The 5 Best Characters in Obi-Wan Kenobi
These characters made the Disney+ show an essential Star Wars watch.
*Spoilers ahead. Only a Sith spoils things for themselves or others*
Six episodes. That’s all we got out of season one of Obi-Wan Kenobi. While the show may be named after the famous Jedi, our favorite moments from the mini-series involved the people around him.
Since we’re already going through severe withdrawal, here’s a roundup of our favorite characters that appeared in season one of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Haja Estree
Comedian Kumail Nanjiani adds some comedic relief to an oftentimes drama-filled show as a fake Jedi. He takes desperate people’s money and uses magnets, machines, and the help of his friends to put on the illusion of Jedi Mind Tricks.
He realizes he hasn’t been living the kind of life he wants, so when he meets Obi-Wan, he gets the chance to act as a real Jedi and lead the Inquisitors away from Obi-Wan and Leia.
Later, Haja joins the insurgents since he’s wanted by the empire for providing them aid. He promises to take Leia home to Alderaan if Obi-Wan doesn’t survive his encounter with Vader. Haja’s a classic example of how sometimes people just need the chance to be good.
Chosen Family
I enjoyed seeing Beru and Owen and Breha and Bail step in as adoptive parents for Luke and Leia.
There are so many cute moments with Leia and her parents. Breha tells her, “you get out of this what you put into it,” when she says all she does as a Princess is wave. Bail tells her there are “many ways to lead” and it’s clear his leadership helped her to become a great General later in life.
When Leia says she’s not really a part of their family, Bail steps down, looks Leia in the eyes and says, “you are an Organa in every way.” The abundant love he has for her is clear: blood-related or not, she is his daughter.
In a similar way, when Reva says, “you really love him like he’s your own” about Luke, Owen replies, “he is my own.” And when Beru hides Luke, she hugs him with all she has.
In the end, Obi-Wan leaves the desert cave where he watched over Luke because he realizes that for protection, Luke only needs Owen and Beru. It’s a great reminder that family is made by love and support, not biology.
Tala
Star Wars loves a good mole, and Tala is the best example. She joined the First Order because she thought they were on the cusp of something great. The Empire ended up doing more harm than good and she made a lot of mistakes, a line echoed for Obi-Wan’s guilt as well.
So, she decided to use her credentials to help the budding Resistance smuggle Jedi and other wanted people along the “Path,” a secret passage of safe houses. Tala, played by Indira Varma, saves old Ben’s life more than once by the time her identity is revealed. And then she does it again several times after.
In a Rogue One twist, Tala is severely injured and ends up sacrificing herself so that Obi-Wan can escape. It’s heartbreaking and embodies the spirit of Star Wars: believing in something bigger than yourself.
Tala’s spirit lives on, however, with Leia adding her gun holster and belt to her Princess attire in the finale.
Reva (The Third Sister)
The Star Wars fandom can be toxic, and specifically toxic to people of color. Actor Moses Ingram received so much hate after she was cast as The Third Sister. Anger surrounding her casting was just outright racism. Period.
It did unintentionally prove, however, how good of an actor Ingram is. If audiences didn’t like the character of Reva, good. They weren’t supposed to like her because she’s the antagonist.
When Reva sing-songs “Ooooobi-Wan,” and taunts him with the truth that Anakin is alive, she is downright terrifying… until she’s not. Once you learn her backstory as a youngling that survived Order 66 in the Jedi temple, you completely understand her. The reason she fought so hard to rise in the ranks of the Inquisitors was to avenge the fallen Jedi: the only family she had ever known. But much like Anakin, the pursuit of that goal started to turn her to the dark side.
Ingram deserves all the praise for her portrayal. Especially when she returns with Luke and cries that she’s failed because she couldn’t kill him for revenge like she planned. Instead, she showed mercy. Obi-Wan tells her that that choice prevented her from falling down the same path as Anakin.
Overall, an ecstatic performance from both Ewan McGregor and Ingram in that scene.
Princess Leia
The show was marketed as picking up with Obi-Wan watching over a young Luke Skywalker, but most of the series was spent showing the relationship between Obi-Wan and Leia. And I’m not complaining!
Actress Vivien Lyra Blair encapsulates Leia’s spirit perfectly: she is fearless, feisty, compassionate, insightful, and wise beyond her years. Unfortunately, this talented little actor received some hate herself, to which I remind you all, she is TEN YEARS OLD. Do better.
It was interesting to see how Leia struggled with her life as an adopted Princess on Alderaan because up until now, we haven’t known much about her prior to Episode IV: A New Hope. While she was quite literally royalty, she wanted adventure similar to Luke in the original film. She even calls her palace a prison (which Luke might argue with since he lived in a sand igloo). It turns out that they both were struggling with their place in their family units, which is a theme that is important to showcase for adopted kids that may be watching.
Moreover, it is Leia’s spirit that brings out the fight in Obi-Wan again. He even says, “you are the future. You are worth saving,” while looking right at her when he decides to fight Vader on his own so the insurgents can escape.
And if you didn’t cry real tears when Obi-Wan shared the traits she got from her biological parents, you’re not a real fan. I don’t make the rules.
What’s in Store for These Characters?
Ewan McGregor says he would love to do a season two, despite Obi-Wan Kenobi being planned as a stand-alone, limited series. And while season one didn’t end on a super-pressing cliffhanger, there is a lot more to be explored.
In particular, how Obi-Wan is a great leader. Not just because he’s smart, a skilled fighter, and can negotiate like nobody’s business. But because he brings out the best in other people and gives them the opportunity to use their unique talents to better the galaxy.
So I certainly hope we get a second season of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He may be free from his past, but with Vader hunting him down, Obi-Wan will need to rally others to save himself in the present.