Obi-Wan Kenobi

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

 

Inquisitors. Sith temples(?). An unsteady Obi-Wan, hiding out and refraining from using his powers or intervening in the world - much like Gandalf, knowing that the eye of darkness will fall upon him if he does. Good premise...

 

Cast & crew notes: that booming, mocking voice is clearly Rupert Friend. Not quite sure what Kumail Nanjiani's up to in this one (possibly a droid). Fine journeyman actor Joel Edgerton turning up as Owen: expect some friction, maybe friends falling out. Relative newcomer Moses Ingram looks like an Inquisitor (edit: she has a name, Reva - that mean anything to anyone?) on a journey of discovery: perhaps being tempted by the light side?

 

Nobody from the Mando/Boba crew writing or directing on this one. Joby Harold's only major previous credits were Army Of The Dead and King Arthur: Legend Of The Sword, which... don't inspire confidence or hatred. Hannah Friedman's done broad comedy and cartoons. Hossein Amini has many Serious Drama creds and was brought in in post-prod, which reads to me as script surgeon.

 

So: definitely looks the business, just a little worried about the writing crew hewing a little too close to the original Lucas vision (and leaden scripts) for a generation who've had the lighter, fluffier, more kinetic stuff. Will still be watching it, though. Ewan's gonna nail it.

 

Let the wild, unfounded speculation begin...

Edited March 10, 2022 by ThaOGDreamWeaver

[Cancrusher]

Yeah, Ewan McGregor makes this an instant must-watch for me.  Hopefully it will be as great as the teaser makes it look.  👍

[Techwright]

6 hours ago, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

 

Cast & crew notes: that booming, mocking voice is clearly Rupert Friend. Not quite sure what Kumail Nanjiani's up to in this one (possibly a droid). Fine journeyman actor Joel Edgerton turning up as Owen: expect some friction, maybe friends falling out. Relative newcomer Moses Ingram looks like an Inquisitor (edit: she has a name, Reva - that mean anything to anyone?) on a journey of discovery: perhaps being tempted by the light side?

 

Nobody from the Mando/Boba crew writing or directing on this one.

 

 

Deborah Chow is directing/producing this, and she directed 2 of the Mandalorian episodes.  So yeah, a Mando alumnus is at the helm.

 

Color me intrigued.  I'd watch it anyway just to see Obi-Wan played by Ewan again.  I'm going to have to get used to the Grand Inquisitor.  I'd fully expected Jason Isaacs, his animation voice actor and model, to play him on any live action flashbacks, and I'm saddened to not see him.  I wonder what happened? Schedule conflict perhaps?  I'm also not a fan of the new look of the Grand Inquisitor.  Pau'ans are supposed to be thin and elongated, and their craniums are as well.  This was seen both in Star Wars: Rebels with the Grand Inquisitor's first appearances onscreen, as well as in Revenge of the Sith, where several Pau'ans were seen.   Nothing against Rupert Friend, but it looks like they gave him a small football helmet to wear under a latex skullcap.  It's an odd departure from source material for something that otherwise looks like it took great pains to get everything correct.

 

Fifth Brother looks pretty good, though he seems very slight in comparison to the stocky, almost overweight look he had in Rebels.  Other than those concerns, I'm definitely intrigued.

 

Reva is brand new to the Star Wars universe.  A quick search on the web suggests that she will be Third Sister. Reva must be her name from before she became an inquisitor, just like Trilla became Second Sister in Jedi: Fallen Order.

 

Looks like we're going to get to see a live action Nal Hutta.  I don't think we've had such up to this point.  This probably means Hutts will show up, and Hutts during the Empire years suggests an appearance by Jabba.  We've never seen Jabba off Tatooine before.  I wonder if we'll see him and whether it will be on Tatooine or elsewhere.

 

Incidentally, Nal Hutta's appearance suggests a solution to how Kenobi can be spotted without giving away his Tatooine hiding place to Vader.  If, as Ewan strongly hinted in the first teaser we'll get to see Kenobi and Vader lock blades again, then Kenobi will have to be off Tatooine.

 

Looks like we'll also get to see the underwater Inquisitorius from the canon game Jedi: Fallen Order.  I can only hope Cameron Monaghan makes a cameo appearance before jetting off into J:FO2, though I suspect the latter will be set before the events of Obi-wan Kenobi, so probably they won't want to spoil the fate of Cal Kestus or any of his friends.  We did see a BD-1 droid on Tatooine in post-Original Trilogy days, though, so there may be a connection somewhere.

