The Hollywood Reporter sat down recently with Obi-Wan Kenobi scribe Joby Harold and talked about some of the questions fans have been asking about the series. There is some great information from the interview, and we have taken a few pieces here and there to highlight below. I highly suggest heading over to THR to read the entire article.
WARNING: Information below contains spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi episode IV. Proceed with caution!
Obi-Wan Kenobi from the initial trailer to now has sort of been a bait-and-switch type of a show. I think we were sort of promised a show about the Jedi Master watching over young Luke Skywalker, but after the first episode we quickly realize it is less about Luke, and more about Leia. This has led to much fan uproar over the canonical understanding that Leia did not actually know Ben Kenobi in Star Wars: A New Hope.
Harold though, thinks differently…
“It was very helpful to know where they were going because it answers the question of, ‘Why him?’ So, ‘Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope,’ feels less arbitrary as a choice and a decision now that we know the depth of the history they have together. The context within which Leia says that in A New Hope is now canon, and it’s clear. So it will be articulated as the show continues, but I liked the fact that it helped reinforce and better articulate a little piece of the jigsaw that is already in place. If you watch all of the Star Wars stories in a row right now, you’d be like, “Of course, she’s going to go to Obi-Wan.” She also ends up naming her son, Ben [Adam Driver].”
Fans also feel canon was broken when Reva murdered the Grand Inquisitor. The character appears in Star Wars Rebels, which takes place after the events of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Does this mean he isn’t dead, or their is another similar Grand Inquisitor?
“I know there’s speculation about that, but I won’t speak to that beyond saying that Rupert is just a champ in his articulation of the character. I love the rhythm of what he does with the voice for a character who’s that physically intimidating. He looks like a tank, but he speaks with such lyricism. So that juxtaposition is unique and interesting, and he’s not the aquiline, thin, sinewy school teacher-y, creepy guy. So I love what he did with the character.”
Finally many fans wonder how someone of Reva’s stature knows that Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker are one in the same.
I love that Reva is this mystery box, so I try to speak to her as little as possible, and I’m going to keep it that way. But the notion of having a character that we don’t know on a legacy show where we do know everything and everybody is part of the fun of the show. So the less said about her, the better, considering there are very few people and places where you don’t know what’s happening.
There you have it. Some interesting information was provided by Harold on a few burning questions by fans. Do these answers satisfy the questions you have? With only two more episodes left in the series, it seems many of these questions will soon be answered… or not…
About Obi-Wan Kenobi:
The story begins 10 years after the dramatic events of “Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith” where Obi-Wan Kenobi faced his greatest defeat—the downfall and corruption of his best friend and Jedi apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, who turned to the dark side as evil Sith Lord Darth Vader. The series stars Ewan McGregor, reprising his role as the iconic Jedi Master, and also marks the return of Hayden Christensen in the role of Darth Vader. Joining the cast are Moses Ingram, Joel Edgerton, Bonnie Piesse, Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell and Benny Safdie.
Start streaming the limited series May 25 on Disney+.
