In preparation for this month's premiere of the highly-anticipated Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Disney+ has created a special section on the streaming service focusing on the character. The upcoming show is the latest in the Star Wars franchise as Disney expands the beloved science-fiction universe through a litany of new television projects. Set 10 years after Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi focuses on the titular hero (Ewan McGregor), who remains in exile and watches a young Luke Skywalker from afar as he is raised by Uncle Owen (Joel Edgerton) and Aunt Beru (Bonnie Piesse).
Obi-Wan first appeared in the original Star Wars film in 1977, then portrayed by Sir Alec Guinness. Although old, the Jedi was skilled with a lightsaber and gave his life protecting Luke on the Imperial Death Star. In 1999, Star Wars returned to the big screen after 16 years with Episode I - The Phantom Menace, the start of a prequel trilogy which aimed to tell the story of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan leading up to the fall of the Galactic Republic and Emperor Palpatine's rise to power. Lucasfilm, and then Disney, continued Obi-Wan's story with the animated series The Clone Wars, as well as a brief appearance on Rebels. Since Obi-Wan had died in the original trilogy, he did not make an appearance in the more recent sequel trilogy.
Disney+ has recently created a special collection on the streaming service to give fans a chance to prepare for the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series. The collection consists of a selection of main canon films and television shows in which Obi-Wan appears, including all of the prequel films, The Clone Wars television series, Rebels television series, Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope, and the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi. The two remaining original films, The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, are not included within the collection.
These collected Star Wars works are a convenient way to help to fans who wish to catch up on pertinent Obi-Wan content prior to the Obi-Wan Kenobi series premiere. The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones both show Obi-Wan's growth into the far more experienced Jedi Master as seen in The Clone Wars and Revenge of the Sith, while Rebels' brief appearance directly leads into his wise hermit role in A New Hope. Essentially, this Obi-Wan collection charts his entire journey throughout the Star Wars franchise - at least, so far.
Although it is unclear as to why The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi are not included, most likely this is due to the fact that Kenobi is no longer alive and has been relegated to only a few brief scenes in both films. However, the collection's included films and television shows give fans a more than thorough depiction of Obi-Wan's character within the Star Wars universe. As Obi-Wan Kenobi nears its release date , fans will have ample time to use Disney+'s handy collection to revisit the hero's journey.
Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres Friday, May 27 on Disney+.
Source: Disney+