In honor of Star Wars Day, Disney+ leaked the first official trailer for its upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries – suggesting that the chapter is far from closed on the saga of the SW galaxy’s wise old sage, as the new series shows him forced to endure the dark times he foretold. Kenobi foretold the fall of the Old Republic when we first met the character in Star Wars: A New Hope – and the aftermath in which Darth Vader hunts down and destroys the last of the remaining Jedi knights in the name of the newly established Empire.
This is probably the closest equivalent to what a purge looks like in an intergalactic empire – something that was briefly touched on in the last of the prequel trilogy. Judging from the age of Luke Skywalker in this series, it’s been about a decade since the final events of Revenge of the Sith, and probably only a few years since the events of The Bad Batch. The hunt for anyone who could be a threat to the new order of Palpatine has gotten a bit more in-depth with an army of inquisitors – those with a strong sense of the force that have found a way to make themselves useful to stay alive in the new regime.
We’ve already seen Sith Inquisitors in the Star Wars franchise – in prominent roles as villains – but their strong presence in the trailer suggests that we might be about to get a more solidly developed Inquisitor. Up until this point, they often served the function of a secondary antagonist
– someone that the characters like Anakin or Kanan would try to match their battle skills against – but usually wasn’t someone who acted on their own accord. They never really concocted elaborate schemes that involved characters beyond the Jedi.
Perhaps the greatest reveal in the trailer is that the most infamous Sith lord himself will be back once again – as Darth Vader’s signature black armor and sinister breathing both make an appearance, along with confirmation that Hayden Christensen will return for the new series. What’s more interesting, however, is the brief glimpse of a Dathomirian that the trailer offers – even if it isn’t the iconic Darth Maul himself who is returning this season.
It also seems reasonable to assume that we have not seen the last of Mos Eisley spaceport – perhaps in a time where it’s a bit more thriving and respectable, rather than the wretched hive of scum and villainy we’ve come to recognize, as the illuminated neon city skyline in the trailer could indicate. It is, after all, a prime spot for smugglers and mercenaries to make deals as the Empire tightens its grasp. New Hope hinted that Luke had come across Obi Wan before the events of that film, knowing him as Old Ben – and the trailer shows a scene of increasing friction between Kenobi and Luke’s Uncle Owen. Whatever happens, it’s safe to say that Kenobi’s life in exile is far from a peaceful one.
