obi-Wan was and was like: yeah don't worry my guy is solid he can get you to Alderaan. No no, he won't recognise you or ask questions, trust me. I don't even think he knows what a Jedi is. He is not big on historical non-fiction.

today on "absolutely unhinged things for stover to put on paper and lucas to approve," the depiction of obi-wan's self-aware attachment to anakin here, how ready he'd be to kill yoda for the greater good, and how he'd let yoda kill him too, but anakin is the exception to their entire order and to obi-wan's moral judgment.

all three of them here, arguably the three most important jedi in the galaxy, they all know with wariness that anakin, the chosen one, has failed to grasp the central tenet of their code, and they don't know what to do about it. obi-wan thinks he failed him, failed to teach him; he knows anakin failed to learn, failed to accept it, how he'd would never let a friend go.

obi-wan here offers keen, intimate analysis of anakin's inner workings, shining a light on who darth vader really is in his heart, his loyalty beyond any moral or ethical bounds. obi-wan is painfully aware of how he is complicit in fostering this inappropriate attachment, only encouraging anakin's behavior. we see why he apologized in the kenobi show, how he was already sorry.

tbh this page changed me—my understanding of the characters, and my appreciation of the entire tragedy, like.. look how anakin has compromised obi-wan, and look at how much obi-wan loves him anyway. look at how the heart of this incipient monster is described with tender, ruthless clarity by the one who knows it best... on the next page obi-wan's literally crying about what they've done... i'm astrally projecting into the sun

I love Obi-Wan Kenobi because he is a character who is designed to be good.

He is a character who believes in the right thing, who tries to do the right thing, and is innately good. Yet he still fails. Obi-Wan, despite the fact that he is smart, compassionate, loving, loyal, kind, selfless, and humble, all traits of a protagonist, is not one. His fatal flaw is his self-doubt. Obi-Wan is a person who exists to show others the light.

He is a character who leaves you wanting because he never gets what he deserves.

He is a character whose point is: sometimes being good is not enough. Sometimes people are good and they still live in pain. Sometimes a person is good and they make others good and they suffer for it.

Interviewer, catching Damian in costume: Robin! Can you explain the process of picking up Robin or passing on the mantle?

Damian, mildly annoyed at Bruce at the moment: It's quite simple. Batmam steals young children from their bed, usually nine or ten or so. Then he takes you to his lair and give you a deal.

Damian: If you can beat him in a game of your choosing, he will train you to be Robin. If you lose, you are eaten. I beat him in a classic fencing game. He's quite good with swords, but he wasn't very good with the sport itself.

Tim, standing next to him: Yeah, I beat him at a memory card game. I like totally cheated, but I'm too old for him to eat now, so ot doesn't matter.

Damian, nodding: Yes. The worst part of the job is disposing of failed Robins bones. He usually sucks them clean and leaves them all over the floor.

Tim: Yeah, its messy. But after you hit, like 15 he stops trying to eat you, so that's cool.

Damian: I have not yet reached 15. I'm still in danger. If you have more questions, ask Nightwing, as he was the first to avoid being eaten.

-

Same interviewer, at a different date: Mr. Nightwing. Is it true Batman tries to eat potential Robins?

Dick, who has no idea what she's taking about: Yeah, it's really scary. His jaw unhinges like a snake.

There's a serious comparison to be made between how Barbara fails as a teacher for Cass and how Cass fails as a teacher for Stephanie. Barbara's brain is biological supercomputer with an eidetic memory which can learn a new language in like five minutes. Cassandra is likewise superhumanly talented at fighting.

In both cases these aren't just learned skills to them. Cassandra's fists and Barbara's mind are core to their identities. They're the things that make them heroes, that give them agency, that make them matter, it's who they are. The reason they have no patience for teaching these skills to others is they're incapable of contextualizing a world without them.

Barbara can't teach Cass because the prospect of a life without language is simply inconceivable to her. Likewise, Cassandra can't teach Stephanie because she has no context at all for what learning to fight must be like for other people without her natural affinity. Their respective talents are so core to their being that people who can't do what comes easily to them must simply not be trying hard enough.

Ironically it's one of the very few ways in which they're actually extremely alike.

