With the season finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi, it’s time to take a look back on the season and what changes they have made to the Star Wars canon so far. While the show has been well-received, it has also understandably done quite a bit to alter prior installments of Star Wars films and TV shows.
From changes to the original storyline to characters’ relationships with one another, there are quite a few elements of Kenobi that can be considered retcon to Star Wars lore. Shows like Dave Filoni’s Clone Wars or Disney +’s Book of Boba Fett have made significant changes to the canon, so it’s understandable to see if Disney would do the same for Obi-Wan Kenobi, but there are still some major adjustments that have been made.
Obi-Wan And Leia’s Shared Past
“You served with my father in the Clone Wars…” This quote was spoken by Princess Leia herself in her secret message to the old Kenobi way back in 1977’s Star Wars. The quote itself could in fact have a double meaning considering who her “real’ father is, but in the context of the message she was relaying, it gave no hint to a relationship she may have shared with the aging Jedi.
In Obi-Wan Kenobi, the two find themselves in a galaxy-wide adventure together, one that would have left quite the impact on the intuitive Leia. An impact that would leave audiences to believe she would need comforting after his death in the first film instead of vice versa when she comforts Luke instead.
“I Sense Something, A Presence I’ve Not Felt Since…”
Along with the famous, “..now I am the master” quote it was widely believed that the duel between master and padawan on Mustafar was their last encounter before their next meeting on the Death Star itself.
This could always be chalked up to semantics considering there is still a nine-year gap between the Kenobi series and A New Hope. But until Obi-Wan finds himself escaping Vader’s radar without endangering Luke, it’s yet to be seen if it was wise to rush their long-awaited confrontation ahead of schedule.
The Grand Inquisitor Casting
Despite controversy over the Grand Inquisitor’s appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi not looking quite like the animated character from Star Wars: Rebels, the decision to cast Rupert Friend rather than the original voice actor Jason Isaacs was an interesting choice.
This is nothing against Friend or his performance, but considering Isaacs is not only a voice actor but an incredible character actor as well, it’s somewhat surprising that he didn’t play the Grand Inquisitor here as well. Jason also shares some features with his animated counterpart, so it would have been wise to cast him for the live action as well like they did with Bo-Katan in The Mandalorian.
Survivors Of The Jedi Temple Massacre
The latest episode revealed that Reva was in fact one of the younglings to survive Vader’s onslaught of the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. Hiding amongst the dead younglings that were killed by Vader and his Clone troopers, Reva managed to escape and dedicate her life to avenging her family.
It was entirely possible to escape the overall genocide of Jedi across the galaxy, considering Yoda and Kenobi are survivors. But the likeliness of anyone surviving the massacre at the Jedi temple appeared to be near impossible despite masters protecting their students. No stone was left unturned on Coruscant when the imperial forces made their move, so while it is not entirely unbelievable for Reva to escape, she still had insurmountable odds that were not in her favor.
Vader’s Power
This might be a stretch considering the era the original trilogy was produced and the constraints there were to show off how truly powerful Darth Vader could be. While keeping in tone with how he duels one-handed against those he deems beneath him, with the innovations of modern cinema magic, Obi-Wan Kenobi can truly showcase the extent of Vader’s power.
His latest feat of strength was a fine example of showing that off. Wielding the force, Vader managed to pull back a star cruiser as it was taking off. By bringing it down in a furious display of power, audiences can witness his true strength that couldn’t otherwise be portrayed in the original trilogy. Imagine if Vader could have easily held back the Millennium Falcon as it was making its getaway from Hoth in The Empire Strikes Back.
Ewan McGregor Versus Alec Guinness
Roughly set nine years before the start of the original trilogy, Ewan McGregor’s (51) Kenobi is eventually going to evolve into Alec Guinness’s (63) version within that time gap. Obviously, Ewan and Alec are two different people, but their resemblance to one another was more plausible during the timeline between the original and sequel trilogies.
With Obi-Wan Kenobi already receiving the green light for a second season, it’ll be interesting to see how Disney will rectify this. Perhaps makeup or yet another attempt to use CGI to advance his age, which may have some uncanny consequences like audiences have witnessed before.
Hayden Christensen Versus David Prowse
The decision to have Hayden Christensen reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader was a welcomed one. But the decision to have him in the suit itself made filming him a little more tricky considering the original actor David Prowse was 6’6, and Hayden is half a foot shorter.
While the height difference may appear insignificant on paper, on screen it becomes more noticeable, hence why Prowse’s presence on set was so threatening, as he literally stood a head above the rest. With Hayden in the suit now it makes filming him more difficult, with most shots of him having to be from low angles while wide shots will more than likely be someone else in the suit.
Kenobi Lost Touch With The Force And Abandoned The Jedi Way
Theres a scene early on in the series where Obi-Wan is seen trying to connect with the force and get in contact with his old master, Qui-Gon Jinn, to no avail. The events of Mustafar and Order 66 have left him utterly broken and he has seemingly lost all hope. He even turns away a Jedi in need of help, which eventually leads the young man to be killed by the inquisitors.
While the events of Revenge of The Sith would certainly break him, it’s hard to believe that Obi-Wan would turn away people in need so he may keep his identity hidden. It’s a detriment to what audiences have known about one of the series’ central characters, but that does make more interesting television than an old man waiting around in a desert for something to happen.
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