This is where the fun begins! Lightsaber duels, blaster fights, a reluctant hero and the most iconic villain of all time – a sense of pure nostalgia. Disney’s Obi-Wan Kenobi bridges the gap fantastically between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. Set ten years after the events of ROTS, Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) is reluctantly called into action to save a kidnapped young Princess Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) from Imperial Inquisitor Reva Sevander’s (Moses Ingram).
Kenobi’s powers are weak at the start of the series, his days as a Jedi warrior seemingly over, refusing to engage heavily with imperial enemies. In his first meeting with Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen, James Earl-Jones) in ‘Part III’, Kenobi is evasive, afraid and unwilling to face his former friend, running away to avoid a conflict with his rival. It’s only in the final couple of episodes we see Kenobi regain his confidence and his power. “Your strength has returned” acknowledges Vader in their duel in the final episode. McGregor’s performance was exceptional, almost like he’s done it before!
It slides effortlessly into the Star Wars saga and doesn’t break canon. It simply adds greater depth to the storyline and connects the films together. It explains how Kenobi isn’t shocked when Anakin/Vader is alive in A New Hope after leaving him for dead on the Mustafar system in Revenge of the Sith. The idea that Darth Vader killed Anakin as a person and Kenobi sees them as two separate beings is done really well, referring to him as Anakin throughout ROTS before the lines “then my friend is well and truly dead” and “goodbye, Darth”, the title he refers to him as in ANH.
Vader is at his villainous best. His first appearance comes at the very end of ‘Part II’ before sweeping ruthlessly through a village, mercilessly snapping a civilian’s neck while in his search for Kenobi. He comes across more terrifying than ever, compared to the performances in the original trilogy which could be down to the advancement of technology since the films. It looks as though he is at the peak of his powers. This makes for an exceptional battle in the final episode. The duel is up there as one of the best lightsaber battles we see in the whole franchise.
Darth Vader’s ongoing battle between the light and dark is excellently portrayed in the series. In ‘Part VI’, Vader’s mask is torn open and the audience is presented with stark visual and audio contrasts. His voice goes between Christensen’s Anakin and Earl-Jones’ Vader as well as, at first, the blue lightsaber lighting up his face before the red lightsaber. This imagery encapsulates what he once was compared to what he has now become and separates them into different beings entirely, again highlighting the idea of Darth Vader killing Anakin – something Darth Vader tells Kenobi.
I have a few minor issues with it, more technicalities if anything. Disney still hasn’t quite to grips with how a lightsaber works. Yes, the lightsabers look spectacular however at times they work as if they are a baton. Reva’s character is slightly unbelievable as well, surviving two lightsaber impales – the first in a flashback in the Jedi temple as a youngling and another from Darth Vader in ‘Part V’. But yet somehow lives? That is very much nitpicking though.
The series is a must-watch. It includes everything the casual viewer would want whilst also including little niches for the most die-hard star wars fan to talk about. A great mixture of tension, humour and head nods to the films before it. A pure nostalgic feeling and a fine addition to the collection.
Image Credits – The MovieDB
