We knew Disney would drop something major for May the Fourth (Be With You) and we were not disappointed. The first full-length trailer for the exclusive Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi is here. There’s a lot to dissect, so let’s break down what we know so far about the forthcoming epic tale covering Kenobi’s exploits during the time between Revenge of the Sith and a New Hope.
Enter the Inquisitors
The 1:28 minute trailer begins with the introduction of Inquisitors: Jedi hunters who can use the Force and are equipped with spinning lightsabers unique to their order. Inquisitors were first introduced in the Rebels animated series, hunting protagonist Ezra Miller, his crew, and any other Jedi who had survived Order 66.
From the surroundings, it looks as though the Inquisitors have found their way to Mos Eisley on Tatooine, close to where Kenobi and a young Luke Skywalker are located.
A Prophecy Misread
We get a hint of the tension between Luke’s Uncle Owen – played by Joel Edgerton, and Kenobi. Owen is (appropriately) concerned for Luke after what happened to Anakin while he was under Kenobi’s mentorship. According to the Jedi prophecy of the “one who will balance the Force,” there was ultimately nothing Kenobi could do to stop Anakin’s downward spiral to the Dark Side of the Force, but we can empathize with Owen’s trepidation nonetheless. Only the wisest of the Jedi, Master Yoda, could glean the fact that “a prophecy misread, may be.”
Down in the Dirt
Viewers will undoubtedly get to witness some of the most gritty Kenobi fight scenes from the entire franchise in the limited series, as we see him opt for a blaster as his weapon of choice, rather than his signature lightsaber. This is likely due to the fact that if the Empire hierarchy received word of a laser-sword-wielding nomad who looks suspiciously like the wanted Obi-Wan Kenobi, his and Luke’s cover would surely be blown. Kenobi is in a battle for not only his survival but the survival of the Skywalker line and ultimately the Galaxy itself – which is par for the course for the Jedi Master. The difference is, this time he has to do it through guerilla warfare and assassin-like tactics – so uncivilized.
Vader’s vendetta against his former master is a running theme throughout the trailer, and the reveal of Vader at the conclusion is as bone-chilling as when fans were first introduced to the malevolent cyborg in a New Hope.
Obi-Wan Kenobi premiers May 27 on Disney+.
