Though audiences will have to wait until 2022 for the Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Disney stoked excitement as they recently announced that production is set to begin in April 2021. Alongside that announcement came the cast list of series regulars, prompting fans to speculate what role newcomers to the series are set to play.
What's even more interesting, is what condition Obi-Wan is in when the series begins. With the plot picking up ten years after the events of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan has retreated into isolation on Tatooine. The emotional toll of losing Anakin to the dark side was evident at the end of the prequels, but in his next appearance on screen in A New Hope the character is fundamentally different. Of course, that's partially caused by the fact the prequel trilogy coming decades after A New Hope first released. However, now that this series is set to bridge the gap between the two, one of the most important aspects for the Disney Plus series to tackle is the transformation in Obi-Wan's character between the prequels and the original trilogy.
Though the prequels never quite got to grips with developing Obi-Wan's character, there is a semblance of a character arc but it's mostly relative to his relationship with Anakin. He begins as an inquisitive, yet headstrong Padawan who describes Anakin as "another pathetic life form” when Qui-Gon Jinn takes him into his care in The PhantomMenace. With the death of his master, Obi-Wan agrees to train Anakin against the wishes of the Jedi Council having given his word to the dying Qui-Gon. Their relationship borders on adversarial at times during Attack Of The Clones and it's not until Revenge Of The Sith that audiences see a more loving bond between the two on the big screen. The animated Clone Wars series retroactively does an effective job of fleshing out their relationship, suggesting that TV is perhaps the best medium for the series to explore character growth.
Anakin's descent into the dark side, his raid on the Jedi temple, and the slaughter of younglings cause Obi-Wan a great deal of emotional trauma, forcing him to confront and defeat his former pupil. When announcing Hayden Christiansen’s return, Kathleen Kennedy suggested the duo are set for the "rematch of the century." Any such showdown will need to be handled carefully to avoid undermining their reunion on the Death Star in the original trilogy.
Regardless, it seems inevitable that Disney will have Obi-Wan confront the man he once called his brother once again. What form this will take is up for debate, it's unlikely that Christiansen will showdown with Obi-Wan as Vader on Tatooine in person. Instead, it could be similar to the Kylo Ren and Han Solo scene from The Rise of Skywalker or even in the form of flashbacks as Obi-Wan relives moments from the past. Nevertheless, Obi-Wan admitted to his former Padawan that he had failed him during their final showdown in Revenge Of The Sith and it's likely dealing with that failure is going to be key in overcoming his trauma as he becomes the mellow hermit fans fell in love with from A New Hope.
Though in hiding on Tatooine, it's possible that Obi-Wan will receive guidance in his attempts to conquer his internal strife. During the concluding scenes of Revenge Of The Sith Yoda reveals that he plans to teach Obi-Wan how to commune with his former master Qui-Gon with the force. If there's one thing that should help shed Obi-Wan's suffering and turn him into a jovial old man, it's learning the key to immortality from his former master. While actor Liam Neeson was a notable absentee from the recently announced cast list, he did confirm his interest in returning to the role earlier this year.
Reuniting the two could be key to relieving the burden of grief and responsibility that Obi-Wan shoulders as a result of his promise to Qui-Gon that he would train Anakin. That commitment is one of the decisive moments in the downfall of the Jedi Order but by the time he next appears in A New Hope he seems to have come to terms with it. During his confrontation with Maul in Star Wars: Rebels, Obi-Wan hints at the internal strife he's gone through in the years since Revenge Of The Sith as he tells a vengeful Maul, "look what I have risen above." It suggests that Obi-Wan has fought with his own notions of revenge. Watching that internal struggle could be one of the most poignant Star Wars character arcs and the show needs to tap into that.
Of course, there is another reason for Obi-Wan's seclusion on Tatooine: to watch over a young Luke Skywalker. Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse are confirmed to be returning as Owen and Beru Lars, which seems to suggest that there's a good chance a young Luke will too. It would be the second time Luke has appeared in a live-action Disney Plus series, after his cameo in The Mandalorian gave fans the best version of the character, though audiences also caught a glimpse in Star Wars: Rebels after Maul arrives to challenge Obi-Wan.
A New Hope hinted that, though Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke weren't exactly close, they were well acquainted with one another by the time R2-D2 and C3PO arrive with Princess Leia's message on Tatooine. Serving as a guardian to Luke from afar could be one of the key factors in Obi-Wan's evolution into the good-humored and mercurial old man fans remember from the original trilogy. Obi-Wan consigns the finer details of his Jedi origins to the past, becoming Ben Kenobi in order to protect Luke from his own family history until the time is right.
The Obi-Wan Kenobi series is perhaps the most intriguing of the upcoming Disney Plus Star Wars series due to the galactic upheaval that occurs between Revenge Of The Sith and A New Hope. Shows like The Mandalorian and Clone Wars before it, have offered the perfect opportunity to delve deeper into time periods that are skipped over between the movies. However, with Obi-Wan confined to Tatooine, the series is more likely to examine the personal evolution of the show's titular character between the prequels and the original trilogy.
Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives on Disney Plus in 2022