Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 can only happen if Star Wars is willing to make one major storytelling change. Obi-Wan Kenobi chronicled the life of Obi-Wan on Tatooine 10 years after the harrowing events of Order 66. While keeping a distant eye on a young Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan is suddenly drawn into a chase to find Luke’s sister Leia after she was kidnapped from Alderaan – but the connections to wider Star Wars lore didn’t stop there. Darth Vader and Obi-Wan had their first reunion and showdown since their duel on Mustafar in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith as well, leading to some discussion as to whether this contradicted the first Star Wars film.
As the Star Wars franchise expands on Disney+, so too should its timeline. And yet, Star Wars seems stuck in its past, confining itself to the legacy of the Skywalker saga as opposed to branching out and discovering new stories, eras, and characters. Recent releases like Andor and upcoming releases like The Acolyte do focus on entirely new characters and eras, allowing them to build their legacies without relying too much on what came before – in Andor’s case, to great success. Obi-Wan Kenobi, however, was left behind in this creative revolution, leaning too far into fan service and connections with the original and prequel Star Wars trilogies, something it should avoid in season 2.
Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 1 Suffered From Star Wars Connections
Obi-Wan Kenobi season 1 was a very clear narrative bridge between the Star Wars prequel trilogy and the original trilogy, but ultimately, to its detriment. Though Obi-Wan Kenobi included some strong storytelling, and Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader’s final match was genuinely emotional, other moments felt like they were shoehorned in, the result of trying to create a new story around a character so intrinsic to the Skywalker saga. There was some smart misdirection - an initial hint Obi-Wan would focus on his relationship with Luke turned out to be a narrative trick, with the Jedi Master instead spending more time with Leia - but even these changes created too many lingering questions. There were simply too many expectations and lore connections to contend with.
While it’s easy to understand why Lucasfilm played around with fanservice when it came to making Obi-Wan Kenobi, as it provides an easy way to market the story, Obi-Wan as a character deserves and can handle more. Despite being so integral to Star Wars' Skywalker saga, Obi-Wan is his own character, with his own backstory, experiences, and future. Watching Obi-Wan Kenobi season 1 almost felt as though the creators didn’t believe Obi-Wan could carry a story on his own without the Skywalkers to prop him up - when that couldn’t be further from the truth. A hypothetical Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 would need to rectify this.
Kenobi Season 2 Can Only Happen With A Standalone Story
If Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 is given the green light, it will need to commit to a standalone story. An Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 that connects to the larger Skywalker saga would risk the chance of breaking Star Wars’ fragile continuity. Obi-Wan Kenobi’s season 1 ending set this up perfectly, with Obi-Wan leaving Luke behind in the care of Owen and Beru and coming face to face with Qui-Gon Jinn’s Force ghost for the first time. Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 could showcase Obi-Wan’s quest to learn the ways of the Force as his own master did. Diving deeper into the lore would set it apart from other Disney+ projects while still focusing on Obi-Wan’s journey.
Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 could also hypothetically completely flip the script and showcase Obi-Wan’s life during an entirely different period. There’s no reason for Obi-Wan’s live-action story to be restricted to his time on Tatooine. Novels and comics have proven there are plenty of stories to be written about Obi-Wan’s time as a young Padawan, for instance, most notably Kiersten White’s novel Padawan. Obi-Wan's first encounter with his beloved Duchess Satine is yet to be told, a surprising narrative gap. Alternatively, a story focusing on Obi-Wan's interaction with Bail Organa during the Clone Wars would flesh both characters out. Disney+ allows Star Wars to tell any kind of Star Wars story it wants, and it could use this to its advantage, especially when it comes to further developing some of its legacy characters outside the restrictive timeline of the Skywalker saga.
Star Wars Canon Makes A Standalone Kenobi Story Easier
If, as is more likely, Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 were to directly follow Obi-Wan Kenobi season 1’s storyline, at least Star Wars canon makes it easier to ensure it’s a standalone story. There is no way for them to bring back Darth Vader after season 1, as that would wreck Star Wars’ continuity irreparably. Obi-Wan is now in the phase of his life on Tatooine where he has to go it alone, giving the writers a great opportunity to showcase how Obi-Wan deals with the aftermath of Order 66, his connection with the Force, and what it’s like for him on his own after spending most of his life in the care and service of others.
The same goes for Luke and Leia. The first Star Wars movie makes it clear neither twin had any real connection with Obi-Wan anymore. Luke called him a hermit, and Leia barely reacted to the news that Luke was with Obi-Wan when they came to rescue her. She might remember him vaguely, but not enough to respond emotionally at the time. There is simply no reason to bring the twins back into the story now. Perhaps Luke could be involved from a distance, but there is too much canon continuity at stake to really have Obi-Wan be a part of these characters’ lives in an Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2.
Why Kenobi S2 Could Struggle Without Star Wars Connections
Despite arguments in favor of creating a standalone Obi-Wan story in Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2, it is possible the series would struggle without broader Star Wars connections. Though there will always be those who would welcome the opportunity for a deeper Obi-Wan character study, Star Wars is, above all, a franchise. An interconnected franchise at that, one that has been growing in scale exponentially over the last few years. Creating an Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 without a proper hook that speaks to a larger audience would probably be hard to justify. Qui-Gon’s Force ghost and young Luke Skywalker from a distance would ensure the necessary connections to Star Wars' various trilogies, but that might not be enough.
Andor was successful, despite a new cast of characters, new planets, and a new story. But Andor could be successful in this endeavor because the character had nothing left to lose. His fate was decided in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and anything that came before didn’t need to be connected to the Skywalker saga. Obi-Wan Kenobi has a different history, a different legacy, and a different emotional connection to Star Wars audiences both old and new. He is an intrinsic and undeniable part of the Star Wars story, and that comes with certain expectations. If Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 ever gets made, those expectations will be hard to meet, no matter the story’s focus.