The Obi-Wan Kenobi series featured Ewan McGregor’s on-screen return to the Star Wars franchise for the first time since 2005’s Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Star Wars as a franchise has come a long way since Revenge of the Sith, with an additional trilogy of films, two spin-offs and multiple animated and live-action shows. Despite all of this output, Star Wars fans had been waiting for the day Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker would grace the screen again.
Just like the prequel trilogy, Obi-Wan Kenobi has received quite the divisive response. Some praise it for the return to the world and characters of the prequel trilogy following the explosive ending that Revenge of the Sith left us with. Others dismiss it for focusing on a timeline that other stories such as Star Wars The Bad Batch are also exploring. Both are fair responses, but let’s go over some reasons to celebrate the return of Kenobi on a more positive note, and some of the heights that the show reaches. Please be advised: the list will delve into spoiler territory.
The Clone Wars aesthetic returns
With so much of the Star Wars content currently being produced focusing on the Galactic Civil War era, the aesthetic of the planets, weapons and troopers here are reminiscent of the Prequel Trilogy. With the flashback sequences as well as the planets being shown throughout the series, there’s a strong blend of aesthetics into one cohesive display that should appeal to Star Wars fans. The blend of industrialist cities with the deserts of Tatooine makes for a great world building contrast.
Return of Star Wars icons
This isn’t just the return of Ewan McGregor, but also the return of other fan-favorites such as Hayden Christensen, Temuera Morrison, Anthony Daniels, Liam Neeson and James Earl Jones, among others. All of them are absolutely fantastic in their roles and bring out the best in each character and no amount of failures in a script can take that away from them. Fans of both the original trilogy and the prequel trilogy are able to rejoice in these casting decisions that bring the best of both worlds.
A young Darth Vader
Much of our knowledge of Darth Vader comes from his time as Anakin in the Clone Wars, and his downfall in Revenge of the Sith, but little is known from his earlier days in the Empire. Taking place 10 years after the end of the Clone Wars, we get to see Darth Vader brought to life by Hayden Christensen, shortly after his rise to power. Here we get to see a Darth Vader still struggling with his history with Kenobi, preventing the full transformation into this new persona.
Seeing Alderaan brought to life
Alderaan is a planet so frequently mentioned and a key location in the franchise but the audience has yet to see it lived in. Here we finally get to see the city explored. We see more of it than ever before (despite the limitations of a television budget) and Leia taking on her duties as Princess. While this may sound minimal, it’s a planet that was a key plot point in Episode IV – A New Hope as it was the first victim of the Death Star and Leia’s home. Even just a minute or two of footage of this planet is a big deal for the more hardcore Star Wars fans.
A Jedi without force connection
Obi-Wan Kenobi was so distraught and shaken by his conflict with Anakin Skywalker that he had issues tapping into the Force, something that should be explored more in upcoming Star Wars media. The connection to the Force has been explored in various ways but to see it attached to mental health and personal struggles should be more common for the franchise.
The final battle between Vader and Kenobi
This scene was the peak of the series. Less extravagant than the prequel trilogy’s fight scenes but still a visual spectacle. Anger and desperation are displayed through the choreography and editing, culminating in two of the best performances that the Star Wars franchise has seen to date. A particular standout was the moment where James Earl Jones and Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker are combined. Simply chilling. This was the moment that the series was building up to and it was worth every bit of the wait.
Qui-Gon Jinn
In an uncredited cameo, Liam Neeson returns to the Star Wars universe as the Force Ghost of Qui-Gon Jinn from Episode I – The Phantom Menace. The return of an iconic Jedi master in combination with a pivotal character moment is one of the smoothest ways a studio can end a series of this magnitude. A heartwarming moment that really ties together the fan-service of this mini-series.
