Now I'm not sure if this topic has been covered or debated at some point in time in blogsville, but I thought I would put it out there anyway, as it's fresh in my mind from a conversation with a co-worker today.

Did Darth Vader really kill Obi-Wan?

Upon first viewing of the movie, or to a casual moviegoer, one might think that Vader struck the killing blow to Obi-Wan in their "heated" lightsaber battle. We can ignore the fact that it was a battle between a half-man / half-machine being and an old man who has grown weak in his powers. This duel had disaster written all over it, with someone surely to walk away with a missing limb or not walk away at all.

What we don't know at the time however, is that Obi-Wan had been learning the power to become "one" with the Force upon his exit of the physical world, and to instruct the chosen one's son as the galaxy's new hope. Vader didn't know this. Vader thought he was taking revenge on his old master for what had been done to him. He takes the lethal swing with his lightsaber ... and Obi-Wan vanishes! Vader steps on the fallen robes in obvious bewilderment at what happened.

So did Obi-Wan become one with the Force in that instant before the blade swept across? Hence he disappeared before Vader's blade could touch him? Remember now, Yoda also vanished into the Force upon his death. Therefore, Vader never really did kill Obi-Wan and missed his opportunity to exact revenge, rather Obi-Wan used his power to create his own exit.

It does seem obvious that is what happened, when you put the whole saga together. Obi-Wan still held all the cards when dealing with Vader and used that last trick against him.