Hello there, Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer.
Animated characters once again enter live action in the upcoming Disney+ series.
Ewan McGregor has always been my favorite part of the prequels. Even when all the acting and dialogue around him crumbles, he remains steadfast in his ability to capture the nobility and charm of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He is a very believable younger version of the Jedi knight we knew and loved from the original trilogy, paying homage to Sir Alec Guinness while still making the performance his own.
It’s no surprise, then, that he is the major selling point for the upcoming series on Disney+, simply titled Obi-Wan Kenobi. The teaser trailer that dropped today, which is arguably the first real look at the six-episode limited series, made me even more excited for McGregor’s return.
He looks great — just shaggy and weathered enough to imply he’s been on the lamb after the fall of the Jedi Order. He’s alone in the desert, trying to lay low on Tatooine. He’s quietly working, wandering, and surviving. He keeps an eye on a very young Luke from afar. This is all I want from this series, really. Even though we just saw Boba Fett wandering the dune sea, I still very much want to know what Kenobi was doing prior to his first appearance in A New Hope. I know, I know, Vader’s coming back. Hayden Christensen’s coming back. Interviews have alluded to a rematch. I’m sure that’s going to be thrilling, but I’m more excited to spend time with Obi-Wan, alone on Tatooine.
In the leaked behind the scenes “sizzle reel” that made Disney+ Day anticlimactic for Star Wars fans, Director Deborah Chow explains that Obi-Wan Kenobi will take place during a time when it’s very dangerous to be a Jedi. The teaser trailer confirms this in spades. A voiceover monologue specifically claims that Jedi can’t help themselves and will always put themselves at risk to help others. The stately, sinister voice says, “Jedi cannot help what they are. Their compassion leaves a trail. The Jedi code is like an itch; he cannot help it.” I am very excited by the idea that this show could distill the Jedi philosophy down to its purest form, restoring its shine after the political quagmire of The Clone Wars allowed the Jedi Order to lose its way. I also want to point out here that this monologue includes both “they” and “he,” implying that while the Inquisitors are hunting down all Jedi, Obi-Wan may be a direct target who has been singled out.
In 2015, Jason Aaron would periodically tell one-off stories when the flagship title in the vast pantheon of Marvel Star Wars comics concluded a narrative arc. They were collectively called The Journals of Ben Kenobi because they would come out of Luke’s reading of Obi-Wan’s old journals, left behind on Tatooine after he died. If memory serves, at least one shows Kenobi struggling to stay hidden as he witnesses injustices on Tatooine. I had hoped that these stories might serve as inspiration for this series, and today’s trailer makes me more optimistic about that. Our old Book of Boba Fett friend, Krrsantan, also makes an appearance in one of these issues, so here’s hoping a younger, even more violent version of him shows up in the Kenobi series.
Image Credit: The Hollywood Reporter
Who was that villainous voice profiling Jedi? That would be the Grand Inquisitor, who has only appeared in the animated series — primarily Rebels. He is the leader of a squad of quasi-Sith force-wielders whose sole purpose is to hunt down and kill all remaining Jedi in the galaxy. They’re basically the clean-up crew to catch all the stragglers after the Empire rises to power. In Rebels, they’re quite menacing and have a lot of crazy red lightsaber designs, like the spinning one we see in the trailer. The amount of screen time the Inquisitors have in this trailer gives the impression that they will potentially play as prominent a part in the show as its title character.
Star Wars fans familiar with these characters have already taken to the Internet to critique their look. In particular, the Grand Inquisitor has a very narrow head, but his live action counterpart has quite a round one. I did notice this difference, but I don’t care too much. The animated characters that have ported into live action have been great so far, and I’m willing to wait and see how the Inquisitors pan out once I watch a full episode. There’s also likely a practical reason behind the change in look. Dave Filoni has explained that Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka headtails needed to be shorter than in the animated series to make stunts easier. I think that makes sense.
Image Credit: Polygon
Image Credit: StarWars.com
Like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, which have also brought animated characters to live action, Obi-Wan Kenobi seems to follow suit in its weaving together of different phases of the Star Wars franchise. Even though we’re on Tatooine and begin the trailer with Obi-Wan’s theme from the original trilogy, we also hear “Duel of the Fates” blaring once the Lucasfilm logo appears, making it very clear that we are not going to forget or ignore the prequel history of the character either. I got chills in this moment. Say what you will about the prequels, but do not deny that the music John Williams penned for that Maul/Kenobi/Qui-Gon lightsaber duel is anything short of spectacular.
Suffice it to say I’m hyped for this show to premiere on May 25. We’re already getting great memes from the trailer, so it can only get better from here, right?