Obi-Wan Kenobi

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Lore & Background

The series takes place during the decade following Order 66, where Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi has lived in exile on Tatooine under the name "Ben." His primary duty is watching over Anakin's son, Luke Skywalker. The status quo shatters when Leia Organa, Anakin's daughter and a princess on Alderaan, is kidnapped by hired bounty hunters working for the Empire's Inquisitors. This event triggers a plot designed specifically to draw Kenobi out of hiding. Upon emerging, he discovers his former apprentice is not dead but has become Darth Vader, a revelation that forces him to confront his traumatic past and guilty feelings regarding the duel on Mustafar where he left Anakin for dead. The narrative explores the psychological toll on Kenobi, who begins the story "broken, and faithless, and beaten," having given up hope until this new crisis arises.

In Their Own Story

The series premiered on May 27, 2022, with its first two episodes, releasing the remaining four weekly through June 22. Production began in Los Angeles by May 2021, utilizing StageCraft video wall technology and wrapping by September of that year. The project originally originated as a spin-off film written by Hossein Amini and directed by Stephen Daldry but was reworked into a limited series after the commercial failure of Solo: A Star Wars Story in 2018. After Lucasfilm halted production in January 2020 due to unsatisfactory scripts, Joby Harold was hired in April 2020 as showrunner and writer. Ewan McGregor confirmed his return in August 2019, with Deborah Chow hired a month later to direct all episodes. The score was composed by Natalie Holt, featuring a new main theme written specifically for the series by John Williams, which William Ross adapted for several scenes.

Reader's Guide

To understand this iteration of Obi-Wan Kenobi, one must look at his characterization as a "zen master" in transition from the emotional warrior of the prequels to the figure seen in A New Hope. Ewan McGregor prepared by rewatching the Skywalker Saga films and reading science fiction novels by Iain M. Banks. The series features returning actors Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Jimmy Smits, Hayden Christensen (as Darth Vader), and Ian McDiarmid, alongside Vivien Lyra Blair debuting as young Leia Organa. Notable antagonists include Rupert Friend's Grand Inquisitor, who naively believes himself on par with Vader; Sung Kang's Fifth Brother; and Moses Ingram's Reva Sevander, a former Jedi Youngling turned Third Sister seeking revenge for her peers killed during Order 66. The series received generally positive reviews, winning Best Limited Event Series at the 47th Saturn Awards.

Did You Know?

• James Earl Jones's voice lines for Darth Vader were generated by an AI program called Respeecher based on recordings from the films.
• The series was put on hold in January 2020 because Lucasfilm was unsatisfied with the scripts before Joby Harold was hired to rewrite them.
• Moses Ingram insisted that her character Reva use her natural kinky hair rather than a wig so African-American children could dress up as her for Halloween.
• Hayden Christensen rewatched Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Rebels to prepare for his return as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader.
• Natalie Holt composed the original score while John Williams wrote a new main theme that William Ross adapted for several scenes.