@yousufkhan1212
He spent his time meditating, communicating with Qui Gon through the Force and studying the living Force itself. That doesn't mean he grew in combative power
It doesn't always mean growing in power, and for Ben's case, he was studying the technique of how to become a Force Ghost which would easily increase his connection with the Force, but not better TK.
Ben was referring to his connection with the Light Side of the Force, yes I know it is a side of the Force, but not a side that's about power, the Dark Side is about power. The only thing Ben has been doing since ROTS that has anything to do with the Force is studying the technique of how to become a Force Ghost, meditating, and some stuff like that.
Ben's statements about how he was grown is not a reference to his combative power.
1. Prove otherwise. The evidence that he grew in power is there. Prove that it isn't applicable to "combative power", the onus is on you for it. Increased connection to the force, means increase in overall power my friend. And increase in overall power, means increase in augmentative and telekinetic power by granted. As I said, prove otherwise?
2. It was one of the techniques he was studying. That doesn't mean he wasn't studying other techniques though. And increase in knowledge always leads to increase in power itself because you test your boundaries more often in new ways. That leads to greater mastery, unlocking more raw power from your potential. Of course, things like experience and training, actual fighting also contributes to increase in power( hence why he became vastly more powerful from AoTC to ROTS), but his experience for 17 years was practically nothing, so there isn't any help from that quarter at all.
Yes I know he realized he was mistaken about assuming Ben's power diminished and acknowledged the truth as ANH Junior Novel made clear, but that concept doesn't automatically his power grew, it would alsoi mean his power remained the same.
This was in reference to your point. Also, if your power grows, I am pretty sure it can't remain the same!!
Firstly, Ben was only 57 years old at the time of ANH, he wasn't that old, yeah he looked like a crazy old wizard, but don't let the choreography of ANH movie fool you. Take Qui Gon Jinn for example, a man in his 60s (3 years older than Ben) who used Ataru (the most physically demanding Form in lightsaber combat if I recall correctly), and he managed to contend with TPM Maul (one of the deadliest, most efficiently trained and most dangerous Sith of all time) for a lengthy period of time. Qui Gon is a perfect case an elderly Jedi who uses a very physically demanding Form, past his physical prime, and happens to be in his 60s.
I wouldn't call 57 years old to be "only", though bro. Secondly, he was actually that old and looked more, because of Tatooine, and the climate, which he wasn't used to previously, and which may have caused him to age prematurely. And yes, he did fight for two years after ROTS( in Legends) but left it, and for 17 years. Pretty sure a long period, of inactivity, isolation, harsh climate would cause such conditions in Obi Wan, yeah. And Qui Gon was 60 dot, at Naboo. Just 3 years older than Obi Wan.
And on the other hand, Ben has been stated as a formidable Form III practitioner even in his elderly years.
Because, he was, by everyone known to us, THE greatest master of Soresu to ever exist( by known people again) in ROTS. At the very least, he was an undisputed prodigy in that form. So yeah, he would remain a master, and his skills would still be classified as formidable. Because, not only his power grew, compensating for his extremely degenerated physicals, but he also practiced slightly though it is infinitely lesser than what he did in the clone wars.
And it's been stated that Ben still continued his Jedi exercises on Tatooine for a while to stay fit.
As I said, they would allow his bare minimum of skill to survive obviously. Otherwise, not even someone as powerful and skilled as Obi Wan can possibly last a millisecond against Vader. Then you have this:
Neither has fought another lightsaber-wielder for many years. Kenobi is an older man
Credit:Insider#62, Fightsaber
Which confirms, for now, that Obi Wan Kenobi didn't fight anyone for at least 17 years( 5 in the case for Vader though since this came out before Rebels and it pales in comparison to 17 of Obi Wan, but on the information we have on Obi Wan, it is 17). And no amount of basic rudimentary exercises can compensate for actual experience and fighting.
He still had some skill, his old Master did, but he was out of practice. Vader could feel it through the Force.
Credit: Death Star
Obi Wan's muscle strength has been continually termed as weak. His physicals, are therefore only a bare shadow of his former self.
The Death Star sourcebook actually says that Ben was taunting Vader, using a "Sith honorific", and also said that Vader knew he was being taunted.
"You can't win, Darth. If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."
Vader knew that Obi-Wan was taunting him by using the Sith honorific, but he would not allow himself to be baited." - Death Star.
2 things again:
1. He was taunting when he said "Darth". No where here is it mentioned that he was taunting when he said that he had become much more powerful. Yes they are different sources, but they are directly inconsistent. Let me even use it then, we will have this-
2. Further, here is the actual thing
"Your power has matured since I taught you, but I too have grown much since our parting."-Obi Wan Kenobi
Credit: A New Hope
This was before the taunt. The "taunt" only referred to the usage of the term "Darth" by Obi Wan. Even in the Death Star, it is said so directly, that the taunt was referring to the said so.
The same guy who spent most of years isolated on a Desert planet with little to no friends after the Rise of the Galatic Empire, having little to no friends to talk to, only having the duty of watching over Luke Skywalker and living alone, knowing that most of his Jedi friends and companions either became traitors, killed or captured. That can take a serious psychological toll on someone, and as a matter of fact, it's even more clear when Owen Lars mentions Ben being a "crazy old wizard". I'm not saying Old Ben Kenobi is a sadistic liar, I'm saying he's a extremely mentally unwell and is somewhat crazy.
Now you are pulling my leg for sure :). But yes, as far as Owen Lars is concerned:
"Like a father you wish to be, young Obi-Wan?" "More an...eccentric old uncle, I think. It is a part I can play very well."
Credit: Revenge of the Sith
Yes, judging by the movies, there didn't seem to be absolutely anything wrong with Obi Wan mentally( that too aside from the fact that he is a master telepath). And he admits that he did the crazy part by himself, just as an act. So that isn't true my friend.
Now aside from Obi Wan's own admittance, how do we judge that his powers increased and substantially? Simple, we know for a fact that his strength has degraded a lot, and his skills have degenerated too( though not even close to exponentially like his physical strength). Based on that, there is( I have said this 4 times, and I am saying it again), absolutely no way he can loosely stalemate someone who, by canon, is a confirmed superior to ROTS Anakin, and even has quotes from Legends supporting this( despite the new theories that have Anakin at YodaSidious level, I mean seriously?, every evidence of that comes from quotes in Legends, the likes of which are contradicted by several other quotes as well, and completely contradicted by Canon, which has Rebels Vader at his prime of life), and more conclusively, feats supporting this etc. Vader, even a decade before this, was fodderising Jedi Masters and Knights as if they were malfunctioning proxy droids. This is the same person whole force augmentation matched Starkiller himself. Given this, the only way an Obi Wan as weak as himself will fight to the level that he did, is if his power increased drastically, which it did, by his own admission. As for Vader vs Anakin, the main creator of this argument simply cannot toss canon away, as it is still central to the universe. And even in Legends, there are still plenty of quotes contradicting that notion. Canon contradicts it fully. And feats contradict it. Even though it is Rebels or ROTJ Vader we are talking about, ANH Vader is still close enough to them. And yes, I realize that I am probably mixing continuity here by discussing Anakin, but we debate the SW universe as a whole, and have to take in a holistic point of view, not a blinkered one.
That being said, this is quite conclusive. In fact it is rather crystal clear, as I have said countless times, there simply cannot be any other possibility.
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