Vader’s Force ability is a callback to Star Wars: The Force Unleashed

WARNING: This article contains spoilers from Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 5.

We all knew that Darth Vader was supposed to be one of the strongest villains in any universe, and the newest episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi used multiple scenes to demonstrate just how powerful he had become. Gone were the thoughts about Vader simply brushing away flames, we see Vader contemptibly taking out the Third Sister, and stopping a ship fleeing into space with only the Force.

While this is not the first time that we have seen a Force ability take on a ship in this manner it certainly is something that only a few do inside of canon. Even Yoda didn’t use such an ability at the end of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones. There is a non-canon entry where pulling down ships were commonplace. That entry was Star Wars: The Force Unleashed.

The idea of pulling down ships from space with a force ability was so central to the plot of Force Unleashed that it actually appeared in one of the trailers. While we do not see anyone pulling down something the size of a Star Destroyer in Obi-Wan Kenobi, we do see Vader use the Force far more than we see most other combatants. This speaks to the raw power that Anakin now has access to in the Dark Side of the Force, and as the Chosen one we have even seen him change time during the Mortis Arc of Star Wars: The Clone Wars.

It is good to see that live-action is finally demonstrating Force abilities consistently with the rest of canon material, and makes the lead-up to the last episode exponentially more exciting. Maybe now we fully understand Vader’s quote from Star Wars: A New Hope, “The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force.”

Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming exclusively on Disney+. Be sure to check out all of our coverage on the series, including episode recaps, reviews, and more.