Obi-Wan Kenobi has finally launched on Disney Plus, with the first two episodes now available to watch. It’s hard to argue that it’s not one of the most anticipated shows in the current, vast Star Wars TV landscape (and we are spoiled for choice when it comes to upcoming Star Wars TV shows).
Following his battle with Anakin, Obi-Wan took baby Luke to his aunt and uncle on Tatooine, before beginning a hermitage that would last until Darth Maul tracked the legendary Jedi down for one final battle. Or, at least that’s what we thought.
Obi-Wan Kenobi will finally establish in canon what happened in the years following Revenge of the Sith and before he encountered Maul for the final time. From the Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer, the show appears to take place 10 or so years following the end of Revenge of the Sith, based on the age of a young Luke Skywalker, who can be seen pretending to pilot a podracer. To help wrap your head around the timeline, you might find our article on the Star Wars movies in order useful.
We also see that the Sith Inquisitors, a group of mercenaries determined to exterminate the last of the Jedi, have reached Tatooine and it’s up to Obi-Wan to conceal himself from them, in order to protect Luke. A new force-sensitive Inquisitor named Reva will also be in pursuit of the Jedi Master, but how her story will end is yet to be seen.
Considering the show is only six episodes, and it’s very likely the last time we see Ewan McGregor perform the role he’s made his own, many, including us, can hardly wait to watch through the whole series.
Will Obi-Wan Kenobi live up to expectations? When is it out? And what role will Darth Vader play in the most anticipated Star Wars TV show ever? Let’s break it down.
Where to stream Obi Wan Kenobi
Disney are the owners of all things Star Wars, so it should come as no surprise that the only place you can watch Obi Wan Kenobi online is on Disney Plus.
If you're not already signed up, you can click on the link below to get started. You can either sign up to just Disney Plus for $9.99 per month, or you can grab the Disney Plus bundle which includes Disney Plus, ESPN+, & Hulu (Ad-supported) for just $13.99 per month. Finally, there is a $19.99 per month version that comes with the non-ads version of Hulu.
If you're in the UK, your options are slightly more limited as there is no bundle option. Instead, you can sign up for Disney Plus for £7.99 per month, or £79.90 for a year.
Watching Obi Wan Kenobi abroad using a VPN
If you're travelling abroad and can't access your Disney Plus account in the country you're currently staying in, but you don't want to miss out on Obi Wan Kenobi's long-awaiting return to our screens, then fear not.
You can still watch streaming content that is locked in your current region by using a VPN. These services let you access content that is locked to current regions by bouncing your connection via a server in that country. They're quick and easy to use, and also offer you added security benefits when browsing online.
Our top pick for a VPN service is ExpressVPN - we have staff members based in the UK who use this everyday to check US prices and it's never let us down.
You can sign up for ExpressVPN for just $12.95 per month, with deals getting cheaper if you lock in for a longer subscription. If you sub for 6 months, it comes to $9.99 per month, while a 12 month sub will only cost you $6.67 per month.
Obi Wan Kenobi: Release date
The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi joined Disney Plus on May 27, 2022. Originally planned for May 25 to celebrate the theatrical release of A New Hope, the show has been pushed back a few days, per an announcement video featuring Ewan McGregor himself.
But to make up for the slight delay, both episode 1 and episode 2 of Obi-Wan Kenobi were released on May 27, 2022. It’s believed that episode 3 will then join the service two weeks later, with subsequent episodes joining on a weekly basis. The finale is currently scheduled for June 29, 2022.
We have high hopes for this show, and have no doubt it’ll find its way to a top spot on our Star Wars TV shows ranked list.
Obi Wan Kenobi: Trailers
We had a few trailer drop for Obi Wan Kenobi in the run up to its release. The first was the teaser trailer that was unveiled on March 9. As trailers go, it's pretty fantastic. We get to see Obi Wan, the inquisitors, and most importantly, we get to hear the absolutely phenomenal Duel of the Fates once more.
We then got another trailer on May 4th aka Star Wars day, which showed us more of the Inquisitors, and Obi Wan's new life on Tatooine where he's hiding in exile. More importantly, this trailer ends with the iconic sound of Darth Vader's breathing, showcasing the return of the greatest villain in Star Wars history. We can't wait.
Obi Wan Kenobi: Plot
So what do we know about the Obi Wan Kenobi series so far? Well, not a huge amount, but we do know that Star Wars' most iconic villain, Darth Vader will be making an appearance along with his army of Inquisitors. fans of the expanded universe will know all about them, but we've put together an explainer for people who skipped out on Rebels.
We're going to avoid putting any actual episode spoilers in this guide, so this is all speculation based on what was seen in the trailers. We will have in-depth reviews of the episodes shortly after they go live, if you want to keep up with what's happening in the show.
Who are the Sith Inquisitors?
Spoilers for Star Wars: Rebels ahead…
The Sith Inquisitors are a squad of former Jedi that surrendered to the dark side of the force during the events of Order 66. While they aren’t officially Sith Lords, as only two Sith Lords can exist at once in Star Wars canon, they serve just below the ranks of Sith Lord.
Trained by Darth Vader, these mercenaries were used during the years following Order 66 to hunt the final Jedi that still roamed the galaxy. While it’s been speculated that there could be as many as 12 members of the group according to some Star Wars reference books, only 10 have currently made an appearance across various TV shows and video games.
From what we’ve gleaned from the Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer, they’ll be a significant threat, likely dispatched to Tatooine to search for the force-sensitive child that would later grow up to blow up the Death Star and end the reign of the Empire.
Their leader, The Grand Inquisitor, can be seen in the trailer being played by Rupert Friend. A former Jedi Temple guard, The Grand Inquisitor fell to the dark side after watching the way the Jedi treated Ahsoka Tano, something that also led to her disillusionment with the way of the Jedi. While The Grand Inquisitor’s fate is revealed in Star Wars: Rebels, it’ll be interesting to see his portrayal in live-action, especially as he’s not going to be played by his voice actor from Star Wars: Rebels, Jason Isaacs.
The Fifth Brother and the Seventh Sister, the antagonists of season 2 of Star Wars: Rebels, also appear in the trailer. These two are brutal warriors and we can’t wait to see them face off with the legendary Jedi.
Darth Vader
As part of the announcement of Obi-Wan Kenobi and the news that Ewan McGregor was on board, another Star Wars legend has joined the cast. Hayden Christensen, who was last seen having the iconic Vader helmet lowered onto this charred face, will reprise his role as Darth Vader.
While Star Wars fans were excited for the return of the sand-hating hunk, it did pose a few questions. Most Star Wars fans assumed that following their duel on Mustafar that the master and apprentice only met one more time, their final battle on the Death Star in Episode IV.
However, it appears as though Obi-Wan Kenobi may feature a battle between them, or at least some sort of interaction between them, in the years between. It’s also possible that Hayden will appear in flashbacks, although he’s specifically been noted as returning as “Darth Vader” so it appears that he’ll don the familiar black suit.
In the incredible trailer, while we don’t get a look at the legendary villain, we do get to hear a very brief clip of Vader’s telltale breathing just as the title appears on screen. It’s unclear how many episodes Hayden has signed up for, but our guess is that the Sith Inquisitors will serve as the main threat during the series while Vader will show up towards the end for a penultimate showdown with his former master.
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