#complementary halves of a single warrior

[virahaus]

I could recognize him by touch alone, by smell; I would know him blind, by the way his breaths came and his feet struck the earth. I would know him in death, at the end of the world.

Madeline Miller, The Song of Achilles

⋆⭒˚.⋆🪐 ⋆⭒˚.⋆

They knew each other better than brothers, more intimately than lovers; they were complementary halves of a single warrior.

Matthew Stover, Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

[intermundia]

one thing i love about obikin is that the boys are not terribly distinct in terms of their height or weight or strength (at least in live action, filoni's clone wars makes obi-wan appear very slender and small, almost in order to make anakin look bigger and more masculine, but that's a whole other discussion). i like that their physical similarities only emphasize the brother-in-arms, complementary halves of a single warrior aspect of their bond, how they're the dark and light sides of the same coin, one of aristophanes's soulmates split apart and seeking to be reunited as one body. like yes vader becomes super tall and massive when he becomes more machine than man, but back when he was just anakin, he and obi-wan saw almost exactly eye to eye, they didn't have to work to whisper in each other's ears, and fighting back to back was easy and natural. young anakin grew up until they became equal and opposite halves of the team, until they weren't anymore, but lord it was beautiful when they were.

[infernaleikon]

hey (with the intention to remind you that blade-to-blade they were identical. after thousands of hours in lightsaber sparring they knew each other better than brothers, more intimately than lovers, they were complementary halves of a single warrior)

[grumfy]

Do you have any Obikin fics that you could recommend? I'm dipping my toes in the water for the first time because of the Ranwan parallels

Hehe YESSS happy to provide for a fellow ranwanist!! I actually never read fic before this ship so I’m so happy I can finally answer a fic request ask!!

I’ll give you the first three I read that really got me into the ship because of 2ha adjacent vibes!! These are good entry points I think for my beloved 2ha followers, because over the past few months most of the stuff I read has gotten more fandom-esoteric lol

All He’ll See is Me is basically the premise of 2ha condensed into a clean 35k and was my first fic-intro to the ship. Evil dark lord dies and gets sent back in time and porks his teacher, but this time, it’s in space! I’m pretty sure it’s the most popular fic in the ship tag based on kudos

haunt me then is very much a 0.5 timeline esque 7k one-shot the author describes as "he came back wrong to you, but he came back to me” featuring weird codependent willing attic wifey stuff with the shadow of the person you used ton love and still love. absolutely delicious, and is nonlinear for extra flavor.

Come Down From Your Holy Mountain is the one I credit to really launching my interest, it’s like completed at 150k where, instead of leaving Anakin to die after chopping off his limbs on a volcano planet, decides to save him and rehab him. I really loved how involved the plot was and the slow-burn development of their relationship

Also, though it’s not a fic, it may as well be so I’m suggesting it. If you decide this ship is up your alley do your self a favor and read the The Revenge of the Sith novelization by Matt Stover. Aside from being really really really phenomenally written, is literally the most yaoi a book’s ever been without being explicitly yaoi. It’s somehow even more homoerotically charged and gayngsty than any fanfiction where they have sex. I literally cannot articulate to you how fucking insane it is. It’s literally what actually drove home my obsession because I was kind of like “okay wow…this codependent one sided yaoi is actually way more insane than I ever imagined” because Matt Stover writes Obi-Wan like a repressed gay monk in love with his friend, and as a result literally every other author to write official Star Wars books involving them channeled that energy but amped up the weird to untouchable levels.

Some batshit from the novel since I need to get this across to you:

“Blade-to-blade, they were identical. After thousands of hours in lightsaber sparring, they knew each other better than brothers, more intimately than lovers; they were complementary halves of a single warrior.”

“Every day and every night [Obi-Wan] violated every principle the Jedi had taught him about staying in the present moment, about acceptance. Going over every argument, every talk, to find the key that he should have turned in order to unlock the secrets of Anakin's heart.”

‘Palpatine lifted his shoulders. "Perhaps not. Perhaps it's simply a question of whether you love Obi-Wan Kenobi more than you love your wife."’

A scene where Anakin’s wife basically calls out Obi-Wan for loving Anakin and it literally reads like someone’s wife confronting her oblivious straight husband’s “confirmed bachelor” friend when he’d thought he’d kept it a secret.

And more. On like every page to the point where I was like. What the actual fuck were you on.

Anywayssssss hope this was helpful to you LMAO!!! If anyone wants recs or to chat you’re always more than welcome to DM me to ask or talk about it lol.

[edgeofn1ght]

For the Character Ask Meme - 7 and 15 and 25, please!

ahhh thank you, my dear! 😊 (and for the bonus obi-wan, too!)