Star Wars Covers | by Paul Renaud

Bruce, introducing his kids at a family Interview: This is my eldest Dick, my second eldest Cassandra, then my son Jason, my second youngest Tim, and my youngest Damian

Bruce: That's my daughter-in-law Barbara, and my other daughter-in-law, Stephanie

Tim: ??? Steph and I broke up forever ago?? How is she your daughter-in-Law?

Stephanie: I may not be dating any of you anymore but I'm the State of daughter-in-law. Daughter-in-law is not a family title, it's the friends you make along the way

Jason: I'm not high enough for this shit

Golden boy Dick Grayson: Me fucking neither

Jason: what

Dick: what

Bruce: ??? What do you mean she's not my daughter-in-law anymore?? I was counting on her marrying into the family :C

Steph: Sorry B, unfortunately your son would rather kiss superbitch than me

Dick: TIM IS KISSING WHO NOW

Bruce: >:( We'll talk about that later, right now-

Tim: I don't think that's necess-

Bruce: We'll talk about that later. Right now can't any of you date her?? Jaylad, you're sin-

Steph: HELL NO

Jason, already on his second blunt: You're so funny, old man. I'm literally co parenting my best friends kid. I'm literallyyyy be gay do crime. Haha.

Dick: YOURE WHAT WITH WHO NOW

Bruce: CAN ANY OF YOU JUST DATE HER

Cass, slowly raising her hand like in Hunger Games: I volunteer

Bruce: ...

Tim: ...

Dick: ...

Bruce: This is why you're my favorite daughter 🥹

Cass: Father, I'm your only daughter

Tim: Untrue. I did drag one time, that has to count

Steph: Does this mean I have a girlfriend

Damian: This family is a disgrace

Interviewer: ...

One of my favorite sub genres is Asian assassins with questionable morals

The first and last time I went to Red Hood's subreddit I saw a comment complaining that everyone is convinced Cass can beat Jason in a fight and their argument was 'jason can shoot her, what would she do after that'...like jason would even get a chance to pull out a gun on cass😭😭 also cass has been shot at since like the age of three. just take the l and move on.

Cass: Can I have your burger.

Dick:??? No I'm eating it. You have your own right there.

Cass: Remember when you abandoned me to Slade when I was drugged and mind controlled and then after I got free the first thing you did was punch me in the face.

Dick, sliding his burger over: You KNOW it's more complicated than that. You know it.

Tim, watching this all go down: Hey Jason remember when you broke into Titans tower just to beat me up?

Jason, taking a large bite of his own burger: Keep annoying me and this time I'll do more than just leave you unconscious.

Tim: :/

Cass, whispering to him: You gotta go for the ones with guilt complexes. It doesn't work otherwise.

Tim: Gotcha, good to know.

Cass:... Soo remember when I was drugged and brainwashed and you did nothing but accept it for months?

Tim, grumbling and sliding his own burger over to her: I never accepted it! That's just not true!

Cass, now eating three burgers at once: :)

odysseus and diomedes would be terrible coworkers. the office mean girls who hate their jobs, are overqualified, and only like each other

pictured: ody and diomedes plotting palamedes’ death

Diomedes: That's Odysseus, cleverest of the greeks. He's probably concocting a wicked plan right now.

Odysseus *internally*: Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Penelope Pen-

My favorite parts of the Iliad now that I’ve finished it for the first time:

Odysseus running around beating people with a scepter (and the amount of joy he got from it)

Agamemnon prematurely mourning Menelaus, who is standing right next to him.

Zeus telling Ares he hates him the most of all his children. God damn. He really did just say that to his face didn’t he.

Diomedes being a force of nature on the battlefield

Diomedes being a force of nature on the battlefield and everyone still treating him like he’s their annoying little brother who they unfortunately sometimes have to kind of listen to.

Diomedes.

“What are you talking about?” I laughed out loud multiple times because of this line. I don’t know what it is, but every single time it’s said I just imagine the most baffled/annoyed expression and tone of voice on whoever was saying it and I just. Lose it every time.

Helen being extremely passive aggressive the entire time she’s on the page. Seriously love her.

Helen believing her brothers didn’t come to war because they were ashamed of her, not knowing they have been dead for some time. It hurts and I love it.