 

 

[ShardWarrior]

2 hours ago, Cancrusher said:

Yeah, Ewan McGregor makes this an instant must-watch for me.  Hopefully it will be as great as the teaser makes it look.  👍

 

Same here!  So excited for this one.  Absolutely love Ewan McGregor in this role!  He was the best part of the prequel series IMO.  Cannot wait to see this.  I have been pumped for this since it was first announced. 

[Glacier Peak]

Ewan was the chosen one! It was said he'd bring balance to the Star Wars franchise for Disney, not destroy it! 😁

 

Jokes aside, I'm sure this will be awesome and I'm a fan of all of Ewan's work. 

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

6 hours ago, Techwright said:

I'd fully expected Jason Isaacs, his animation voice actor and model, to play him on any live action flashbacks, and I'm saddened to not see him. 

There's a lot of villainy out there to be done, y'know. But yes, even at the risk of typecasting, you want a great and glorious bad guy, he's your go-to.

 

(Also: if he ever, ever gets billing for a convention you're thinking of going to, GO. 100%. He might not be the biggest name, but far and away the nicest and funniest in person.)

Edited March 10, 2022 by ThaOGDreamWeaver

[ShardWarrior]

First look at Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader!

 

https://ew.com/tv/darth-vader-obi-wan-kenobi-hayden-christensen-exclusive-photo/

 

 

 

 

Edited March 10, 2022 by ShardWarrior

[DougGraves]

I am hoping for Rebels but expect it to be Clone Wars.

[Techwright]

On 3/10/2022 at 4:21 AM, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

There's a lot of villainy out there to be done, y'know. But yes, even at the risk of typecasting, you want a great and glorious bad guy, he's your go-to.

 

(Also: if he ever, ever gets billing for a convention you're thinking of going to, GO. 100%. He might not be the biggest name, but far and away the nicest and funniest in person.)

 

Isaacs' characters are not just villains, they're interesting villains.  Grand Inquisitor was one of those.  I found myself wishing we'd have a mini-series on him, just to fill in the details on his fall-from-grace backstory.  I wasn't too happy that the role ended so soon, save for the one brief, important cameo, and that most of the villain airtime went to less-than-thrilling characters (at least until Thrawn showed up).

 

Isaacs was also, IMHO, one of the few bright spots on season 1 of Star Trek: Discovery, and I finally got a chance to see him play both heroic and villainous roles. 

[biostem]

I'm cautiously optimistic about this series, but I have a few reservations:

 

1. Is this going to be an Obi-Wan show, or an Owen/Beru/redemptive Inquisitor one, featuring Obi-Wan?

 

2. There were no Inquisitors present when something as vital as the Death Star plans were stolen, so I hope there's a good explanation for why they aren't present here;  Perhaps we'll get something like Darth Vader straight up murdering one or two for daring to get involved in something he's involved in.

 

3. I hope we get an explanation for how no one made the connection between Luke Skywalker and Anakin - maybe all records were destroyed or altered?

 

4. I hope Obi doesn't just mope around all the time, but I also don't want him whipping out the lightsaber at the drop of a hat.  Maybe he'll be more subtle and we'll see more mind tricks or misdirection?

 

5. If Owen faces down an Inquisitor, I hope we get some explanation as to why Luke never catches wind of it.

 

6. Will we see Leia or the Organas?

[Techwright]

The newest one just dropped.

 

Looks pretty good, but I still have a problem with...

Spoiler

The Grand Inquisitor.   It's not just the shape of the head, which is very different from all other Pau'ans, nor of the eyes, which are not the glistening yellow of the animation.  No this film also shows a moment reflecting his bearing, which is more of a swagger than the formal, precise posture demonstrated in the animation.  One seems a street thug, the other a lifelong soldier.

There seem to be 4 Inquisitors, at least, that are shown.  The black human I gather will be the focused hunter for this work.  Second Brother is present, and then another humanoid female.  I cannot tell species.  Has this one been named?

 

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

Tinest glimpse of Kumail Nanjani in here - do we think Jedi robes?

[Techwright]

3 hours ago, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

Tinest glimpse of Kumail Nanjani in here - do we think Jedi robes?

I could see that.  Though the corrugated metal behind him makes me think "dock worker" or "ship breaker" like Cal Kestus.  Still it is only one location, and briefly.

If he is playing a Jedi, this seems to add some weight to a discussion I read today stating that they may be taking cues from a now non-canon book where Kenobi left Tatooine for a time to help another Jedi. 

 

Speaking of discussion...hmm, better switch to spoiler mode, just in case...