7. What's something the fandom does when it comes to this character that you like?

When the fandom ships him with happiness! When they give him any kind of happiness because he deserves it so much. And heaven knows he doesn't get a ton in canon. lol

15. What's your favorite ship for this character? (Doesn't matter if it's canon or not.)

obikin! i am a very, very long-time brobikin fan and still am - that pair means everything to me platonically, as 'brothers,' as master and apprentice, as friends, etc. etc. But their rich story in canon means there's also a lot to play with for a ship, too! I wouldn't ever want it to be canon, it's perfect the way it is, but it's just another interesting dynamic.

Then you've got Matthew Stover out here writing,

They knew each other better than brothers, more intimately than lovers; they were complementary halves of a single warrior.

And like.... come on. Complementary halves! It doesn't get much better than that.

25. What was your first impression of this character? How about now?

I saw the OT in maybe the early 90s, and I have to admit, i was a lot more taken with young Harrison Ford then lol. But i liked Obi-Wan a lot! It took the prequels though for me to really LOVE him, know what i mean? When he came on screen with his magic anxiety, it was love at first sight. 😂

from these asks

[secreteviltwin]

that word weaving didnt even have the complementary halves of a single warrior thing smh

[jessequinnfirstofhername]

The final results are in!

Before celebrating our winner, let’s take a moment to acknowledge and appreciate all of the other fabulous ships that have featured in this poll.

Firstly, a round of applause for all of the ‘write-in vote’ ships from Round One that didn’t quite make it:

Sabedala, Velcinta, Merrical, Gingerpilot, Wolfwren, Skybridger, LandoLuke, MaraLuke, HanLuke, ObiMaul, and of course, Peedy.

…and a further round of applause not just for all of our runner-up ships, but for their passionate fans who worked so hard to keep them afloat for as long as possible:

Anisoka, Anidala, Reylo, Kylux, Kalluzeb, DinLuke, HanLeia, Kanera, and Finnpoe.

Without any further ado, it’s time for some medals.

In third place, we have Rebelcaptain! 🥉

In second place, we have Codywan! 🥈

…and finally. After eleven rounds, a mountain of Discourse, in-fighting, reflection, and a small novella’s worth of tags, we have our winner.

The Best Star Wars Ship Of All Time.

This is it, the definite answer. No further discussion. This is the one.

Our winner is… OBIKIN! 🥇

…they knew each other better than brothers, more intimately than lovers; they were the complementary halves of a single warrior...

Congratulations boys! Also, a huge shout-out and congratulations to all of the passionate Obikin shippers who propelled them to victory.

This poll was so much fun! Thank-you to everyone who participated. I have plenty more poll ideas coming, so stay tuned.

Also, please check out my Best Star Wars Femslash Ship Poll, and my Best Lightsaber Poll. Feel free to peruse my fanfics too.

-Jesse xx

The Only Important Rule To Remember:

When there are only two ships remaining, they will face off against one another in a week-long poll to determine the victor.

Sadly, we must bid goodbye to Rebelcaptain. Allow me to salute all of the wonderful, dedicated Rebelcaptain fans who fought so valiantly for them. You got them into the final three! 🫡

…and then there were two.

This. Is. It.

It’s the battle of the Obi-Wan ships.

Will the winner be Obikin?

Or will it be Codywan?

Cast your votes for the last time to decide, once and for all... what is the best Star Wars ship of all time?

...oh, but remember, this is all just for fun! So don't take it too seriously ;)

Happy voting, and may the best ship win!

[atagotiak]

"Blade-to-blade, Obi-Wan and Anakin were identical. After thousands of hours lightsaber sparring, they knew each other better than brothers, more intimately than lovers; they were the complementary halves of a single warrior."

-Revenge of the Sith Novelization

Preliminary Round: Star Wars

Poe Dameron, Finn and Rey Skywalker vs Anakin Skywalker and Obi-wan Kenobi

Propaganda for Poe, Finn and Rey: "Found each other and support, we were robbed of what they could have been"

Propaganda for Anakin and Obi-wan: "Mentor and apprentice! Obi-Wan raised Anakin! They have this fun father/son, older brother/younger brother relationship going on! They literally have a psychic bond that allows them to feel what the other is experiencing emotionally as well communicate sometimes! They're so drift compatible that they ALREADY ARE in their original universe's version of that concept!"

[allthingskenobi]

"They were complementary halves of a single warrior."

