More Extreme Star Wars Geekiness.
So I finally looked up Lightsaber forms on Wookieepedia, the Star Wars encyclopedia site. (Which is funny, 'cause I use Bulbapedia too, which is the Pokemon encyclopedia site. I love these cute names. XD)
FORM IV: Ataru
Way of the Hawk-Bat, or The Aggression Form
This was the one I was most interested in, 'cause it seems like most of the fanfics refer to this as being Obi-Wan's specialty. It's characterized by extremely fast, offensive movements and a lot of aerial jumps. "An aggressive style, Form IV was fast-paced and effective against single opponents, though weaker in prolonged combat and confined spaces. Ataru was characterized by Force-assisted acrobatics, both for attack and defense, and fast, powerful strikes." Obi-Wan definitely demonstrated this form in the fight on Naboo when he constantly leapt over Darth Maul's head and was doing flips all over the place.
Surprisingly enough, Form IV also Qui-Gon and Yoda's specialty. Yoda definitely demonstrates this in Episode II and III, especially when he fights against Dooku. Qui-Gon, though, surprised me. Possibly due to Liam Neeson's height and age, he didn't show a lot of acrobatics in the fight on Naboo, though you could tell he was offensive most of the time (specifically with the backhanding that I adore so much. XD;; )
An interesting thing they pointed out --Ataru is one of the most tiring lightsaber forms. A common theory is that it tired Qui-Gon Jinn enough to cause his momentary stumble and his death at the hands of Darth Maul. Also, both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were at a disadvantage because of the surrounding beams and narrow walkways, which prevented them from getting the amount of room that they needed to perform Form IV at its best.
Up until then, Obi-Wan WAS very good at this form but the death of Qui-Gon caused him to switch to Form III for the rest of his life. (Ironically, he used Ataru against Count Dooku to confuse him before switching back to Form III. Count Dooku, who trained Qui-Gon, has always disapproved of Form IV and claimed that it was "full of weak spots", so it might have been Obi-Wan trying to prove a point.)
Form III: Soresu
Way of the Mynock, or the Resilience Form
This method originally developed as a way to successfully redirect blaster fire, which is something that Obi-Wan has always been good at. Form III utilized strikes and blocks with the lightsaber at very fast speeds with the blade extremely close to the wielder's body, so it requires complete control and focus. It also uses up a lot of patience and time, so the person who uses it should be able to draw out the battle and figure out the enemy's approach before attempting to use it against him/her. "The philosophy of Soresu was described as "being within the eye of the storm." The practitioner maintained a centered frame of concentration, undisrupted by the conflict around them. Thus, Soresu commanded powerful defensive techniques that seemed to adapt to almost any circumstance, at the cost of never reaching past the figurative eye of the storm. Those who studied this style used the primarily defensive technique to wear down aggressive opponents by defending long onslaughts with minimal counter-attacking. They wait until their adversary spent most of their energy, then employed an alternate, more aggressive attack."
This is Obi-Wan's preferred method after Episode I, and (apparently) you see him using it against Dooku, Grevious and Darth Vadar in Episodes II and III. That point at the end about employing aggression at the very end is probably proven by him chopping off Darth Vadar's legs in Episode III.
More lightsaber form information here.
Other interesting tidbits I found out from Wookieepedia:
The last "free" Queen of Naboo, Apailana, was visible at Padme's funeral in Episode III. In canon, she later went on to try and save the Republic by rejecting the views of the Empire. During the Jedi Purge, she offered free refuge to Jedi on the run and gathered a number of them on Naboo. However, Darth Vadar soon heard of this plan and attacked Naboo. In an attempt to buy time to allow the Queen to get to safety, the Jedi launched an attack against Vadar knowing they were going to die. Vadar murdered all Jedi remaining on the planet and then successfully assasinated the Queen. The Empire then replaced Apailana with a puppet Queen who was faithful to the Empire.
