Star Wars: Obi-Wan Cheated Against Anakin Skywalker With A Banned Lightsaber Move

As far as Star Wars lightsaber battles go, few are more iconic than the climactic confrontation between Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker at the end of "Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith." On the fiery surface of Mustafar, the pair engage in an epic battle as Obi-Wan laments his former Padawan's turn to the dark side. Of course, fans know that Obi-Wan emerges victorious, leaving Anakin to a fiery demise that cements his emergence as Darth Vader. However, things may have gone differently if Obi-Wan didn't play a little dirty with his lightsaber moves.

By some accounts, Obi-Wan actually cheats in his duel against Anakin due to using a lightsaber tactic the Jedi have historically been banned from using. The move, known as the mou kei, is the act of using a lightsaber to sever multiple limbs from the opponent at once. It's one of the most deadly lightsaber techniques out there and is generally considered taboo. Backed into a corner, Obi-Wan uses the forbidden maneuver and cuts off Anakin's legs and left arm, ending the confrontation. In the end, it seems that neither opponent leaves the Mustafar battle with their honor fully intact.

While Obi-Wan Kenobi's forbidden mou kei technique is seldom seen elsewhere across Star Wars canon, he's far from the only character who has used lightsabers to engage in a bit of multi-limb removal. For his part, Anakin Skywalker is no stranger to the act either. He uses a move very similar to the mou kei to cut off both of Count Dooku's hands earlier on in "Revenge of the Sith." What goes around comes around, it seems.

Interestingly enough, not all forms of lightsaber limb severance are necessarily considered prohibited. The art of Jedi lightsaber combat includes numerous marks of contact beyond the mou kei. The cho mai involves the singular amputation of the opponent's weapon-wielding hand, the cho sun centers on the severance of the foe's entire weapon-wielding arm, and the cho mok refers to the cutting of an enemy's leg.

These marks of contact are far more commonplace than the mou kei in traditional lightsaber combat and can be glimpsed at various points across the entire Star Wars story. One of the most iconic scenes in the entire franchise is Darth Vader performing the cho mai to cut off Luke Skywalker's hand in "Star Wars: Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back." Whether it's the cho mai or the mou kei, it's clear lightsabers and limbs generally don't mix well.