Thinking about the unfinished Crystal Crisis arc (go look it up, its neat), for the umpteenth time. Its decent, Obi-Wan and Anakin are tracking a massive Kyber Crystal across Utapau, the same kind we see in that one Saw Gerrera episode in Rebels, and along the way, they camp on the Savanna. This is the only look (tmk) we are given into Anakin addressing Ahsoka leaving the order. And I absolutely love half of it, and hate the other half. Go watch it instead of reading it here, its some of my favorite voice acting in the show. HERE
Obi-Wan: "Anakin, dwelling on Ahsoka's decision won't bring her back."
Anakin: "I miss her, okay! Is that what you wanted me to say? I still can't understand how she could have left the Order."
Obi-Wan: "It was a surprise decision to all of us."
Anakin: "It was WRONG! She's a Jedi. She belongs with us!" *then quietly* "She one of us."
Obi-Wan: "She made the decision, Anakin."
Anakin: "Well what choice did we give her! The moment there were any suspicions about her loyalty the Council turned their back on her!"
Obi-Wan: "I will grant you mistakes were made, but she chose to leave. Part of the Jedi way is not letting emotion cloud your better judgment, and that's precisely what Ahsoka did, even in her most critical moment."
*pause* "Why don't you get some rest?"
Anakin: "I'm not tired. You can rest Master, I'll keep first watch"
Obi-Wan; "Well then, I will accept your kind offer." *lies down*
"You can't take responsibility for Ahsoka's decision, Anakin."
Anakin: "How would you feel if I turned into a major disappointment?"
Obi-Wan: "It's not the same."
Anakin: "It's precisely the same. You took me under your wing and practically raised me. I'm your padawan just like like Ahsoka was mine. How well you sleep knowing I failed you?"
Obi-Wan: "Not very well, I imagine. Luckily that isn't true . . . and never will be."
I'd like to say first that I really do love the voice acting on both sides so much. Matt does frustrated and angry Anakin better than anyone else could, and James does Obi-Wan just as perfectly as Ewan ever did.
Anakin obviously hasn't begun to come to terms with the events of "The Wrong Jedi" (and honestly, how could he?). And it's obvious when he says he can't understand how she left, he means how Ahsoka left him. And I still can't get over the quite "She's one of us". He shows he does understand that the order gave Ahsoka no choice, which is something that wasn't necessarily clear when he pleaded to her on the steps.
Obi-Wan, for his part in this, continues to offer Anakin the reasoning behind actions without really offering the support Anakin needs, which is really just more accountability and "your right, what happened was wrong, and it wasn't her or your fault." He doesn't do this, and that fits well with the pattern of nobody but Padmé and Palpatine are really there for Anakin in the way he needs for this sort of thing.
He doubles down on this by saying the same thing that the council would have said, that Ahsoka made the wrong choice, and it was her own failing. I'm not sure I like this stance they are having Obi-Wan take, because he would have to be incredibly stupid to believe leaving the order, especially in the circumstances Ahsoka was in, was an objectively poor decision, given that they almost had her killed after forming a personal connection with almost every council member. The man has almost left the Order twice under significantly less pressure and beyond that, Obi-Wan knows and respects Ahsoka more than to badmouth her decision as one made in weakness. So either he believes it (which is stupid), he is convincing himself for his own mental wellbeing, or he is parroting the Council. I don't like the first option at all and feel like its kind of a mischaracterization, the second doesn't have real precedent within the show, and if its the third, this feels like a situation when Obi-Wan would be honest with himself, same as with the Rako Hardeen thing, but maybe I'm wrong. Its really just the doubling down that the choice was misguided that rubs me wrong.
Now, the "How would you feel if I turned into a major disappointment?" is insane. We've seen that Ahsoka had no choice, Anakin admitted that, and he's angry and he misses her. He's obviously angry and upset at the choice, but that line is crazy. Anakin is not all that emotionally mature, we know that, but I do not believe that weeks, if not months after the events, he would call Ahsoka a disappointment. I think he has a better grasp on the situation than to believe that, that leaving the Order was a mark on her and not on the Order itself. Disappointment implies a failing, like Obi-Wan was saying, but I can't believe Anakin, who told her he's wanted to leave the Order, would see Ahsoka leaving after being wrongly accused of terrorism and murder, after being the best padawan he could hope for and becoming his family, would consider her a major disappointment to him. He's devastated, but surely Anakin would see that it was the council that was the disappointment, especially with Padmé to talk to about it and maybe even Rex and Plo Koon. I don't know, but It feels really out of character for Anakin to be blaming Ahsoka for her decision, compared with being deeply, devastatingly sad about it and overwhelmingly furious with the council. He gives no indication of this when they meet again, just genuine joy at seeing her again and worried curiosity at what she has been up to. Idk, maybe I'm the one who has mischaracterized this, but surely Anakin has understood her enough to not let this define his entire opinion of her.
Anyway, let me know what you think of the Arc, this scene, my takes and assessment, and anything else
