Imagine this: you’re a humble moisture farmer trying to shake off the dust and relax after a long day in the scorching Tatooine sun. 

But there’s not much to do in such a desolate, backwater world. If you’ve seen one double sunset, then you’ve seen them all. And no matter how thirsty you are, the Mos Eisley Cantina is a risky place to wander into. Someone’s always getting shot there! So, how do you unwind?

Moisture farmer on Tatooine or not, here’s an idea: If you’re trying to mix things up, you could check out the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series. Curious to learn what you can expect from this highly-anticipated Star Wars spin-off? 

Grab your favorite Star Wars gear from your Star Wars subscription box and keep reading as we take you through our Nerd’s Guide to The Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

The Where and the When

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of the series, let’s cover the basics: 

• Where can I watch it? – Disney+
  
• When does it start? – Obi-Wan Kenobi episodes become available on May 27th with a double premiere. Then, they’ll continue every week after that. 
• How long will it last? – The Obi-Wan Kenobi series will run for six hour-long episodes. 

What’s Obi-Wan’s Deal in the Series?

Obi Wan Kenobi show picks up ten years after the events of Revenge of the Sith (the last part of the prequel trilogy). If trying to keep the Star Wars chronology straight makes your head spin, don’t worry—we’re here to help. 

Essentially, the Obi-Wan Kenobi series takes place about ten years before the events of the original trilogy. The series is meant to serve as a bridge between the prequels and the original trilogy and illuminate for fans what Obi-Wan was doing during his exile on Tatooine. So, expect to see some of the best scenes from Star Wars and the best Star Wars Quotes. 

So, in this series, Obi-Wan will be older—just like actor Ewan McGregor, who is reprising his role from the prequel trilogy. McGregor has said that he’s excited to pick up the character closer to the age iconic actor Alec Guiness was when he played Obi-Wan in the original trilogy. 

This means we’re likely going to get a lot of the same brooding and mysterious energy we saw from Obi-Wan, one of the most powerful Star Wars characters,  when we were first introduced to him. 

In fact, from what we know, it seems like Obi-Wan has a pretty tough life when the series begins for a couple of notable reasons:

• He’s hiding out on Tatooine in the wake of the Grand Jedi Purge (aka the time when the Jedi Order was destroyed by the Sith and nearly every Jedi was killed). 
• He’s living with the guilt of having killed his former protege—Anakin Skywalker—in a duel on Mustafar. 

 

Little does he know…

What Other Characters Will We See in the Series?

McGregor isn’t the only actor from the prequels coming back for the Obi-Wan series. Hayden Christensen is also returning to the role of Anakin Skywalker. 

However, at this point in the timeline, Anakin is fully reliant on Darth Vader’s armor to survive. Star Wars fans should be excited for the first time Vader takes his helmet off in this series because any Christensen appearances are going to require some seriously cool make-up effects.  

Although not everyone loved Christensen’s portrayal of Anakin in the prequel trilogies (some found his Vader too emo), Star Wars fans should give the more seasoned Christensen a chance—especially since McGregor has called his performance ‘truly frightening.’

Does This Mean We’ll Get a Kenobi vs Vader, Part II?

From what we know, it’s almost guaranteed that we’ll see another duel between Obi-Wan and Anakin (aka Vader).

To recap: The last time Obi Wan Kenobi encountered Anakin, he sliced his legs off and left him to burn to death on the bank of a lava river. It sounds brutal and cruel, but Obi-Wan probably should’ve gone further. After all, when your protege starts dabbling in fascism and incites a genocide, you have to make sure you finish the job. 

But Anakin didn’t die on Mustafar, which the series may handle in one of two ways: 

• We could see the moment when Obi Wan Kenobi discovers that Anakin is still alive. This would make for an incredibly dramatic scene.
• We could learn that Kenobi already knows about Anakin’s survival when the series begins. On a visit to the Mos Eisley Cantina, for instance, Obi-Wan could’ve overheard the smugglers talking about how that Darth Vader is a real bad dude (especially if Lord Vader should pay a visit to his step-brother on Tatooine). 

Regardless, Anakin’s existence as Vader is sure to be a thrilling source of tension in the Obi Wan Kenobi series. 

What About the Other Skywalker?

Also returning from the prequels are Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse who play Luke Skywalker’s uncle Owen Lars and aunt Beru Whitesun Lars. They are the two tasked by Obi-Wan Kenobi with raising the orphaned Luke Skywalker. 