[embrassemoi]

To prepare for the finale of Kenobi, here are facts about Obi and Ani to make you even sadder while watching:

They have a force bond similar to a dyad

Obi-Wan was preparing to leave the Jedi Order for Ani

When Ani tells Padmé that the Jedi turned on the Republic, 3PO and R2 are listening. 3PO then asks R2 if Anakin was serious. R2 tells him, “I don’t know. Anakin doesn’t talk to me anymore” [ROTS]

Obi-Wan turned a blind eye to Padmé and Ani’s relationship so they could have what he dreamed of having: love, happiness, a family

“Because all he’ll see is me” [Kenobi show]

“They knew each other better than brothers, more intimately than lovers; they were complementary halves of a single warrior” [ROTS novel]

By admitting he loved Anakin, Obi broke the Jedi code

“Anakin and Obi-Wan would never fight each other. They couldn’t. They’re a team. They’re the team” [ROTS novel]

Obi-Wan didn’t mean to cut off Anakin’s limbs. It was purely an accident [ROTS novel]

In one of the novelizations for A New Hope, Vader accidentally projects an overwhelming, all consuming loneliness through the Force when Obi-Wan dies. It’s so horrifically sad that even Yoda feels bad for him

Vader questioned who he loved more: Padmé or Obi

Anakin designed R4 (Obi-Wan’s droid) to look like his so they could match

Anakin was a slave his entire life. On Tatooine, the Order, and Vader suit that made him claustrophobic, constricted and resulted in constant physical pain

In the comics, Anakin begged Obi-Wan and Leia for forgiveness as a force ghost

The only time Obi-Wan said “I love you” to Anakin was in past tense

[intermundia]

fellas is it gay to bury your weapons together in a shared coffin box entombing the lives you shared while wielding those blades as complementary halves of a single warrior

[sapphicsparkles]

“…they knew each other better than brothers, more intimately than lovers; they were the complementary halves of a single warrior.”

[homoeroticbetrayal]

Iconic Homoerotic Betrayal: Round 1

Round 1 Directory

Context:

Anakin/Obi-Wan (Star Wars)

"The whole 3rd arc of the "Return of The Sith" movie is effectively just the painful end of the most powerful and committed relationship in all of Star Wars. Obi-Wan even told Yoda that he could not kill Anakin and he was right. He couldn't deliver the final blow to Anakin and just assumed that Anakin's severe burns would do what he could not. Even when he's gone into exile on Tatooine, he still wishes he could see Anakin again. Anakin is never not on his mind, even in the end. The ROTS novel is even more explicit about their love for one another, something that transcends brotherhood, friendship and lovers."

"They are so dependent on eachother like get a room boys. Also they have one of the most iconic fights (when Anakin falls to the darkside in the Revenge of the Sith movie) and Anakin literally takes time out of the lightsaber fight to choke Obi-Wan like hello?? Also this is a quote from an official canon Star Wars book; "Blade-to-blade, Obi-Wan and Anakin were identical. After thousands of hours lightsaber sparring, they knew each other better than brothers, more intimately than lovers; they were the complementary halves of a single warrior."

Macaque/Sun Wukong (Lego Monkei Kid)

Mac + Sun Wukong were the bestest buddies in the whole world until Sun Wukong was forced to go through a character arc road trip and made NEW friends. Mac severely misunderstood the Forceful Character Growth methods and attempts to kill Wukongs friends. So, to defend the new friends, Wukong kills Macaque in return. Now, Macaque does come back Wrong and there is some speculation on how there could be some possible trickery and manipulation regarding Mac's death, but watching LMK it is intensely homoerotic.

[solasan]

“       BLADE-TO-BLADE, THEY WERE IDENTICAL. after thousands of hours in lightsaber sparring, they knew each other better than brothers, more intimately than lovers; they were COMPLEMENTARY HALVES OF A SINGLE WARRIOR.” (the novelisation of revenge of the sith)

[organaxxsolo]

How am I supposed to watch Vader and Obi-Wan duel in Kenobi (2022) while knowing that baby Anakin used to sneak into Obi-Wan’s room at night and fall asleep next to his bed so that he could make sure he didn’t lose him like he lost his mom and Qui-Gon??? Knowing that Obi-Wan used to stay up all night worrying about Anakin knowing or not knowing how to swim??? Knowing that they knew eachother better than brothers, knew each other more intimately than lovers; they were complementary halves of a single warrior??? Knowing that to strike Anakin down would burn Obi-Wan’s heart to ash??? How am I supposed to cope???

[lucrezia-borgia-archive]

Anakin and Obi-Wan. Kenobi and Skywalker. From the beginning of the Clone Wars, the phrase Kenobi and Skywalker has become a single word. […] Blade-to-blade, they were identical. After thousands of hours in lightsaber sparring, they knew each other better than brothers, more intimately than lovers; they were complementary halves of a single warrior.

ANAKIN SKYWALKER and OBI-WAN KENOBI in STAR WARS: REVENGE OF THE SITH 2005, dir. George Lucas (Happy Birthday, @elivanto! 💙)