(Read first part here.)
Enemies To Lovers
If Obi-Wan’s affair with a Mandalorian lady shows the signs of a great star-crossed lovers story, other women who pay attention to Obi-Wan are not lagging behind. In ancient times, the Jedi and Mandalorians fought wars. But who else are the Jedi’s enemies? You guessed it, the Sith.
Strictly speaking, the lady in question is not a proper Sith – but she is the apprentice to one, and she is a Dark Side Force-user all right. We are of course talking about Asajj Ventress, one of the main antagonists in The Clone Wars series. Whenever she and Obi-Wan are in one place, about 90% of their communication are teasing remarks with flirty undertone.
“That’s Fine, Red Is Not My Color”
Let us make one thing clear – Obi-Wan and Ventress do not go anywhere beyond flirting, and it is rather clear that to each other, they are primarily enemies and everything else is purely hypothetical.
Nonetheless it is a very well-built relationship. And it culminates at the moments when Obi-Wan and Ventress are forced to cooperate, such as when returned Darth Maul’s ambush nearly costs Obi-Wan his life. In season 4 episode 22 of TCW (titled “Revenge”) Asajj rescues Obi-Wan and even lends him her lightsaber. “I want that back,” she remarks. “That’s fine,” Obi-Wan replies, “red’s not my color.” That dialogue is a good illustration of how they usually communicate.
The episode (and the entire fourth season) closes as Obi-Wan and Ventress escape, crammed into a small cockpit they had separated from the rest of the ship in order to escape. What happened before they managed to return to civilisation is left to the audience’s imagination.
One reason why I am specifically pointing out Ventress is because it seems to be remembered in Mike Chen’s upcoming novel Star Wars: Brotherhood. The novel should explore the Cato Neimoidia incident just before the start of the Clone Wars and it should also show the first encounter between Obi-Wan and Ventress. And from the preview that was shared on the official Star Wars website, their dialogue seems to go in the same vein from the very start.
The Ladies’ Man!
Obi-Wan’s relationship with Asajj is illustrative to the way he gets often treated by ladies of his age (and how he responds). And while neither of Obi-Wan’s encounters with ladies are as dramatic as that with Duchess Satine Kryze, it is a fact that many are paying attention to him.
Obi-Wan’s “flirting” is often a kind of pose, nevertheless, it is a game he happily takes part in. I very much hope that the makers of the “Obi-Wan Kenobi” series did not forget this dimension (yes, I am eyeing you, Inquisitor ladies and company), as it is something that adds to the character’s depth. Like I said earlier, Obi-Wan has the less “proper” side that manifests in carefreely mind tricking others as well as throwing flirty comments back at those who seem interested in him.
