Today the first full trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi hit the internet! We watched, we shared the trailer in our Instagram immediately, and as if that wasn’t enough, we are joining the fever pitch of another piece of Star Wars hitting the media market by getting real geeky with it - it’s time for a trailer breakdown, Students!
Firstly, if you haven’t seen the Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer we are going to need you to drop everything and watch it immediately:
Along with the Entertainment Weekly full cover we are so used to seeing Star Wars characters grace:
Let’s get some basic info out of the way first, Obi-Wan Kenobi is set in the in between period of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s life. Ten years post-Revenge of the Sith which makes it six year before A New Hope. Actor Ewan McGregor is returning to the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi for the first time since the final prequel - the aforementioned Revenge of the Sith - hit cinemas. He’s not the only Star Wars prequel alum fans can look to see get in on the action. Anakin Skywalker himself, Hayden Christensen is set to play Darth Vader. This will be his first time fully inhabiting this aspect of Anakin having only played the iconic villain for a few short minutes at the end of Episode III. Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse also reprise their roles as Owen and Beru Lars, uncle and aunt to Luke as seen in the prequel trilogy.
Heck, even the iconic piece of Star Wars score, Duel of the Fates returns in this Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer to underscore the footage we are seeing!
The Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer opens on the most famous planet to ever come out of the Star Wars franchise - Tatooine. To be fair, there’s nowhere else for this series to be set. For decades we’ve known Obi-Wan makes a his slow descent into being Ben Kenobi over the sixteen years he spends on Tatooine keeping an eye on Luke Skywalker.
The “strange old hermit”, to quote Luke, vibes feel very much in place in this trailer. The hut Star Wars fans know to be Obi-Wan’s home appears to no thave been built yet, rather our protagonist is living inside a cave. Isolated? Most certainly. In the Jedi tradition he seems to have a lot of time for meditation and reflection - perhaps a clue to the melancholic voice over who speaks to us throughout the trailer?
From his distant hermitage Obi-Wan is seen watching Luke. The chosen one is a young boy here, younger than we are typically used to seeing, dressed intentionally to resemble Anakin in The Phantom Menace. If you blinked, or walked by, or weren’t paying attention Luke and Anakin could practically be twins as Luke pretends to be flying a ship. Heck, he even appears to be wearing the same goggles Anakin had on. Maybe they’re the same ones?
Luke Skywalker in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Trailer
The sweet melancholy turns when the Inquisitors arrive. Star Wars: Rebels fans cheered the world over to see these baddies brought to the live action for the first time. Inquisitors are the force-sensitive hunters of the Jedi. During this time period the Inquisitors are working for Darth Vader to hunt down any and all survivors of Order 66. Star Wars: Rebels and Jedi: Fallen Order fans may get to see some familiar Inquisitors grace the Obi-Wan Kenobi series yet.
We do know The Grand Inquisitor will be part of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series played by Rupert Friend. The iconic spinning lightsabers can also be seen and, yes, they look just as cool in live action as they appeared when animated. Rebels fans will remember him most notably for meeting his ultimate fate at the hands of Kanan during the animated series.
He is joined by Inquisitor Reva, played by Moses Ingram, who we also see in the trailer. Very little else is known about her other than she has an awesome costume.
Obi-Wan tells viewers a Jedi’s greatest weakness is “compassion” which may be a clue to the Inquisitors’ actions throughout the series. In the Jedi: the Fallen Order game the Inquisitors often wreck havoc or violence in order to draw out force sensitive people and capture them. Could this be the catalyst for possible drama in Obi-Wan Kenobi?
Obi-Wan Kenobi confirms the Inquisitors will be visiting Tatooine. This leads us to wonder how safe Luke is going to be? And just how far will Obi-Wan go to protect the son of Darth Vader from Darth Vader? There appears to be a conversation between Inquisitor Reva and Uncle Own which could spell bad news if you haven’t seen the original Star Wars trilogy.
There is clearly so much planned for Obi-Wan Kenobi and viewers will get a chance to dive into the world on May 25 when it debuts on Disney+.