The Cast Of Obi-Wan Kenobi Reveal Their Favorite Moments From The Show
This post contains spoilers for "Obi-Wan Kenobi."
Star Wars Celebration 2023 is in full effect, offering fans both in London and at home around the world the chance to hear the latest news about the galaxy far, far away, including the return of "Star Wars" to the big screen, brand new trailers to upcoming shows, and also a chance to watch the cast of their favorite projects reminisce about making a Star War.
Though there was no news about a season 2 renewal, the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" panel at Celebration did have plenty of emotional moments, as the cast of the show was finally able to discuss all the secrets, twists, and emotional and shocking developments of the series. This included the surprise of young Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) playing a pivotal role in the story, and the emotional reunion between Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) and Anakin, now Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen).
The cast, alongside showrunner Deborah Chow, also took the time to look back at their favorite moments from season 1 of "Obi-Wan Kenobi," and pretty much all of their recollections brought a ton of emotions to both the cast and fans like me, who nearly sobbed through the panel.
Obi-Wan sees Darth Vader for the first time
First up was showrunner Deborah Chow, who chose to talk about the scene where Obi-Wan sees Darth Vader for the first time. This was when Obi-Wan was trying to smuggle Leia out of an Imperial outpost with the help of Tara, while Darth Vader mercilessly shreds innocent people while walking up to Obi-Wan's hideout.
"One of the reasons I really love doing this scene is it's the first time for these two characters being in physical proximity since the prequels," Chow said. "There's so much psychology and emotion. As a director, so much of the series was leading to the scene in [episode 6] with the cracked mask, and so this is the beginning of that." Indeed, this moment right before the first of two fights between Kenobi and Vader in the series is one of pure tension, where Obi-Wan — who we've seen not able to use the Force as well as he used to and who refuses to ignite his lightsaber — just stands and watches in sheer horror as Vader approaches.
"I just loved having Vader shred everybody," Chow added, and who can blame her? After "Rogue One," every appearance of Darth Vader needs to include a scene of him obliterating his enemies, whether they are armed or just defenseless civilians.
A tense report to the Third Sister
Next up was Indira Varma, who talked about the scene where her character, Tara, reported to Moses Ingram's Reva (aka the Third Sister) about what happened on the Imperial outpost she just escaped from and the failure to capture Obi-Wan. Tara tries to direct attention to a part of the rebel cell that is aiding the Jedi, hoping the Empire will divert resources there rather than the real location, but the Third Sister sees through it and instead accuses Tara of lying.
"I bloody love Moses Ingram, she's such a great actress and I felt so thrilled to have a scene with Reva because she is the boss," Varma said enthusiastically. "I love that notion of someone essentially putting their head in the lion's mouth." This scene happens right as Leia is about to get her eyes skewered and Obi-Wan is taking forever to come save her, so it is all up to Tara. "She's BS-ing her way through that," Varma added. "She's a swan, paddling her way through that."
Chow also shared her praise of Ingram's performance as Reva, saying "it was not easy to find someone who could hold her own against Vader," yet Ingram managed that. Indeed, in a show that also saw the return of Darth Vader himself, Reva proved to be a formidable and complex villain.
Leia confronts old Ben Kenobi
When series (and panel) standout Vivien Lyra Blair — you played young Leia on the show — had to pick a scene, she chose the moment where Obi-Wan and Leia are in a speeder and she confronts the old Jedi and asks about her family and even if he is her real father. Initially, Obi-Wan deflects the question, but then he opens up and reveals he doesn't remember much about his own family, but wishes he did.
"I think that day was when I really felt the character, I felt Leia, and I understood her," she said. "I understood how badly she wants to know. Not even because she wants her own family, she just wants to know, and I understand that feeling. I never like being in the dark and you never know when you're going to run into something [...] and she's very intelligent, she's picked up on the fact that it has something to do with her family."
"The way she looks at him" she continued. "She needs to know what he knows, because her whole life she's been trying to find her father and her mother and understanding who they were and if they're still alive and what they're doing."
Ewan McGregor also chimed in, explaining the importance of the scene. "There's an honesty between them that develops, and they start really speaking to each other," he said. "He stops thinking of her as a child he has to look after because she is so capable." He also praised Blair's performance, saying "it's really amazing watching you up on the screen, it's really proper good acting!"
Master and apprentice reunite
Is it any surprise that Darth Vader himself, Hayden Christensen, would choose arguably the best and most emotional scene of the entire show? Because of course he would. The scene in question comes in the very last episode as Obi-Wan finally decides to fight back, and kind of kicks Darth Vader's ass, even breaking his helmet and slashing the Sith Lord's skull quite a bit.
As Christensen said, this scene, "within the context of the saga it's just a great bit of 'Star Wars,' and a really important scene, not just to the tragedy of Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader, but the tragedy of the relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan." He's not wrong — this is a scene that not only evokes one of the best episodes of "Star Wars: Rebels," but also serves as the emotional climax of the story of these two characters before their fateful reunion in the very first movie. Christensen also praised his scene partner, saying that "so much of why that scene works is because of Ewan's performance and the heartbreak you experience [...] you get to understand the duality a little better."
For Christensen, coming back to play Vader was unexpected. "It was a surprise to get the call," he said. "I had heard whispers about this Obi-Wan project, and I knew Ewan was coming back," but not that he was part of that conversation. Still, "to get to come back to the character and do a little more with Darth Vader was a thrill."
A tearful goodbye
To cap off the panel, Ewan McGregor chose, well, one of the last scenes of the show — specifically his goodbye scene with Leia, where Obi-Wan finally opens up about her parents and says she has much of them in her, before saying goodbye and telling her the Force will be with her:
"When I first saw it, I came down to the studio and met with Deb [Chow] and I watched the first three episodes when they were ready for me to see. And then when I came back to watch the second block, I was totally alone in an edit room. Somebody pressed play, and they came back after the end of episode 4 and pressed play again. But when it came to this, and John Williams' music creeps in [...] I was sitting there and just, when they say goodbye to each other, I was just sitting alone crying my eyes out [laughs]. I really was! [...] I just found it so beautiful, and the fact that the 'May the Force be with you' doesn't come 'til then is so beautiful. He's finally got to the point where it's alive in him again. And I think that was the point of the series, was to bring him back to that point."
"Obi-Wan Kenobi" is now streaming on Disney+.