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star wars - What upset Luke more: the death of his family or the death of Kenobi?



Why does Luke Skywalker seem as upset by Obi-Wan's death, as he is by the death of his uncle and aunt?


Especially considering he found them burnt to the bone (the people that raised him all his life to that point) as opposed to Kenobi (up until recently regarded as "the hermit that lives across the Dune Sea") vanishing and becoming one with the Force (possibly not completely dying).



Answer



We don't know which deaths affected Luke more.


However, as to your suggestion that Luke seems to be more upset about Obi Wan's death, I think there are a few possible explanations:





  • Luke saw the mission to save Leia as a way to avenge Owen and Beru. Being able to do something makes the grief more bearable: "Those imperial scum killed my family - let's get 'em!" Contrast this with "That Vader bastard killed Obi Wan - RUN AWAY!"




  • In a similar way, rescuing Leia and learning about the Force on the way gave Luke something to keep himself occupied. He had less time to dwell on the past. After it was over, he was finally able to absorb and process everything that had happened over the past week or two. This is when the deaths of Owen and Beru finally sunk in. His bereavement at this point is about Obi Wan and Beru and Owen.




  • When Owen and Beru were killed, Luke still had a tie to his former life - Obi Wan, who knew him, his dad, and his aunt and uncle, and who had been (unbeknownst to Luke) watching over him his whole life. After Obi Wan died, Luke was totally alone, with no ties to his former life, which must have been crushing. Luke's link to Tatooine was totally severed. He was on his own, and he had no idea what to do next. The future was a complete unknown.





  • We don't see every moment of every day, and much of Luke's grieving may have taken place off camera. The movie would be less enjoyable if it consisted of scene after scene of Luke moping. He's already whiny enough, any more griping and moaning - however understandable it might be - would run the risk of making Luke an unlikable protagonist.




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