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Obi-Wan Kenobi proved to be a nostalgic throwback for Star Wars fans, especially the ones who grew up with the prequel trilogy. Even though the prequels didn’t garner universal acclaim, they have faced a resurgence in popularity due to memes and some redeeming elements such as Ewan McGregor’s performance as Obi-Wan.
Now that the character has his own standalone series on Disney+, there are several takeaways that honor the turbulent legacy of George Lucas’ prequel trilogy. From surprise cameos to development of existing character arcs, Obi-Wan Kenobi proved to be a fruitful exercise in paying tribute to the franchise’s past while reinventing it at the same time.
“Hello, There”
In one of the several callbacks to the prequel trilogy, Obi-Wan says the words “Hello, there” towards the finale episode as he greets Leia. This is a deliberate reference to the scene in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith when the Jedi master surprised General Grievous and said, “Why, hello there”.
Since then, it has become one of the fan-favorite quotes from the prequel trilogy and become the subject of several memes and remix videos. Bringing back the dialogue was a delightful nod treat for fans of the prequels.
Addressed The Emotional Depth Of Prequels
While the prequel trilogy faced polarizing reactions and later became the subject of many memes, the three movies did carry some amounts of emotional depth. This is particularly true in the case of Anakin Skywalker’s transition to Darth Vader and the guilt that Obi-Wan has carried ever since.
Right from the first episode, Obi-Wan Kenobi furthers Darth Vader’s story and doesn’t shy away from heavy themes. Years have passed but Obi-Wan is constantly reminded of his inability to prevent Anakin from turning towards the Dark Side. Tragic instances from the past like the massacre of the Jedi younglings are also constantly referred throughout the episodes.
Gave Leia A Much-Needed Backstory
The prequels might have traced Anakin’s origins but they ended at a stage when Leia and Luke were still infants, leaving more room to explore with their backstories. Leia turns out to be one of the best characters of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Much like the prequels, the series takes a neutral stance towards Leia’s younger years. It is only towards the end that her future with the Rebel Alliance is foreshadowed. Otherwise, she is just a young and mischievous princess who is caught up in a larger conspiracy. Even Anakin was introduced as a naïve slave with no connections to either the Jedi or the Sith forces.
A Visible Time Jump
A lot has changed since the prequel trilogy ended. The Star Wars universe expanded with several new stories while obviously actors like Ewan McGregor have visibly aged a little. The miniseries captures this time jump even in terms of the themes. As Episode I dealt with a very young Anakin, it was still flashier and slightly more light-hearted in comparison. Jump to Episode III and viewers can find the story elements acquire darker themes.
This grim nature of the storyline is amped up in Obi-Wan Kenobi that starts off as a slow-burning drama to address the psyche of its titular character and the grief that he has felt over the years.
Recurring Cast Members
From Joel Egerton’s Owen Lars to Temuera Morrison’s Clone Trooper, there are several memorable cameos from the prequel trilogy. Even Ian McDiarmid’s Palpatine and Jimmy Smitts’ Bail Organa play crucial roles, reprising their original characters.
A surprise is Episode I: The Phantom Menace alumnus Liam Neeson showing up for a surprise cameo as Qui-Gonn Jinn’s force ghost. With a plethora of new characters introduced in the Star Wars spin-offs since the prequels, it is a good throwback to find a prequel reunion after years.
Hayden Christensen’s Redemption
Hayden Christensen drew global popularity for playing Anakin Skywalker in the latter two prequels. But he was also heavily panned for his performance. Even some of his dialogues like his thoughts on “sand” were heavily ridiculed among the fandom. However, Christened has continued being an ardent Star Wars fan and with Obi-Wan Kenobi, he gets a second chance at proving his dramatic prowess.
Appearing in some crucial flashbacks and fight sequences, Christensen seems to be in fine form as an actor proving his critics wrong. While James Earl Jones gets his moments to shine as the voice of Darth Vader, Christensen also totally owns his scenes as Anakin and Vader, proving how far he has come since the prequels.
Lightsaber Duels
Of course, lightsaber duels have been synonymous with the Star Wars franchise from the very first movies. The prequel movies have also offered some of the best Star Wars lightsaber duels such as Qui-Gonn vs. Darth Maul and Obi-Wan’s “high ground” victory against Anakin.
There are two major lightsaber duels in the Disney+ series both of which serve as major tributes to Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith respectively. The first one is a flashback duel that finds the master and apprentice sparring against each other. While it is not a lethal fight, the dialogues in between reveal the ideological differences between Obi-Wan and Anakin. As for the big duel in the finale, viewers see the two duelling for the first time after Episode III. Just like the previous battle, Obi-Wan tries to convince the Sith Lord to give up his dark ways but to no avail.
John Williams’ Score
Even though Natalie Holt serves as the main composer on the series, Star Wars veteran John Williams composed the main title. And of course, it had to be him given how his music has added depth to Ewan McGregor’s take on Obi-Wan in the prequels (particularly with pieces like “Battle of the Heroes”).
While new-age composers like Ludwig Goransson are definitely taking the franchise towards an interesting route with scores like The Mandalorian and Book of Bobba Fett, Williams’ return for Obi-Wan Kenobi offered a much-needed shot of nostalgia.
Continuing The Stories After The Prequels
In the movies, the next chapters after the prequels would be the original trilogy and the sequel trilogy. However, several other stories have sprung up since then that cover the bridge between Episode III and Episode IV. These include shows like Star Wars: Rebels and the novel Kenobi that expands on movie plots of the prequels.
In a larger sense, these follow-up stories very much capture the world built by the prequels. Obi-Wan Kenobi pays homage to these pieces of fiction too. For instance, the emotional baggage the protagonist carries is similar to the aforementioned novel by John Jackson Miller while Rebels characters like the Grand Inquisitor also make an appearance in the miniseries.
Covered The Grey Areas Of The Sith Side
The sequel trilogy had clearly defined the binaries of good and evil. And Darth Vader was clearly shown as evil right from the first Star Wars movie. But the prequels addressed the grey areas behind the character, addressing his motivations and intentions behind betraying the Jedi order.
While Vader does serve as the main villain of the series, there are still attempts to understand this change rather than blatantly making him the “bad guy”. This is evident in scenes where Obi-Wan tries to negotiate with him through dialogue instead of violence. And this time around, the grey areas from the prequels are even more evident with Third Sister Reva’s character. Even though Reva is introduced as a reckless Sith warrior, she turns out to have personal vendettas of her own.
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