Originally, Obi-Wan Kenobi was set to have the titular character come out of hiding to protect Luke Skywalker, which would have been a terrible premise. Set ten years after the events of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, the show will follow Obi-Wan, one of the few surviving Jedi during the reign of the Empire as he is thrust into a mission he cannot ignore. The series went through hefty revisions in order to help differentiate it from some of its predecessors, like The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, otherwise it could have ended up being all too familiar. While it has been long understood that Obi-Wan’s primary responsibility was to watch over and protect Luke Skywalker on Tatooine, it’s exciting to think his purpose could be even more than this, shedding further insight into what the “crazy old man” as Uncle Owen calls him in A New Hope, was really up to all those years. If the Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer is any indication of what is in store, it is sure to delight fans of the first Jedi ever seen on the silver screen.
When Dave Filoni and Jon Favreau were brought in to look over the Obi-Wan Kenobi scripts, they believed that it was too similar to The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, which resulted in a number of changes. The role of Luke was recast and will now be played by Grant Feely, and Ray Park’s Darth Maul was written out of the script entirely, completely changing the direction the show would go in. Instead, Hayden Christensen will be reprising his Vader role in the new show, setting up the possibility of an epic showdown between the former master and apprentice duo.
Star Wars fans are hungry for a good story about a character they hold near and dear to their hearts. Having Obi-Wan simply protect Luke from Darth Maul would have been frankly, too predictable, not to mention contradictory to much of A New Hope’s storyline. Not only this, but his mission would have been too similar to that of The Mandalorian’s. While watching Din Djarin protect Grogu is an idea that has resonated with Star Wars fans and newcomers alike, it’s time to move beyond this template.
There were several prominent flaws with the original Obi-Wan Kenobi plan. For instance, had Darth Maul returned in Obi-Wan Kenobi, his final duel with the Jedi in Star Wars Rebels would have been cheapened. Set after the events of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Maul didn’t know that Luke was even alive in the show, so had they gone forward with this storyline in Obi-Wan Kenobi, it would have created a plothole. Additionally, the idea that Obi-Wan would protect Luke would have contradicted the events of A New Hope. While the first Star Wars movie makes it clear that the pair are familiar, it's also implied that Kenobi has maintained a relative distance. An earlier Luke and Kenobi adventure would therefore be difficult to explain in the context of Star Wars chronology.
With Obi-Wan as the main character, unconstrained by his relationships to Maul and Luke, many exciting possibilities for the show have opened up. Since both The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett spend time on Tatooine, images from the trailer showing that Obi-Wan will get off of the planet are a welcome relief. In fact, it looks like Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Princess Leia involvement could be more than just rumor at this point if his mission isn’t focusing on Luke, which tracks much better with what is seen in A New Hope. Going in this direction allows for Obi-Wan’s story to be augmented, rather than revised in the series.
Still, Obi-Wan Kenobi appears to have plenty of material to tackle in just six episodes. With a young Luke and Leia confirmed to be cast, the return of Darth Vader, and the Grand Inquisitor from Star Wars Rebels making the jump to live-action, the possibilities are endlessly intriguing. The series premieres on May 25, 2022, and hopefully abandoning the original Obi-Wan Kenobi story will allow the show to blossom into what fans have been craving for.
