Why did Obi-Wan choose to yield his life?

You know, I think that was just a mess-up on Lucas's part .

 

Wouldn't be the only time either

 

Actually, I fully respect LFL, they've worked for me and all, they're the best most professional and respectable company...blame Disney: Disney is the worst thing on the face of the planet .

 

I really meant some of the inconsistencies - such as Leia remembering her real mother, but then in the prequels Padme dies straight after childbirth etc etc. So far I have respected Disney's approach - when JJ says they really let him get on and make the film he wanted, without too much interference. We may never know how true that is, but he seems happy with how they have handled things so far.

 

Just re-watched ANH and ESB on Saturday to get ready for TFA.

And I had this question as well. Obi-Wan states early on in the duel that "If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you can possibly imagine." But then proceeds to fight Vader for another 10 minutes. So I wondered why didn't he just let it happen right away? Why fight for 10 minutes if the end goal was to allow himself to be struck down in the end?

The practical answer is that he needed Luke to see him die, so that Luke would willingly escape the Death Star with Leia and Han.
Even if Luke was willing to leave Obi-Wan behind, the possibility that he was still alive on the Death Star may have made Luke hesitant to later destroy it. Obi-Wan was not going to be able to escape with them.

The Force-inspired answer is that this was all part of the plan that Obi-Wan had foreseen. Obi-Wan seems to reference this as he essentially said goodbye to Luke when he tells him "Your destiny lies along a different path than mine." Obi-Wan needed to die and become a Force ghost in order to most effectively advise Luke along on his journey.

Luke, despite having taken his "first step into a larger world" was not someone with boundless faith in the Force. We see that in ESB when he says "I don't believe it" in response to the UN-submerged X-wing and Yoda responds succinctly with "That is why you fail."

If Obi-Wan was just a voice in his headset advising him to "Use the Force" to destroy the Death Star, it doesn't hold the same weight as some voice from beyond the grave. Obi-Wan's sacrifice was faith in action, something that inspired Luke to turn off his targeting computer in order to destroy the Death Star, and ultimately turn away from the Dark side in ROTJ and throw down his weapon.

What I wonder is if there is any "Force practical" reason that Obi-Wan needed Luke to witness his death. Luke witnessed Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Anakin die in front of him with his own eyes, and they all became Force ghosts. The only other canon approved Jedi to achieve this was QGJ, whose death was witnessed by Obi-Wan.

This is likely just coincidence. However does a Jedi need to have their death witnessed by another Jedi in order to achieve the Force Ghost power? Is this an idea they can play with in the ST? Will Rey need to see Luke die if he is ever to become a Force ghost himself?

 

One could also say, It would make Luke have a hate to Vader.. making him more eager to fight with him, rather than join him. Even though Hate leads to the darkside, maybe it's the risk Obi and Yoda took..

 

Obi Wan yields his life because his last purpose or deed was to awaken Luke to the force and begin his training. Obi Wan had fulfilled his journey and had attained the enlightenment. He had reached such a level that he was able to transform himself into the living force. Death is only a transformation, it is a death of the organic body. He had reached a state of breaking the cycle of needing a human body. Some call it enlightenment,for others it's ascension.

 

Hate is not The Jedi Way...