Odysseus and Diomedes being sent on a spy mission and deciding that, after getting information from the Trojan spy, they are going to go to their camp and steal some horses. (And a chariot. And some armor, I think???) Utter chaos. They did not have to do this. This was A Choice.

Them coming back after stealing said horses and NOT A SINGLE PERSON QUESTIONS IT. IMPLYING THIS IS A NORMAL THING FOR THEM. AND THEY JUST,,,,,REGULARLY DO SHIT LIKE THIS.

Athena helping them.

The Trojans being annoyed with Paris

Nestor kicking Diomedes awake, who is, for some fucking reason, sleeping on the ground (?????)

Nestor.

Nestor going on long winded rants about His Day and his exploits. And everyone just kinda has to sit and listen to him talk.

Poseidon causing an earthquake so extreme Hades worried he was going to expose the underworld.

Artemis calling Apollo a baby for not wanting to fight Poseidon

Apollo ignoring her entirely. Peak sibling energy.

Achilles calling Patroclus’ ghost “true heart.” I know what you are.

Athena helping Diomedes in the funeral games.

Athena getting so mad Apollo made Diomedes drop his whip during said games she sabotaged Eumelus and made Diomedes’ horses run faster.

Antilochus threatening his horses into running faster.

This working.

Odysseus and Ajax wrestling and being so evenly matched that everyone gets tired of watching.

When they get up for round three Achilles telling them to “put not eachother further to such cruel suffering.”

The idea that Achilles was so sick of watching them that he compares it to actively being in pain.

Odysseus praying to Athena for help when he’s loosing the footrace.

Athena actually helping him.

Athena sabotaging Ajax and making him slip and fall face first into dung.

Ajax saying Athena hovers over Odysseus like his mother. Everyone finds this hilarious. Odysseus does not disagree.

Diomedes continually aiming at Ajax’s neck while fighting for a sword and armor. They are stopped by the rest of the Achaeans in fear for Ajax’s safety.

Yea, I’m convinced the Iliad is a comagedy. A comedic tragedy. A tragic comedy?

okay so post epic odyssey where odysseus and Penelope have surfaced from their room finally and he and diomedes are catching up I'm imagining the conversation going something like this

Odysseus: so then I gave up being merciful and became the monster.

Diomedes:....you tried being merciful?

Odysseus: Yes?

Diomedes: you did? You tried being a good merciful person? You?

Odysseus: Yah okay fuck off it was polties dying wish. I had to try.

Diomedes:.....90% of the war crimes in the Trojan war were suggested, planned out, and carried out by you. We literally stoned to death the guy you had a personal grudge against. We framed him for treason and stoned him to death. 70% of why Athena liked you was because she thought she knew all the ways to kill someone and then you'd suggest something insane and I'd see her taking notes. You literally gave Ajex a psyoctic break just being yourself.

Odysseus: shut up

Diomedes: I'm not wrong. Did you tell Penelope about your attempt to be a good person?

Odysseus: What? Of course I did. I told her everything.

Diomedes: did she laugh?

Odysseus:...shut up that's not the point

Diomedes: she did didn't she!!!

Odysseus: ANYWAY eurylochus wasn't appreciative of my return to monsterhood and he started causing problems so I

Diomedes: killed him? Yah saw that coming. No shit. I'm so shocked.

there's just someone else for you to take care of

In my mind Argos (the dog from the Odyssey) isn’t dead because Athena placed a spell on him so when Ody dies he dies.

No one questions it because they know Ody is Athena’s favorite mortal.

Bruh I spent more time on the suitors' dead bodies than on Odysseus and Telemachus. But like, have this picture of "I Can't Help But Wonder", and also this took 16 hours, please appreciate it.

…so now the noble swineherd, clinging fast to godlike Telemachus, kissed him, as if he’d escaped dying. // Odyssey, 16.19-25

I think this happened in 'odysseus'

Telemacus: *fighting against the suitors, holding his ground but he's slipping*

Telemacus: *sees ody in the shadows, bow aimed at him and the suitors*

Telemacus: *stops fighting abruptly and goes slack*

Suitor: haha, got him

Ody: finally I can actually shoot my damn bow without hitting my kid

'Cause I'm stuck with your stories

Y’all. You guys. I’m sobbing over this lyric from I can’t help but wonder

“Used to say I’d capture wind and sky for you”

Because like. HE LITERALLY DID! HE CAPTURED A STORM & HARNESSED THE WINDS THEMSELVES TO GET BACK HOME! I AM FUCKING ILL

athena realises odysseus had never seen his son in song 38

I think Oliver Queen would find out Batman's secret identity mostly through vibes...

