A Scrapped Idea For Obi-Wan Kenobi Would Have Made Him A Complete Loser
Out of the many "Star Wars" shows that have come out of the Disney era, "Obi-Wan Kenobi" is arguably the weirdest. Like "The Book of Boba Fett," it is a show about one of the most beloved characters in the entire franchise, which brings back beloved actors, and promises to answer some questions fans had wondered about for years in regards to Kenobi's actions and whereabouts before meeting Luke Skywalker. Our own Ethan Anderton called this an unnecessary prequel in his review, but acknowledged that it's also "a thrilling new adventure that adds enticing emotional layers to the Jedi Master's story."
The show depicts Obi-Wan Kenobi hiding from his guilt over what happened to Anakin, from the ghosts of all his dead friends, and from the dangers of the Empire. Before Kenobi reclaimed his connection to the Force, he was just a sad hermit living in the desert. But we almost got an even sadder and more pathetic version of Obi-Wan. Speaking with Vanity Fair, Ewan McGregor talked about some of the discarded ideas for "Obi-Wan Kenobi," including a different, more extreme version of the beginning of the show.
"The first episode used to start with me as a waiter in a bar. He's really lost his way, Obi-Wan," McGregor said. "He's drinking too much. I got beaten up. People are kicking me, and I'm just taking it, then stalking out into the night. That was our first idea, anyway."
That's right, we almost got a Kenobi so down-on-his-luck he was a drunk on the verge of resorting to death sticks.
Obi-Wan's dark place
According to McGregor, the earliest conversations about "Obi-Wan Kenobi" were about a film, since Disney+ didn't exist yet. "I said, all I can see is him broken after some time after 'Episode III' and he's in a really dark place," he recalled. Given they were talking about making the former Jedi Master a drunken punching bag, they weren't exaggerating on the dark place bit.
Without the sad and pathetic version of the former Jedi, "Obi-Wan Kenobi" had room to tell a powerful story involving Leia Organa that added emotional weight to the princess' plea for help to the old Jedi in the original "Star Wars." Likewise, the show provided one hell of a reunion between Obi-Wan and his former apprentice, with McGregor and Hayden Christensen really selling the emotions and the years of history between the two characters. The scene also serves as an echo of the best scene in "Star Wars: Rebels."
Would "Obi-Wan Kenobi" have been better with an even sadder Kenobi? Maybe, but it is doubtful it would have changed much. Unfortunately, we won't be seeing any version of that, since season 2 is definitely not happening.