Though Obi-Wan Kenobi has Force speed, he barely uses it, which is the latest inconsistency making Star Wars fans scratch their heads and tickle their funny bones.
Redditor xFearful425 renewed the decades-old discussion by writing, “Why didn’t Obi-Wan use his super-speed wheen [sic] chasing after Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan?”
The question was posted alongside the relevant clip from Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, which shows Obi-Wan dramatically—though slowly—running to help Qui-Gon battle Darth Maul.
Compare that clip with another from The Phantom Menace where Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon basically turn into the Flash to escape droidekas.
The Redditor’s question spurred nearly 200 comments, many of which are humorous:
Some Redditors actually grappled with the question, blaming either George Lucas/the creative team or the fact that Force speed is so draining that it needs to be used sparingly.
ShinyHappyMeeples made a good point by moving away from Obi-Wan and bringing the overall use of Force speed into question.
“Has ANYONE in Star Wars, outside of that one scene in Phantom Menace and outside the games, ever used super speed for anything? Maybe there was something in Clone Wars, I haven’t watched alot of the series, but Super Speed almost feels like it was just sort of tacked on once and never used again.”
According to Wookieepedia, the only non-book and video game Star Wars media to depict Force speed are The Phantom Menace, Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Clone Wars, and The Clone Wars.
If you know of another portrayal of Force speed, or else have an alternate opinion for why Obi-Wan uses it so infrequently, you can add to the thread here.