While I get that's the intended point, that doesn't diminish that - even with the context of Obi-Wan confronting his former student about his turn to Darkness, as well as Force-Choking Padme Amidala - Obi-Wan's rebuttal is anything but clever, or cutting, or has any ability to de-escalate the conflict, or to convince his former friend and pupil to abandon his self-destructive path. It's just plain dumb; the context isn't enough to save the quote, or to defend it in any reasonable capacity, in my opinion.GandALF wrote:He's specifically talking about "with me or against me" absolutism, obviously the Jedi believe in definitive good and evil but are aware most people are in the middle. Yes the line should've been reworked but its not so fallacious in context.Asvarduil wrote: That being said, the whole, "Only a Sith deals in absolutes!" (facepalm) makes me always facepalm, EVERY time it is said, because it's such a terrible fallacy.
Not only did it fail to defeat Anakin's position, or have any meaningful effect, it's such a weak position that when people take the facepalm-worthy statement to its logical conclusion, that conclusion is, "Obi-Wan is also a Sith Lord", since he too deals in absolutes, manipulation, and falsehoods, not at all unlike his erstwhile student. Frankly, if Obi-Wan had called Anakin a shithead, or jerk, or Neelix (sorry for redundancy), it would've been a step up, because at least it would've justified the lengthy fight scene (over kool-aid lava, because LucasArts clearly learned everything about lava from Super Mario Bros.) with Obi-Wan expressing clear-cut disdain for Anakin's newfound Sith allegiance. As it is, the line is just plain pathetic.
GG, Jedi. GG. That Coruscant Temple education sure worked for Obi-Wan.