When Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope was released in 1977, it was a watershed moment for the franchise. The movie had been created by George Lucas and was a follow-up to his successful Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. It was also a time when the industry was changing and new technologies were being developed. One of these new technologies was video tape, which had just been invented. The release of Episode IV – A New Hope also marked the beginning of a new era for the Star Wars franchise. The movie became an international success and helped to revive the flagging box office industry. It has since been re-released multiple times and is still considered one of the greatest movies ever made. One of the things that has happened during this time is that Obi Wan Kenobi has become one of the most popular characters in all of Star Wars. He has appeared in several movies and TV shows over the years and his popularity has only grown stronger over time. So what has happened to Obi Wan Kenobi since he first appeared in Episode IV – A New Hope? Well, there have been several changesover time, but overall he has remained popular and well-loved by fans around the world.
Both cases are similar in that you anticipate the moment when the ending will be woven into the story. It’s not accidental that Obi-Wan Benobi is coloring in the story that began it all: A New Hope. All Star Wars roads lead to this movie (hey Solo! We knew Obi-Wan would be with Leia in this final episode of Obi Wan Kenobi. Darth Vader would also be able to survive. Our Jedi Master would become a hermit. Oh, and Luke would keep their parents’ secret. This means that we would finish exactly where we started.
Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 6
Obi Wan Kenobi is a dish best enjoyed in small portions. After five episodes of cutting confrontations, episode six felt repetitive and contrived. Characters will clash only when necessary and when they feel the need to. There are glimpses of chemistry, and Star Wars tropes that come across as charming instead of weak. Because it is too busy trying connect every franchise together, the final adventure for Leia & Obi-Wan does not tie the series together. Even the Sequel Trilogy gets a visual echo.
Leia and Obi-Wan are on the run at “Part VI”. Obi-Wan uses Vader’s senses to drama to get them out of trouble and allow them to escape. Obi-Wan lures Vader to a fight on the planet’s rocky surface to make him the Jedi he wants. The Empire is slowly attacking the rebel ship ineffectively, allowing the others to escape. Reva goes to Tatooine to add Luke to her indirect revenge list. Someone tips Owen and Beru so they have time to prepare while the ex-Inquisitors search for them.
Obi-Wan and Vader battle it out. They are fairly evenly matched until Vader puts Obi Wan to death with the Force. Vader is cut open by the Jedi, who escapes. The two of them have a heart-to–heart conversation where Obi-Wan (and Vader) are forgiven (“I’m not a failure, ObiWan. You didn’t kill Anakin skywalker. “I did. Vader is now dead.
Reva returns to Tatooine, confronting Luke. But she is too scared to kill him. She instead turns herself in to Obi Wan, admitting that she didn’t want to become the Darth Vader she recalled from childhood. The final scene ends with several cameos and closed loops. There are also closing scenes. Emperor Palpatine tells Vader to focus on the future. Obi-Wan and Leia and the Alderaan crew (including Leia) nervously look ahead to the next chapter. Luke is briefly greeted and guided by Qui-Gon into contemplative desert fate.
It is not new to criticize franchise products for being too dependent on their source material. Obi Wan Kenobi spends the last 20 minutes looking back at the franchise’s past. Hayden Christensen’s revelation of Darth Vader’s scarred face beneath his mask was the episode’s highlight. It was done in animation already with Ahsoka Tano and Vader. The arc was created in the controversial cameo era of the show, but it featured many characters. Maul tried to mentor Ezra. Ahsoka mentored Jedi Kanan Jarrus original Jedi Kanan Jarrus. The Inquisitors were not yet established. You would expect the pairings in Obi Wan Kenobi to be exactly as they are.
Reva is an exception. Reva is a strong, but subtle choice. This is a gradual awakening of her conscience that allows Reva to stop being the nightmare-inducing beast she fears. It’s great to see her making her own decisions in her own way. Reva saves herself, rather than the typical trope where the hero saves a villain.
We never learn the truth about Luke being Vader’s child because none of the characters discuss it. Ewan McGregor and Moses Ingram have great chemistry, despite only spending a few minutes together. It’s nice that she listened and made her own decision at the Path base. Her story is a little too desperate to be a spinoff. I would love to have a flashback of her relationship with Vader as a child or her hatred for Obi-Wan.