Qui-Gon Jinn is a "Grey Jedi", a type of (rare) Jedi that follow the Light but loosely follow the Code and tend to do things according to their own beliefs. Most of these Jedi were abnormally strong in the Living Force, as Qui-Gon was. (They also apparently wear a certain type of robe, which might explain why Qui-Gon's robe was almost black in Episode I. This is just a rumor, though.)
Interesting talent: Qui-Gon has the ability to pay abnormal amounts attention to detail, seen as he could sense mood changes in the people around him. He was, however, quite adept at hiding his emotions from other individuals, even other Jedi. Even as his Master, Count Dooku was often perplexed by his ability to do this when Qui-Gon was a Padawan. (It's so interesting how Liam Neeson's subtle acting probably spawned this theory. XD)
Also, Count Dooku himself described Qui-Gon as the most talented Jedi warrior in 400 years and had picked Qui-Gon as an apprentice solely based on his lightsaber skills. (Ironically, Qui-Gon and Mace Windu are considered evenly matched in Form IV and often spar together.)
Hardcore Star Wars fans believe that a large, drab peice of fabric seen in Old Obi-Wan Kenobi's "hermit hole" in the Original Triology was actually Qui-Gon's poncho from Tatooine.
Dooku, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin formed a chain of Jedi Masters and Padawans through which passed a rebellious streak, making them a difficulty in the eyes of the Jedi Council. Ironically, Yoda himself found this particular line. XD This is hinted at in the cover of "The Legacy of the Jedi", which makes me squeal 'cause they're all lined up and... and... Well, I find it cool. (Oh, random, but here's a zoomup of Qui-Gon being such a CUTE little Padawan. 8D)
So, about Obi-Wan's elusive family... They said he was born to a "moderately rich" family but was taken to the Jedi Temple as a child. He did have a brother called Owen and may have remained in contact with the rest of the Kenobi family through his Knighthood. Most Star Wars fans want to believe that his brother is Owen Lars, the man that raised Luke, but this was considered "highly unlikely" because Obi-Wan probably wasn't born on Tatooine, the same Outer Rim planet where Anakin wasn't discovered until he was nine. However, Owen Lars was born on a mysterious Republic planet called Atar, so that's a possibliity.
FORM IV: Ataru
Way of the Hawk-Bat, or The Aggression Form
This was the one I was most interested in, 'cause it seems like most of the fanfics refer to this as being Obi-Wan's specialty. It's characterized by extremely fast, offensive movements and a lot of aerial jumps. "An aggressive style, Form IV was fast-paced and effective against single opponents, though weaker in prolonged combat and confined spaces. Ataru was characterized by Force-assisted acrobatics, both for attack and defense, and fast, powerful strikes." Obi-Wan definitely demonstrated this form in the fight on Naboo when he constantly leapt over Darth Maul's head and was doing flips all over the place.
Surprisingly enough, Form IV also Qui-Gon and Yoda's specialty. Yoda definitely demonstrates this in Episode II and III, especially when he fights against Dooku. Qui-Gon, though, surprised me. Possibly due to Liam Neeson's height and age, he didn't show a lot of acrobatics in the fight on Naboo, though you could tell he was offensive most of the time (specifically with the backhanding that I adore so much. XD;; )
An interesting thing they pointed out --Ataru is one of the most tiring lightsaber forms. A common theory is that it tired Qui-Gon Jinn enough to cause his momentary stumble and his death at the hands of Darth Maul. Also, both Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan were at a disadvantage because of the surrounding beams and narrow walkways, which prevented them from getting the amount of room that they needed to perform Form IV at its best.
Up until then, Obi-Wan WAS very good at this form but the death of Qui-Gon caused him to switch to Form III for the rest of his life. (Ironically, he used Ataru against Count Dooku to confuse him before switching back to Form III. Count Dooku, who trained Qui-Gon, has always disapproved of Form IV and claimed that it was "full of weak spots", so it might have been Obi-Wan trying to prove a point.)
