Obi-Wan Kenobi Trailer Breakdown: Vader's Back, Baby
May the Fourth has come to be synonymous with Christmas for a lot of "Star Wars" fans, mostly because it's one of the rare times the fandom is spoiled by Lucasfilm. True to form, the brand spankin' trailer for the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series has been released, giving fans even more to look forward to when the first two episodes drop on May 27. This new, "official" trailer builds on all the suspense that the series' first teaser introduced a few months ago. For all the tantalizing clips of new characters, battles, and locations, quite a bit is still left to the imagination.
"Kenobi," obviously, sees the return of our titular Jedi Master 10 years after the fall of his padawan, Anakin Skywalker, and the Jedi purge that followed. Democracy died, an empire took its place, and now Obi-Wan lives in hiding among the dunes of Tatooine, watching over the first of Skywalker's two kids. Kenobi's self-imposed exile will soon be interrupted by the Inquisitors, a group of Sith interns tasked with hunting down the remaining Jedi once and for all.
This undoubtedly puts Obi-Wan, his force-sensitive ward, and a number of other characters in immediate danger. But what else is in store for our former Jedi Knight? Let's break down the most interesting moments of the new trailer to find out.
A warning
Things kick off with the Inquisitors doing what they do best: inquisition, of course. An unknown ship seems like it's heading for the planet Daiyu, a brand-new location that "Kenobi" writers have described as having "a Hong Kong feel." Other clips throughout the trailer show Kenobi on Daiyu as well, so it's the general consensus that the Inquisitors have tracked him there. What's he doing there? That remains to be seen, but it's nice to get off Tatooine for a little while.
We also see three core Inquisitors — Reva (Moses Ingram), the Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend) and the Fifth Brother (Sung Kang) — making the rounds on Tatooine, too. Over this, Obi-Wan delivers a warning: "They're coming. Stay hidden, or we will not survive." He's definitely referring to the Inquisitors, and the threat they pose to anyone who follows the Jedi path. Is it possible that Kenobi is recording a message to the Jedi who survived the purge, similar to the warning he sent out during Order 66? It'd be cool to see that speech in live-action, but it's more likely that he's speaking to another familiar character...
Return of Uncle Owen
Yes, everybody's least favorite uncle is back. Joel Edgerton is reprising his role as Owen Lars, Anakin Skywalker's step-brother and Luke's official guardian. Fans of the "Star Wars" Extended Universe know that Uncle Owen isn't exactly the best father figure to Luke. He regularly admonishes the kid for daydreaming and puts him to work on their moisture farm from a pretty early age. He doesn't have the best reputation in the fandom for these reason, but his intentions (for the most part) are admirable: his main concern is to protect Luke from Anakin's fate. Unfortunately, that means keeping Luke as far away from Obi-Wan as possible — and "Kenobi" will likely be exploring this tension in depth.
In the new trailer, Owen and Obi-Wan seem to debate Luke's future. "When the time comes," Obi-Wan insists, "he must be trained." It's surprising that Obi-Wan would risk exposing Luke to Darth Vader and the Inquisitors by training him — especially given his track record, a fact that Owen is quick to point out.
"Like you trained his father?" he asks Obi-Wan. Naturally, there's not much he can say in his defense.
Notably, this is the first time that the two characters have really interacted in live-action. Their exchange also mirrors a conversation from Marvel Comics' "Star Wars" #15, where Uncle Owen's opinion of Obi-Wan is not nearly so restrained:
Marvel Comics
"I'm not gonna let you warp the boy like you did his father," Owen tells Obi-Wan. "Haven't you murdered enough Skywalkers already, Kenobi?" That's gotta sting. Hopefully in the series, he'll be keeping things more civil.
'You still want Kenobi?'
