The new trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi gave fans a lot of new in its brief run time, including a glimpse of new planets and characters like Reva, an Imperial Inquisitor. The trailer also features many overt and subtle connections to the Star Wars saga that bind it to the broader world of comic books, animated series, and earlier movies.
The trailer revisits iconic locations from the movies as well those from video games, bringing together every medium the franchise has appeared in. Tiny details in costumes and in the backgrounds of shots also reveal more connections that link this new series to the prequel and original trilogies, making it a true bridge between the first six movies of the Skywalker Saga.
An Eopie
One of the most exciting connections to the saga appears right away in the trailer. Obi-Wan Kenobi is riding an eopie, a camel-like beast from the prequel trilogy. At the end of the prequels, he was seen arriving on an eopie to the Lars Homestead on Tatooine.
This could be the same eopie, which Obi-Wan appears to rely on to get around the desert wastes of the planet. The eopie first appeared in The Phantom Menace in several scenes on Tatooine, including the Boonta Eve pod race.
Krayt Dragon Meat
A possible and exciting connection in the trailer is to one of the biggest Star Wars creatures. In a brief shot early in the trailer, Obi-Wan is cutting blocks of thick meat which closely resemble that of the Krayt dragon that was killed in the second season of The Mandalorian.
Obi-Wan could be subsisting on a slain Krayt dragon, and perhaps one he even killed himself. Obi-Wan first appears in the original trilogy scaring off Tusken Raiders attacking Luke Skywalker by imitating the howl of a Krayt dragon.
Luke Skywalker's Costume
Luke Skywalker himself is a powerful connection to the saga, especially given that one of the most powerful Jedi in Star Wars has recently appeared elsewhere. But it's Luke's costume in the trailer that provides one of the most meaningful connections.
Luke is wearing a costume that is incredibly close to that of Anakin Skywalker's from The Phantom Menace right down to the goggles he wears. The goggles and Luke's playful imagination are very evocative of Anakin during the pod race sequence.
Duel Of The Fates
One of the most exciting connections to the saga in the trailer is the use of the "Duel of the Fates" theme from The Phantom Menace. This powerful motif from legendary composer John Williams plays during the iconic duel between Obi-Wan, Qui-Gon Jinn, and Darth Maul.
Its recurrence in the trailer - along with a variation on another powerful prequel theme, "Battle of the Heroes" from Revenge of the Sith - suggests the duel between Obi-Wan and Vader in the new series will carry the mythic weight of those epic battles.
Lars Homestead
One of the most iconic locations in all of cinema is recreated in the trailer. The Lars Homestead may not play a major role in the series, but as the home of a young Luke Skywalker, its presence - faithfully recreated - is a strong connection to the movies.
Luke will ultimately leave the homestead when Owen and Beru Lars die at the hands of the Empire, but it seems that Obi-Wan will be successful in preventing the Inquisitors from locating the son of Anakin Skywalker in this series.
The Grand Inquisitor
Star Wars fans know the Inquisitors are a major threat to the Jedi in this period, and their appearance in the trailer is a strong connection to the comics and animated series. An even better connection is the appearance of the Grand Inquisitor, the leader of the group.
The Grand Inquisitor first appeared in Star Wars Rebels and died there after a fateful duel with Kanan Jarrus. The upcoming series takes place a few years before that event, allowing the former Jedi temple guard to menace Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Fortress Inquistorius
One of the best connections to the larger Star Wars saga in the trailer is the Fortress Inquistorius, the base of the Inquisitors. The base first appeared in the video game Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order and now makes a stunning appearance in live-action.
The base is located on the moon of Nur, near Mustafar, and most of the base is submerged underwater, as seen in a later shot in the trailer. Further exploration of the base is something fans wanted in a Fallen Order sequel and now it seems they'll get it in live-action.
Imperial Shuttle
As the Inquisitor ship approaches the Fortress Inquistorius, several other ships can be seen docked on the exposed midsection of the tower. One of them appears to be an Imperial shuttle, an iconic vehicle that has major significance in the Star Wars saga.
The presence of the shuttle possibly indicates the presence also of Darth Vader. Imperial shuttles generally ferry only high-ranking officers and dignitaries, and Darth Vader would be the foremost among those who would need to visit the Fortress Inquistorius.
Vader's Castle
There are many subtle clues in the trailer and one of the most intriguing is a visual motif that references Darth Vader's castle on Mustafar, a location fleshed out in some of the best Star Wars comic book arcs. The prow of the Inquisitor ship seems to echo the pronged mast of the castle.
This same motif recurs within the Fortress Inquistorius on the back of the chairs the evil Inquisitors are sitting in. It appears their allegiance to Darth Vader is even stronger than it has been portrayed in animation and comic books.
Darth Vader
The trailer ends with a subtle but unmistakable audio cue, the distinctive mechanical breathing of Darth Vader. Vader will appear in the series, played once again by Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin and Vader in the last two prequel movies.
The promised battle between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi will likely go a long way toward explaining Vader's statement in Return of the Jedi, telling Luke that "Obi-Wan once thought as you do," in regards to turning Anakin back to the light.