Spoiler

Speaking of discussion, I saw a comment today stating the viewer perceived Kenobi as fearful upon hearing Vader.  While that may be true, I wonder if they show creators have a different kind of fear in mind.  This is the man who defeated Darth Vader, tearing him up almost as badly as Maul (and some might say worse).  When he told Palpatine that Sith Lords were a speciality, he wasn't kidding.  By the time of his death, he'd destroyed Maul...twice...and nearly killed Vader.  No, I have to wonder if the fear he shows is dread that he'll have to emotionally live Mustafar all over again, and that this time, he'll be forced to kill his former "brother".  By Vader's own canonical admission in Episode IV, the last time they clashed Kenobi was the master.  So I'd be disappointed if they just gave him plain old fear of Vader.

 

Then again, this may be psychological warfare as well.  This may be a spin on the old "The Most Dangerous Game" storyline, where Kenobi takes the role of the hunted sailor, the Inquisitors take the role of the hounds, and Vader that of the sick psychopath waiting for the hounds to drive the prey to him.  If he's pushed beyond exhaustion, I might be able to accept the "plain old fear" pitch.

 

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

On 5/5/2022 at 1:10 AM, Techwright said:

I might be able to accept the "plain old fear" pitch.

thought on that:

Spoiler

I wouldn't have said fear, so much as horror. Anakin was the boy he rescued, the apprentice he trained, the friend he made and lost. What he's about to meet is an echo of that, not just after Mustafar, but a couple of years of having Palpatine up in his grill twisting his brain.

 

Without knowing exactly where this sits on the timeline, I'd hazard a guess this is the first time he's run into the embittered mechanical monster with a grudge... and an Empire... and access to the full rack of Dark Side Patron Powers that haven't been seen in generations.

When he's not going to be on top of his game, because 'moshe.

 

Y'ain't afraid of that situation, y'ain't been payin' attention. Fighting that and finding hope sounds like a story.

Maybe a story that's a little too on the nose these days.

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by ThaOGDreamWeaver

[Techwright]

2 hours ago, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

thought on that:  (Adding my comments in orange - Techwright)

  Hide contents

I wouldn't have said fear, so much as horror. Anakin was the boy he rescued, the apprentice he trained, the friend he made and lost. What he's about to meet is an echo of that, not just after Mustafar, but a couple of years of having Palpatine up in his grill twisting his brain.

Horror is something I can accept readily.  It's more an expansion on the type of fear I was describing. 

Without knowing exactly where this sits on the timeline, I'd hazard a guess this is the first time he's run into the embittered mechanical monster with a grudge... and an Empire... and access to the full rack of Dark Side Patron Powers that haven't been seen in generations.

When he's not going to be on top of his game, because 'moshe.

Where this sits in the timeline: Just look at Luke, who looks to be around 9 or 10 in the trailer.  So probably about halfway through the 19 years between Episode III and Episode IV.  Unless you were referring to the timeline of times Vader & Kenobi bumped into each other, and then I'm not sure even Dave Filoni knows that.

.

"Full rack of Dark Side Patron Powers"...hmm...that will be interesting fodder for discussion at many a water cooler if such is revealed.  Vader never manifested the range of powers that Sidious did in the original trilogy, and that precedent has been continued in things like Rogue One and the canon game Fallen Order.  (He does do a lot of force choking and pushing, though.) It had been previously explained to me that lore-wise Vader cannot access the full range because so much of him is cyborg.  Force lightning would destroy his cybernetics, and we've seen that directly in Return of the Jedi.  Then there's the more controversial understanding that so much of his body was lost in the dual at Mustafar that his midicholorian count, though still formidable, has been permanently reduced.  Combined, this makes him weaker than the Emperor, just the way Sidious likes it.  If he suddenly starts displaying the "full rack", it will conjure questions such as why we didn't see him using force lightning in the original trilogy, or using force effects across the galaxy during a transmission, like we've seen Sidious do.  I do suspect though, that if we do get a full-on fight that it will be a ramped up sequel to Mustafar.  I fully expect a nice force choke or two, and I'd be okay if, out of desperation late in the fight, Vader attempts force lightning, ending the fight because he damages cybernetics rather than hitting Kenobi.   Kenobi better exit the fight as the master, however. We know that in 9 years time he'll have become such the master that it will only take 3 strokes to finish off former Sith Maul, and then there's that quote from Vader in Episode IV about their changing roles of student and master since last they met.