When he was ten, his parents tried to get him to strike up a friendship with Bruce Wayne because it can’t ever hurt to know the richest man in the country but Bruce is just so fucking weird and morbid. He drags Ollie into his room and starts showing him his anatomy books and taxidermy and has he seen Taxi Driver? Because Travis Bickle inspired a real attempted assassination. But also maybe he had a point? And then Bruce is taking down his books on the Zodiac Killer and explaining how he thinks he’s cracked the cipher. And Ollie is just scared out of his mind. He thinks Bruce is going to vivisect him or something.

At the end of the night, he tells his parents that he spent the whole time with Bruce but he was actually hiding under a table somewhere for like two hours.

Then after that he tries to avoid Bruce at all times. Which isn’t hard because they’re ten and they live on opposite sides of the country. Until Oliver gets an invitation to Bruce Wayne’s 18th birthday party which is supposed to be a very big, very expensive bash. He doesn’t want to go because it might turn out to be weird but all his friends are going so he goes anyway.

… And it turns about to be pretty cool. (It’s a very big, expensive party with a lot of really drunk, really rich teenagers but it’s cool by Oliver’s standards) But no one actually seems to see Bruce there. He doesn’t make a speech, they don’t get him a cake or sing happy birthday, he doesn’t take over for the DJ, nothing. There are no pictures of him anywhere. Nobody gets any pictures of him. No one says they saw him. It’s like he wasn’t even there. 

But everyone insists that Oliver must be wrong. Who would throw a party and then never show up? Creepy Bruce Wayne, that’s who.

For the next several years, Bruce is supposedly out of the country doing an indulgent world tour. Hotels get booked out for him but they can’t say if he actually check in. People claim to have seen him but they don’t have any proof. It’s always so-and-so told so-and-so that they saw him here. He’s kind of like this fun cryptid. The richest man in the world is somewhere in the world. The late night shows do a spoof of Carmen Sandiego about it.

But every year, Bruce supposedly shows up to his birthday bash except Oliver goes every year and never sees him. There’s photos that circulate around but Oliver’s met Bruce and these are just some random other dark haired guys. He puts together that every year the crowd unknowingly selects some random dude to be that year’s Bruce Wayne, sometimes there’s two or three or four.

One year Oliver even dyes his hair and he gets to be Bruce Wayne for the day. 

It’s fun. But the real Bruce? He’s up to something. 

When Oliver comes back from his sojourn on an island and is deciding to clean up his act and maybe start dressing up in green and shooting people with arrows, he finds out that Bruce is back in Gotham. He’s gone from a guy who nobody knew what he looked like to one of the most recognizable faces.

Every week the gossip rags have a new crazy Bruce Wayne headline. 

“Bruce Wayne accidentally schedules two dates with two models at the same time, at the same restaurant. Models proceed to fight over him and wreck the restaurant, forcing Wayne to buy it.” There’s a viral video and everything. Except it’s not hard for Oliver to find out that the “models” are actually amateaur professional wrestlers.

“Bruce Wayne trips and knocks ice sculpture onto newly elected Gotham mayor.” Nobody bothers to mention that getting absolutely clobbered by an ice sculpture is what saved the mayor from being shot by a political rival.

“Bruce Wayne lets child ward drive his car. Kid accidentally puts car in reverse instead of drive and backs into and wrecks Lex Luthor’s custom McLaren.” That one just seems intentional. The kid even looks behind him as he’s backing up.

Sure people change over the course of 18 years, Oliver has certainly changed but he just can’t square this absolute buffoon with the kid who bragged about how he was already studying calculus. And it’s just so calculated. Just like the parties, it’s like a facade of being a rich playboy, not the real thing. Oliver knows the real thing. He’s been the real thing.

Then he walks into a meeting of the new, as yet unnamed, coalition of heroes and meets Batman for the first time. The familiar wave of hibbie-jibbies runs up his spine but he’s not a kid anymore so he just smirks.

“So do you still think Travis Bickle was kind of right?”