Form III: Soresu
Way of the Mynock, or the Resilience Form
This method originally developed as a way to successfully redirect blaster fire, which is something that Obi-Wan has always been good at. Form III utilized strikes and blocks with the lightsaber at very fast speeds with the blade extremely close to the wielder's body, so it requires complete control and focus. It also uses up a lot of patience and time, so the person who uses it should be able to draw out the battle and figure out the enemy's approach before attempting to use it against him/her. "The philosophy of Soresu was described as "being within the eye of the storm." The practitioner maintained a centered frame of concentration, undisrupted by the conflict around them. Thus, Soresu commanded powerful defensive techniques that seemed to adapt to almost any circumstance, at the cost of never reaching past the figurative eye of the storm. Those who studied this style used the primarily defensive technique to wear down aggressive opponents by defending long onslaughts with minimal counter-attacking. They wait until their adversary spent most of their energy, then employed an alternate, more aggressive attack."
This is Obi-Wan's preferred method after Episode I, and (apparently) you see him using it against Dooku, Grevious and Darth Vadar in Episodes II and III. That point at the end about employing aggression at the very end is probably proven by him chopping off Darth Vadar's legs in Episode III.
More lightsaber form information here.
Other interesting tidbits I found out from Wookieepedia:
The last "free" Queen of Naboo, Apailana, was visible at Padme's funeral in Episode III. In canon, she later went on to try and save the Republic by rejecting the views of the Empire. During the Jedi Purge, she offered free refuge to Jedi on the run and gathered a number of them on Naboo. However, Darth Vadar soon heard of this plan and attacked Naboo. In an attempt to buy time to allow the Queen to get to safety, the Jedi launched an attack against Vadar knowing they were going to die. Vadar murdered all Jedi remaining on the planet and then successfully assasinated the Queen. The Empire then replaced Apailana with a puppet Queen who was faithful to the Empire.
Qui-Gon Jinn is a "Grey Jedi", a type of (rare) Jedi that follow the Light but loosely follow the Code and tend to do things according to their own beliefs. Most of these Jedi were abnormally strong in the Living Force, as Qui-Gon was. (They also apparently wear a certain type of robe, which might explain why Qui-Gon's robe was almost black in Episode I. This is just a rumor, though.)
Interesting talent: Qui-Gon has the ability to pay abnormal amounts attention to detail, seen as he could sense mood changes in the people around him. He was, however, quite adept at hiding his emotions from other individuals, even other Jedi. Even as his Master, Count Dooku was often perplexed by his ability to do this when Qui-Gon was a Padawan. (It's so interesting how Liam Neeson's subtle acting probably spawned this theory. XD)
Also, Count Dooku himself described Qui-Gon as the most talented Jedi warrior in 400 years and had picked Qui-Gon as an apprentice solely based on his lightsaber skills. (Ironically, Qui-Gon and Mace Windu are considered evenly matched in Form IV and often spar together.)
Hardcore Star Wars fans believe that a large, drab peice of fabric seen in Old Obi-Wan Kenobi's "hermit hole" in the Original Triology was actually Qui-Gon's poncho from Tatooine.
Dooku, Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin formed a chain of Jedi Masters and Padawans through which passed a rebellious streak, making them a difficulty in the eyes of the Jedi Council. Ironically, Yoda himself found this particular line. XD This is hinted at in the cover of "The Legacy of the Jedi", which makes me squeal 'cause they're all lined up and... and... Well, I find it cool. (Oh, random, but here's a zoomup of Qui-Gon being such a CUTE little Padawan. 8D)
So, about Obi-Wan's elusive family... They said he was born to a "moderately rich" family but was taken to the Jedi Temple as a child. He did have a brother called Owen and may have remained in contact with the rest of the Kenobi family through his Knighthood. Most Star Wars fans want to believe that his brother is Owen Lars, the man that raised Luke, but this was considered "highly unlikely" because Obi-Wan probably wasn't born on Tatooine, the same Outer Rim planet where Anakin wasn't discovered until he was nine. However, Owen Lars was born on a mysterious Republic planet called Atar, so that's a possibliity.