 

 

Edited May 8, 2022 by Techwright

[biostem]

On 5/8/2022 at 8:04 AM, Techwright said:

Adding my comments

 

Below are my thoughts on the matter:

Spoiler

I always thought that Vader was "lower powered" simply because he was using so much of his rage and might to simply keep himself up and functional, and that it wasn't merely about him having lost his arms & legs...

 

Edited May 10, 2022 by biostem

[ThaOGDreamWeaver]

Thoughts on Techwright & biostem's thoughts...

Spoiler

If I was writing this...

Vader would have access to the full rack of Patron Powers.

But wouldn't have mastery of them, nor his emotions.

Again, assuming this is the first time Obi-Wan and Anakin/Vader have met since Mustafar, while Obi will have to deal with his fear/horror, Anakin's simmering rage will finally have an outlet, making him more powerful.

 

But in a fight of raw, untamed, unfocussed power vs power under control...?

 

Edited May 10, 2022 by ThaOGDreamWeaver

[ZeeHero]

Anything by modern disney I can only expect will stink more than the incredible smell anakin discovered. it's a shame really.

[biostem]

6 hours ago, ZeeHero said:

Anything by modern disney I can only expect will stink more than the incredible smell anakin discovered. it's a shame really.

I'm remaining cautiously optimistic, hoping that this isn't turning into some "Inquisitor's redemption series, with special guest star Obi-wan"...

[Techwright]

13 hours ago, ThaOGDreamWeaver said:

Thoughts on Techwright & biostem's thoughts...

  Hide contents

If I was writing this...

Vader would have access to the full rack of Patron Powers.

But wouldn't have mastery of them, nor his emotions.

Again, assuming this is the first time Obi-Wan and Anakin/Vader have met since Mustafar, while Obi will have to deal with his fear/horror, Anakin's simmering rage will finally have an outlet, making him more powerful.

 

But in a fight of raw, untamed, unfocussed power vs power under control...?

 

It works, and it stays in harmony with the famous "When last we met..." quote from Episode IV.  Whatever happens, that must be maintained.  And I'd be interested to see Kenobi progressing in skill and wisdom towards the dual in Star Wars: Rebels that made everyone rethink what being a Jedi master entailed.

[Glacier Peak]

5 hours ago, Techwright said:

It works, and it stays in harmony with the famous "When last we met..." quote from Episode IV.  Whatever happens, that must be maintained.  And I'd be interested to see Kenobi progressing in skill and wisdom towards the dual in Star Wars: Rebels that made everyone rethink what being a Jedi master entailed.

That's right - and nobody better call him Obi Wan in the series because he hasn't heard that name in a long time...

[DougGraves]

I had zero interest in an Obi Wan show set between the movies.  But the inquisitors have made me interested.

[Sakai]

20 hours ago, Glacier Peak said:

 in a long time...

a long time. 

[Techwright]

4 minutes ago, DougGraves said:

I had zero interest in an Obi Wan show set between the movies.  But the inquisitors have made me interested.

Despite a lengthy appearance in Star Wars: Rebels there's still a lot of mystery surrounding the inquisitors.  Hopefully, this series will reveal some of the secrets.

 

Inquistors' list so far (spoilers):

Spoiler

It appears that there are 20-21 Inquisitors, depending first on whether they are numbered sequentially, and the numbers are not skipped around to make their numbers appear greater.  Secondly, the total count would depend on whether there are 9 or 10 Sisters.  The highest number of them we've seen is 9.

 

There is one mystery the Kenobi series won't answer:  Why are there no Inquisitors left in A New Hope?

 

Grand Inquisitor

Sisters
 1 ?
 2 Second Sister - game Jedi: Fallen Order, status deceased died by Vader's hand
 3 Third Sister - Obi-Wan Kenobi series, status unknown still alive at start of series
 4 Fourth Sister - comics, status unknown almost nothing known about this one
 5 ?
 6 ?
 7 Seventh Sister - Rebels, status deceased. killed by Maul
 8 ?
 9 Ninth Sister - game Jedi: Fallen Order, status presumed deceased fighting Cal Kestus
 10 ?

 

Brothers
 1 ?
 2 ?
 3 ?
 4 ?
 5 Fifth Brother - Rebels, Obi-Wan Kenobi series, status status deceased at Maul's hand
 6 Sixth Brother - comics, status deceased due to explosion Ahsoka caused
 7 ?
 8 Eighth Brother - Rebels, status deceased when damaged light saber failed
 9 ?
 10 Tenth Brother - comics, status deceased by Purge Troopers

 

[Glacier Peak]

2 hours ago, Sakai said:

a long time. 

A long time ago even