“I’m really ahead of him.” In attack of the clones, Anakin Skywalker makes this flippant boast of his master to Padmé Amidala and later claims, “It’s all Obi-Wan’s fault!” He is jealous ! He’s holding me back! Curiously, until now, we never knew precisely Why Anakin said so. But now, thanks to a flashback in Obi Wan Kenobi Episode 5, everything makes sense. Here’s why.

Spoilers ahead.

Obi-Wans’ Anakin Skywalker Flashback, Explained

Episode 5 of Obi Wan Kenobi begins with a cold opening between Anakin and Obi-Wan clashing on Coruscant. When does this take place? Well, because Anakin is wearing his Padawan braid, and Obi-Wan and Anakin are still rocking their pre-Revenge of the Sith lightsabers, we can place this flashback sometime before the events of attack of the clones, and long before The Clone Wars.

Star Wars Lightsaber Continuity

A funny detail in this flashback: the barrel of the lightsaber is very precise.

In attack of the clones, Anakin started out with a unique blue-bladed lightsaber – not the most famous one that was later passed down to Luke and then Rey. This saber is different than his most famous and actually has a handle a little closer to Darth Vader’s. This scene in Obi Wan Kenobi is now, chronologically, the first screen appearance of this very specific sword!

Obi-Wan also rocks his second saber, which looks a lot like his first of The Phantom Menace. Again, this isn’t Obi-Wan’s most famous saber from Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and A new hope. Like Anakin, Obi-Wan loses this saber during the events of attack of the clonesand the two Jedi Loan Lightsabers (not those!) in the final duel with Count Dooku at the end of attack of the clones.

Most important point: This flashback is very detailed and could easily be watched in isolation before attack of the clones, which would give this film a whole new twist. Speaking of what…

Why Obi-Wan retained Anakin

In attack of the clones, Anakin is not a Jedi Knight, he is around 19 years old and is still a Jedi Padawan. Now, in all honesty, Obi-Wan Kenobi was still a Padawan at about 25 years old in The Phantom Menace, but Anakin feels like not becoming a knight is a specific decision, and that Obi-Wan is “holding me back.” He tells Padmé, “I’m ready for the trials”, meaning the Jedi trials that prove you are in fact a Jedi Knight.

Presumably, Anakin has demonstrated more power and ability than almost any other Jedi in history, so Obi-Wan’s choice to retain him is notable. In attack of the clones, we take Anakin’s anguish and anger with Obi-Wan as given. But in Obi Wan Kenobi episode 5, we see Obi-Wan’s side. In the flashback that punctuates the entire episode, all of Anakin’s reasons for being “restrained” become crystal clear.

During a furious practice duel, Obi-Wan says, “Your need for victory Anakin, it blinds you.” And then, in the final outcome of this flashback, Obi-Wan says, “You are a great warrior Anakin, but your need to prove yourself is your downfall. Until you overcome it, you will always be a Padwan.

Not only does this explain Anakin’s anger in attack of the clones, but it also extends to how we can think of Vader’s character in general. Even in Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ben treats Vader like a Padawan, which is also the case in A new hope. During Vader and Kenobi’s final battle, Anakin is desperate to prove that “I am the master now”.

Through Obi Wan Kenobi, the specific physical danger to Ben and Vader is almost non-existent. We know how things end for these two. But this flashback proves the show is playing a very different emotional game. against all reason, Obi Wan Kenobi managed to deliver what would seem impossible: take the tragedy of Darth Vader to new heights by bringing this dark alter ego closer to the person he once was – Anakin Skywalker.

Obi Wan Kenobi is streaming now on Disney+.