When the series starts, Luke should be about ten years old. While that’s prime time to begin Jedi training, we know that doesn’t happen quite yet. Why?

If the Star Wars comic books are any indication, we should expect a good amount of tension between Uncle Owen and Obi-Wan. For all that Owen knows, his step-brother Anakin was killed for being a Jedi. And it makes sense that Owen would blame Obi-Wan—Anakin’s mentor—for Anakin’s death. 

If Obi-Wan is now hanging around Tatooine, creeping on young Luke Skywalker and potentially trying to make him his next protege, there’s bound to be some drama between Luke’s two protectors and Obi-Wan.

Will the Series Introduce New Characters?

Not every character featured in Obi-Wan Kenobi is returning from the prequels. We’ll see some new blood, especially on the Dark Side: 

• The Grand Inquisitor is Darth Vader’s top deputy and appears to be leading the hunt for Obi-Wan Kenobi. This is the Grand Inquisitor's first appearance in the live-action Star Wars universe, but he’s been a prominent villain in the cartoons for a while. He’s cruel, sadistic, and has a sweet staff-style lightsaber.
  
• Reva, the Third Sister, is another villain for Obi-Wan to contend with. She’s completely fresh to Star Wars, so not much is known about her. Based on the trailer, she seems to take her orders from the Grand Inquisitor and might be sensitive to the Force.  

Cameo or Major Character?

There are also some well-known actors slated to appear in Obi-Wan Kenobi playing roles that haven’t yet been disclosed. These actors include:

• Kumail Nanjiani, who appeared in Marvel’s Eternals and HBO Favorite Silicon Valley, has been cast in an unknown role.  
  
• Maya Erksine, who created and stars in PEN15, is also in the cast. Perhaps she’ll play an awkward teenage friend of young Luke Skywalker?
• Benny Safdie, who is mostly known as a director for films like Uncut Gems, has an acting credit on Obi-Wan Kenobi as well. 

As of right now, it’s unknown whether we’ll see any crossover with actors of the other Star Wars shows, like The Mandalorian or The Book of Boba Fett. 

Behind the Scenes Facts About the Series 

What else can fans look forward to in the Kenobi series? Deborah Chow directed all six episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and she has some serious geek credentials. In fact, she’s already directed a couple episodes of The Mandalorian, so she’s more than familiar with the Star Wars style. 

She’s also helmed episodes of shows like American Gods, Jessica Jones, and Fear the Walking Dead. 

Although legendary composer John Williams, who’s now 90 years old, wasn’t available to score Obi-Wan Kenobi, he did contribute the theme song for the show. Apparently, Williams composed the theme song in the space of just two weeks—and we couldn’t be happier about that. It just wouldn’t feel like Star Wars without those iconic John Williams jams.

What’s Going to Happen in the Series?

Of course, we aren’t going to spoil the entire plot of the series for you. Even if we wanted to, specific plot details of Obi-Wan Kenobi are hush-hush. 

What we do know is that the original scripts were deemed ‘too dark’ by LucasFilms and were rewritten to take the story in a more ‘uplifting’ direction. 

Based on the trailer, it looks like the Empire’s hunt for the surviving Jedi (particularly Obi-Wan) is intensifying, with every ‘bounty hunter’ and ‘lowlife’ in the galaxy searching for him as well. Inevitably, all of that will lead to the main event—a confrontation between Kenobi and Darth Vader. 

To learn more about what happens in the series, we’ll just have to wait and see.

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Sources: 

ComicBook.com. Ewan McGregor on Playing Obi-Wan More Like Star Wars' Alec Guinness. https://comicbook.com/starwars/news/star-wars-obi-wan-ewan-mcgregor-original-trilogy-alec-guinness/

Super-Hero Hype. Ewan McGregor Shares His Reaction To Hayden Christensen’s Darth Vader. https://www.superherohype.com/tv/513613-ewan-mcgregor-shares-his-reaction-to-hayden-christensen-as-darth-vder

IndieWire. ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’: John Williams Wrote ‘Perfect’ Theme for Disney+ Show in Two Weeks. https://www.indiewire.com/2022/05/obi-wan-kenobi-john-williams-theme-1234723167/

Entertainment Weekly. Inside the 17-year journey to reunite Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen for Obi-Wan Kenobi. https://ew.com/tv/obi-wan-kenobi-ewan-mcgregor-hayden-christensen-cover-story/