As Luke can’t die on this show, Reva is as toothless and unable to be killed as any of the other threats. Vader, who uses more force to bury Obi Wan underground underground, is the only one who poses the threat. The slow pace of the scenes renders the Imperials useless. Star Destroyer tries so hard to capture the zigzagging Path vessel. Obi-Wan’s painful goodbye scenes make it difficult for the ship to be credible. Reva is injured by Vader, and she struggles against Owens & Beru. She cannot kill those she loves, as the plot suggests. Beru insisting that the family defend its rights is not a moment to demonstrate her fierce power. The audience knows Reva won’t kill them and Beru’s stand against Empire will be ineffective.
Star Wars is something that I understand. Hyperspace moves at the speed and drama dramas of drama. More important than relative power is plot. It’s possible to have great characters that fight against the storyline established in 1977. Just look at Rogue One. Leia’s departure from the final slows down the drama. I would have liked to see more of the action integrated into the relationships between the characters. What if Vader tried to take Leia’s life. What if Reva had a sudden change of heart but didn’t know how to proceed?
Another example of how “Part VI” was more adept at integrating characters than creating pieces is Liam Neeson’s appearance in Qui-Gon Jinn’s Force ghost. Obi-Wan doesn’t receive any revelations to help him find the master. Obi-Wan doesn’t have to talk to the dead to be part of the plot. It’s a convenient stinger, and only one last appearance. Obi-Wan’s “Hello there”, a song he sings, floats over the actual events. It pays tribute to the films so shallowly that it actually weakens Luke’s story. The boy vividly remembers “old Ben” and being pursued by someone wearing a red lightsaber. It is possible to argue that he will forget all of this within a decade, or that the film doesn’t contradict anything. However, arguments don’t make a good story.
What was your favorite part of this episode? McGregor’s acting skills are unsurpassed. Although this is a more naturalistic performance that the Prequel Trilogy, it doesn’t lose the operatic dimension that a core Star Wars characters should have. The final confrontation between Obi wan and Vader was dramatic (Vader moved to the Earth, and I’m not immune to Obi Wan fighting style), but it didn’t feel scripted or high noon before a cardboard set. Despite the fact that the Volume has a mixture of flat backgrounds, fragile rocks and muddy-colored environments, it continues to show its potential. The seams are still visible.
Obi Wan Kenobi leaves viewers feeling hopeful, regardless of what they see. Little Leia has proved her worth. Little Luke is…fine. He has the perfect Jake Lloyd’s Skywalker look. It will be interesting to see where Reva takes us next, especially if McGregor and Ingram have more time together. Vader can however stay in the toybox for quite a while. After the final, I need to remind myself that Vader can still be terrifying, and not just an echo from past times.
Star Wars Episode 6 – Obi-Wan Kenobi Easter eggs Explained
Obi Wan Kenobi finally makes his return to Tatooine. In a highly-respected finale, however, two Star Wars legends were pitted against each other. The rematch between Obi-Wan & Darth Vader heals their friendship and prepares them for their roles as part of the Original Trilogy.
Reva visits Lars’ farm while Reva works. It is not impossible that Reva will meet Grant Feely, a young Luke Skywalker, even though she has to make a big decision. The fate of the galaxy lies at stake once again.
This episode includes all Star Wars references and easter eggs, as well as cameos we discovered…
Ian McDiarmid is Emperor Palpatine
Iam McDiarmid is back in his Original and Prequel Trilogy roles as the evil Emperor Palpatine (aka Darth Sidious). Here he appears as a Hologram at Vader’s castle in Mustafar.
McDiarmid was not the first actor to portray the Emperor in Star Wars. Marjorie Eaton was the first person to don a terrifying mask to portray Palpatine in The Empire Strikes Back. Clive Revill was the creepy voice. McDiarmid played the role in later, more famous appearances.
If you don’t have a home-release copy, there won’t be anything that is from Eaton’s or Rivell’s original performances. The 2004 DVD release has had the hologram scene re-edited in order to keep it consistent with the rest. McDiarmid is speaking now to Vader, during the famous appearance of the Emperor from the Original Trilogy.
You can find out more about Palpatine, including the significance of his appearance on the show.