It seems like the Inquisitors — Reva, especially — are set on hunting down Kenobi. She and her fellow Inquisitors are seen at the Fortress Inquisitorius, surveying a map of some sort. Is Reva following orders from Darth Vader himself, or pursuing a more personal ambition? Either way, Sung Kang's Fifth Brother doesn't see the point. "You still want Kenobi?" he asks via voice-over. "He's gone."
This doesn't discourage Reva. Following their exchange, a trio of ships launch from the fortress on Nur and head off into space. Judging by the size of the craft — and the faint sounds of a transmission in the background — they're definitely Imperial probe droids. The Inquisitors can't be everywhere at once, after all.
Lucasfilm
Next we see Reva on Daiyu, in a shot similar to her appearance there from the teaser trailer. "Maybe you've been looking in the wrong places," she tells the Fifth Brother. The probe droids have likely led her to find Obi-Wan on this planet, and it seems like a good chunk of action will take place there.
Here comes the heat
From here, things get pretty serious. Obi-Wan is clearly a major threat to whatever the Emperor's got going on, but the Empire can't stop him alone, which means that he's now wanted by Inquisitors and bounty hunters alike. We see his bounty as it's uploading, the particulars detailed in Aurebesh. His offense: "High treason."
As for the price he's fetching, it will apparently be determined "upon capture," meaning that bounty hunters can essentially set their own terms. If they can catch him, that is.
Lucasfilm
"I want every bounty hunter and low-life to squeeze him," Reva says, as we watch Obi-Wan face off against no less than four potential hunters. One of his adversaries might just be 4-LOM, a protocol droid turned bounty hunter that appeared briefly in "Episode V — The Empire Strikes Back."
Obi-Wan is pretty much on his own against a now-endless number of foes. He's also without his trusty lightsaber for the first time, which means a lot of the combat is hand-to-hand. Surprisingly, Kenobi holds his own pretty well, especially in a two-on-one fight against a Zabrak (a member of Maul's species) and another hooded figure.
Who's that guy?
In addition to a lot of Inquisitors walking to and fro in various locations, a few more money shots of some Obi-centered action (he's using a blaster, people!), and some great shots of Reva wielding her lightsaber, we've also been treated to some new faces. Kumail Nanjiani's yet-unidentified character makes his first appearance in the trailer, looking measurably frightened by something just off-screen. Rumors have swirled that Nanjiani will be playing a grown-up version of Kitster, Anakin's buddy from Tatooine, for a quite a while. But judging from his hooded outer shirt and the white kimono-style frock underneath, it's equally likely that he could be a Jedi in hiding.
Lucasfilm
We've also gotten another glimpse of that mysterious droid from the first teaser. It was last seen facing off with a stormtrooper, and here the droid trades some unfriendly fire with a small squad of them. They're definitely not on the Empire's side, but does that mean they're working with the fledgling Rebel Alliance?
The moment we've been waiting for
The trailer also brings Obi-Wan face to face with — or at least within shouting distance of — Reva. It seems the Inquisitor really does track the Jedi to Daiyu. "You can't run, Obi-Wan," she tells him. "You can't escape him!"
Lucasfilm
The "him" in question is none other than Darth Vader, who is assembling his iconic suit in various clips throughout the end of the trailer. One of the last things we hear (and see) is the unforgettable sound of his respirator, and the red and green buttons of his suit lighting up.
Duel of the fates, redux
Judging by the begrudging acceptance on Obi-Wan's face, it's clear he knows that he can't run from Vader forever. Their rematch has been years in the making, and it's one of the biggest things fans are looking forward to seeing in the new series.
But more than that, "Obi-Wan Kenobi" is sure to explore the toll that Anakin's fall took on his master in more ways than one. Kenobi's guilt and his shame concerning his failure will be felt throughout the series, and as exciting as it is knowing that Hayden Christensen and Ewan McGregor will be reuniting for the first time in 20-odd years, it's going to feel equally great seeing McGregor really dig into what makes his character tick.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi" premieres on May 27, 2022 on Disney+.