Those who recognize and celebrate Star Wars Day (May the 4th be with you) received a “holiday” gift yesterday: the first official trailer for the upcoming Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi. (Its first two episodes premiere on May 27.)
The trailer builds on the lingering suspense from the teaser in March. But for all the tantalizing clips of new characters, battles, and locations, new and old, quite a bit is still left to the imagination. Here’s a guess at what we can expect.
Kenobi sees the return of our titular Jedi master ten years after the fall of his padawan, Anakin Skywalker, and the Jedi purge that followed his turn to the Dark Side of the Force. Democracy died, an empire quickly took its place, and now Obi-Wan lives in hiding among the dunes of Tatooine, watching over the first of his former student’s progeny. Kenobi’s exile will soon be interrupted by the Inquisitors, a group of Sith students tasked with hunting down the remaining Jedi. There is obvious peril for Kenobi in this setup.
But what else will we see in the series? Things kick off in the trailer with the Inquisitors doing what they do best: hunting Jedi. An unknown ship seems like it is heading for the planet Daiyu, a new location that show writers describe as having “a Hong Kong feel.” Other clips show Obi-Wan there as well; it is likely the Inquisitors have tracked him to the planet. We don’t know why’s he there, but it will be a welcome respite from Tatooine.
Everyone’s least favorite uncle also appears. Joel Edgerton is set to reprise his role as Owen Lars, Anakin’s stepbrother turned official guardian to young Luke. Fans of the series may recall that Uncle Owen is not exactly the best father figure, admonishing Luke for daydreaming and putting him to work on their moisture farm at an early age. However, Lars’s intentions can be seen as practical, even admirable. His primary focus is protecting Luke from his father’s fate. Unfortunately, that means keeping Luke as far away from Obi-Wan as possible. Kenobi will likely explore this tension in depth.
We also see Obi-Wan come face-to-face with the main Inquisitor, Reva, whose taunts — “You can’t run, Obi-Wan,” and “You can’t escape him!” — raise an obvious question: Who? We get our answer via discreet yet ominous clips of Darth Vader assembling his iconic suit. Closing shots include the unforgettable sound of Vader’s respirator and the red and green buttons of his suit lighting up. Judging by the look on Obi-Wan’s face, it seems he knows he can’t keep running from his former friend and student any longer. Their rematch is one of the biggest things fans are looking forward to seeing in the new series.
Kenobi is also sure to explore the toll that Anakin’s fall took on his master. Kenobi’s guilt and shame about his failure will likely feature prominently. As exciting as it will be for fans to see Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor reunite on-screen after nearly 20 years, it will be even better seeing McGregor dive further into what makes this beloved character tick.