Qui-Gon Jinn and Liam Neeson are the same thing
Liam Neeson returns as Qui-Gon Jinn (his Jedi mentor). Qui-Gon is well-known for his hatred of Jedi Council dogma and shaped Obi Wan’s life around Phantom Menace . The Prequel era tried to establish Jedi’s ability transcend death and to guide future Force-users such as Luke to Rey. Neeson played the same role as in animated Clone Wars, and will reprise it in the animated anthology series Tales of the Jedi.
More information on Qui-Gon, including his appearance in the show’s cameo.
“Hello There” and other quotes from movies
“Part VI” contained quotes that called forward or backwards to the Prequels and Original Trilogy.
– Luke, Little Luke’s reaction to Yoda when he was given the opportunity to use Force against Vader.
Anakin and ObiWan’s encounter in Revenge of the Sith mirrors their life-changing struggle for Revenge of the Sith. Vader is even more scarred and ObiWan discovers more about his former apprentice. It is also mirrored in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan says, “I will make whatever it takes,” and Vader replies, “Then you’ll be dead.” Similar exchanges take place in Revenge of the Sith where Anakin responds “You’ll try,” rather than “I will do whatever I must.”
In an Original Trilogy scene, Luke actually is reciting a Skywalker Kenobi song refrain. “Then my friend is truly dead,” Obi-Wan informs a defeated Vader. He calls back Luke’s dialogue (“Then you father is truly deceased”) from Return of the Jedi. Both Anakin and ObiWan are both going to be restored to their faith in Anakin, the audience is aware.
Another Return of the Jedireference has been provided by Emperor Palpatine. McDiarmid is the same character as McDiarmid, along with the line “I wonder your thoughts on this,” McDiarmid spoke to Darth Vader aboard Death Star while Luke and Dark Lord were second guessing their future galactic conflict.
Obi-Wan’s greeting “Hello there” comes from Sir Alec Guinness A New Hope and McGregor’s Revenge of the Sith . These words are the ones that brought Luke into a larger world. This line is an online meme that goes beyond Star Wars.
Darth Vader’s Shattered Helmet
Hayden Christensen and James Earl Jones join Star Wars trilogies in order to create Obi-Wan Kenobi. Both voices can be heard when ObiWan smashes Vader’s helmet.
This scene is reminiscent of the Rebels scene. Anakin’s apprentice Ahsoka Tanos discovers the sinister identity her former mentor after she removes his mask using her lightsaber.
Obi-Wan’s Lightsaber Stance
Obi-Wan’s signature moves are displayed in the fight against Vader. These classic moves are from the Prequel era. In Revenge of the Sith, you will see his first lightsaber position. This is Obi-Wan’s preferred Jedi fighting style, along with Depa Bilaba and Kanan Jarrus.
Vader holds the High Ground
Obi-Wan’s famous claim that Anakin was dead was a well-repeated one. Revenge of the Sith has shown me the upper hand. This Prequel favorite is often twisted with a playful twist. Vader loses the duel and the line is just before Anakin’s emotional and equally quotable “You were my brother, Anakin.” It was a deep, personal love I felt for your. Vader has decimated the earth with his Force, and Obi-Wan is sent to fall into a pit in order to reach the highest ground.
Lifting rocks
Obi-Wan and Vader throw their rocks at each other in a way that reminds of Rey lifting fallen rock to free her friends from The Last Jedi.
The opening shot of a new hope
The episode’s chase sequence clearly evokes the opening scene in A New Hope, where Princess Leia’s Blockade Runner was pursued by Vader’s Star Destroyer as well as the Devastator.
Obi-Wan’s Robes from the Comics and A New Hope
Obi-Wan’s orange goggles, which were featured in the episode’s finale, are definitely worth attention. They have appeared before in Marvel’s Star Wars comics, particularly on the cover of #15, which is one the many “From the journals Obi-Wan Benjamin” stories. The show shows that the vest and the Googles have been mixed with McGregor’s classic A New Hope clothes. McGregor’s version is one step closer to Sir Alec Guinness.
Beggar’s Canyon
Beggar’s Canyon is where Obi-Wan rides in Episode 7. It was the original location of The Phantom Menace. It was also where Luke Skywalker grew up. He learned to fly “hunting womprats” in , a New Hope.
