The upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+ will not only feature the return of the legendary Jedi Master, but also one of the most feared Sith Lords in the galaxy, Darth Vader.
Picking up ten years after the events of Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, the show finds its title character in seclusion on Tatooine watching over a young Luke Skywalker. While Obi-Wan keeps an eye on the future of the Jedi Order, his former padawan Anakin Skywalker is gaining power in the Empire under a new title – Darth Vader.
A DARTH VADER WE HAVEN’T SEEN BEFORE
The time period in which Obi-Wan Kenobi is set hasn’t been explored very often in the Star Wars live-action canon. Viewers will get a chance to learn more about Obi-Wan’s adjustment to the post-Order 66 world, and as series director Deborah Chow explains, the setting offers an opportunity to see a very different side of Vader.
In a recent interview with Entertainment Weekly Chow had this to say:
“For us, it’s very similar [to Obi-Wan] in the sense that he’s in between these two trilogies. So he isn’t the New Hope Vader quite yet, you know what I mean? So we are with the character sort of in the middle of this period. It is still Vader obviously, but it’s a Vader that isn’t quite as fully formed as A New Hope.”
In a live-action setting, the most we’ve seen of Vader between the prequel and original trilogies is in a pulse-pounding action scene from Rogue One. On the animated side, he battled his former apprentice Ahsoka Tano in the Star Wars: Rebels episode “Twilight of the Apprentice”, while also making an appearance towards the end of the Clone Wars series.
It has yet to be revealed how large Vader’s presence will loom over the events of Obi-Wan Kenobi. The first teaser trailer focused heavily on the Inquisitors, which seems to indicate they will serve as the main antagonists for the series. Rupert Friend’s Grand Inquisitor will likely be a foe which Obi-Wan will have to overcome at some point during the six-episode run.
Inquisitors are tasked with hunting down the remaining Jedi, putting Obi-Wan directly in Friend’s crosshairs. Moses Ingram was also given a lot of screen time in the trailer, and plays the part of Reva, another Inquisitor for the Empire. Sung Kang, best known as Han Lue in the Fast & Furious franchise, is yet another Inquisitor searching the galaxy for Jedi.
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That’s not to mention any of the other members of the cast who may find themselves opposed to Obi-Wan along the way. Kumail Nanjiani, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Benny Safdie, and more will be joining the Star Wars family later this spring.
Regardless of who the big bad may be, the possibility of Obi-Wan and Vader sharing the screen once again is certainly exciting, especially with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen, respectively, reprising their roles. The meeting between the two characters in Star Wars Episode IV – A New Hope insinuated it was the first time they had seen each other since Mustafar, but it seems like part of their story has yet to be revealed.
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Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy teased the “rematch of the century” when the series was first announced in 2020, which means we may not have to wait too much longer to see the pair clashing lightsabers once again. Only this time…I’m sure Vader will be looking to get the high ground.
How excited are you to watch Obi-Wan Kenobi this spring? When do you think we’ll see Obi-Wan and Vader go head-to-head? Make sure to comment, and follow us on social media to stay up to date with everything going on in the galaxy far, far away.
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Source: Entertainment Weekly
