Star Wars showdowns don't get bigger than Kenobi vs. Vader - here's everything we know about their upcoming rematch in Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series. First announced in 2019, Obi-Wan Kenobi is set ten years after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, and sees Ewan McGregor slip back into the title character's sandy robes. When Obi-Wan Kenobi begins, the former Jedi remains in hiding on Tatooine, watching over Luke Skywalker from afar. His quiet existence is rocked by the arrival of Imperial Inquisitors, but a far darker presence lingers in the background...
Joining Ewan McGregor in a heartwarming Star Wars prequel trilogy reunion is Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker. The master and student famously clashed on Mustafar, with Kenobi exploiting the high ground to defeat his former pupil, and while Vader survived that epic clash, his injuries necessitated him donning the iconic black armor seen throughout Star Wars' original trilogy. Until now, it was believed Kenobi and Vader didn't encounter each other again until their Death Star duel and the Jedi's final defeat. Obi-Wan Kenobi has other ideas.
McGregor and Christensen will cross lightsabers once more, this time on Disney+. Where, when, and why this rematch takes place isn't yet known for certain, but their battle looks to provide the action centerpiece of Obi-Wan Kenobi's solo series. Here's every detail revealed about the hotly-anticipated Star Wars scrap so far.
Obi-Wan Kenobi vs. Darth Vader: The "Rematch Of The Century" Is Happening
Confirmation that Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader would come to blows for a second time (chronically speaking - it's their third scuffle overall) began circulating in December 2020, following concept art revealed at that year's Disney Investor Day event. Reports from those in attendance (via Comicbook) described a cloaked Kenobi wielding his traditional blue lightsaber battling a fully-armored Darth Vader, now carrying his red-bladed weapon from the original Star Wars trilogy. If that wasn't proof enough, a Kenobi vs. Vader rematch was cemented by Obi-Wan Kenobi director Deborah Chow, who admitted, "[We] definitely see Obi-Wan and Darth Vader get into it again." Ewan McGregor then chimed in with, "Having another swing at each other might be quite satisfying for everybody." Understandably failing to resist hyperbole, Lucasfilm's Kathleen Kennedy touted Hayden Christensen's return as "rematch of the century."
Kenobi vs. Vader II May Take Place On Mustafar
In November 2021 - almost a year on from those initial Disney Investor Day details - Lucasfilm released an Obi-Wan Kenobi sizzle reel comprised entirely of concept art. Unquestionably the most striking image depicted Obi-Wan going lightsaber-to-lightsaber against Anakin Skywalker, matching the Investor Day descriptions from 2020. Given the fiery backdrop, it seems logical to assume this rematch occurs on Mustafar - the location of their opening bout from Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Returning to that same lava-covered arena would make sense, since Darth Vader has established his personal castle on Mustafar by this point in the Star Wars timeline. If the concept art's setting proves to be a red herring, however, Tatooine would be the next best guess as a site for Vader and Kenobi to throw down.
Obi-Wan Kenobi's Rematch Might Be Spiritual, Not Physical
While the excitement surrounding an Obi-Wan vs. Vader rematch is palpable, their "round 2" doesn't fit neatly into Star Wars canon. During A New Hope's climactic Death Star battle, the Sith Lord strongly implies he hasn't seen his former master since their violent disagreement in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. For this reason, their Obi-Wan Kenobi rematch may be contested on a solely spiritual plane, similar to Luke Skywalker vs. Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, or akin to Kylo Ren and Rey's Force dyad.
Darth Vader Will Be More Powerful In His Disney+ Rematch
Hayden Christensen has been predictably tight-lipped on what audiences can expect from his Darth Vader return. Speaking to EW in March 2022, however, the actor did acknowledge his character's power level, describing Darth Vader as "very powerful." This tracks, since a decade has passed in-universe. That's a decade of conquering planets by the Emperor's side and fending off entire armies. A decade of leading Stormtroopers, Inquisitors and Imperials. A decade of choking employees who annoy him. Anakin Skywalker was always a prodigious Force-user, and he'll be far stronger in Obi-Wan Kenobi than during his last appearance in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith. Has Obi-Wan been keeping up his own Force development? Or making sandcastles?
Darth Vader Isn't Yet "New Hope Vader" In Obi-Wan Kenobi
Hayden Christensen might've received a boost in power between Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith and Obi-Wan Kenobi, but don't expect Darth Vader to be the shadowy unstoppable force from A New Hope quite yet. According to Deborah Chow (via EW), Obi-Wan Kenobi finds the Emperor's eternally out-of-breath sidekick occupying a middle ground between the prequel trilogy's angry, sand-hating youngster, and the monster who slaughters Obi-Wan on the Death Star. Of course, this dual-persona could mean Hayden Christensen will appear sans helmet on Disney+, similar to Star Wars Rebels' Ahsoka duel. Chow's exact quote reads:
We are with the character sort of in the middle of this period. It is still Vader obviously, but it's a Vader that isn't quite as fully formed as A New Hope.
Obi-Wan & Vader's Rematch Sets Up Kenobi's Future
One of the more curious comments surrounding Obi-Wan Kenobi's rumble in the jungle (or, in this case, palaver in the lava) comes from Joby Harold (writer), who tells EW:
Part of the journey of what he goes through is reconciling that past and coming to understand it and coming to understand his place in it. And that journey and the places he has to go emotionally as well as physically, and some of those battles he has to fight, are very much to do with facing that past and understanding who he was, his part in his own history, in the history of others.
Reading between the lines, it seems Kenobi feels compelled to confront Darth Vader as a means of facing up to his past - the guilt of losing Anakin to the dark side, letting down Qui-Gon Jinn, and not realizing Palpatine was Sith. We know Ewan McGregor's Jedi begins his Disney+ story in a very bleak mindset, and meeting the towering black specter of his old mistakes head on might just prove the perfect remedy, setting Obi-Wan on his path toward A New Hope, and raising Luke Skywalker to kill more than just womp rats.
Kenobi vs. Vader Is At The Heart Of Disney's Marketing
In April 2022, StarWarsNews reported sightings of in-store Disney promotional material for Obi-Wan Kenobi, and this imagery revolves wholly around the fated battle between master and student, with each character's face looming large over either side. While Disney may simply be shrewd enough to realize this decades-in-the-making lightsaber duel is Obi-Wan Kenobi's easiest selling point for casual viewers (Micky has made a few bucks over the years, y'know), the prominence of the fight in marketing material may highlight how important Kenobi vs. Vader II truly is. Their confrontation looks poised to become the centerpiece of Obi-Wan's entire series.
Darth Vader Is Terrifying (& Takes Obi-Wan By Surprise)
Ewan McGregor never acted opposite Darth Vader in full Sith regalia until now, and in an interview with Total Film, the actor confirmed what many already suspected - standing across from "Vader" on set is a truly terrifying experience. And that's wonderful news, because if Obi-Wan Kenobi's presentation of Darth Vader can frighten a Scotsman in his early 50s who's renowned for riding a motorcycle into the unknown, Deborah Chow and co. are obviously making an effort to reinstall the fear, presence and intimidation Star Wars' original villain should have. Interestingly, McGregor also mentions a scene where Vader approaches his former master from behind, catching Obi-Wan unawares. This small detail may indicate Vader gets the upper hand during their rematch, but the image of Hayden Christensen's Sith Lord creeping up behind McGregor's Jedi hermit also sounds suspiciously like a dream sequence...