The above picture is Obi-Wan Kenobi as Luke Skywalker meets him, or under his alias Old Ben. Obi-Wan used to be one of the greatest Jedi Knights in the galaxy. However, after Emperor Palpatine took over and the minions of the Sith, including Kenobi's former apprentice Anakin Skywalker, and began exterminating the Jedi Knights Obi-Wan and Yoda went into hiding. Obi-Wan lived for many years in the Jundland Wastes near the edge of the Dune Sea on the desert planet Tatooine. Many of the inhabitants of the Anchorhead area know who Old Ben is. Most of them consider him to be some crazy old hermit, even though he occasionally warns the town of approaching Sand People or comes to help someone who is lost. In reality, Obi-Wan Kenobi was once a general in the Clone Wars fighting alongside such heroes as Bail Antilles of Alderaan. When Obi-Wan's apprentice Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker's father, becomes the evil Darth Vader, Obi-Wan knows he has more of a chance protecting young Luke Skywalker than trying to save Anakin from the Dark Side. Kenobi knows that it is too late for Anakin and takes it so far as to tell Luke that his father was killed by Darth Vader when Luke meets with him later in Episode IV. Little does Luke know that it was Obi-Wan that brought Luke to the planet of Tatooine so long ago. Obi-Wan teaches Luke the ways of the Force and tells him of his destiny to become a Jedi Knight. Though Obi-Wan is later killed by Darth Vader on the Death Star, he occasionaly appears to Luke in visions to guide him on his many future quests. Without Obi-Wan, the galaxy may very well never have been saved from the Empire at all.