After a seventeen-year wait, Ewan McGregor has returned to the iconic role of Obi-Wan in Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the show's two premiere episodes have the fandom reeling. Filled with emotion, poignant moments, and surprises, the debut installments are fantastic, not to mention full of Easter eggs, references, and connections to other Star Wars media, including the adored animated shows.
There are certainly more connections to come, but there is already some decent representation of The Clone Wars and Rebels in the series, notably through subtle references and character relationships or similarities.
The Padmé/Leia Comparison
In one of the most touching yet emotionally destructive moments for audiences, Obi-Wan tells Leia she reminds him of someone, referring not to Anakin, but Padmé.
While this is, of course, a prequel reference, the way Obi-Wan describes Padmé is showcased wonderfully in The Clone Wars. In the series, she shows her stubbornness, that intelligence, and those incredible leadership skills that remind him of her when dealing with young Leia.
Kessell Pure
In one scene on Daiyu (which really sets the scene for how much of a hub for scum and villainy it is), Obi-Wan is offered spices by Tetha Grig (played by Ewan McGregor's daughter Esther Rose), including the spice Kessel Pure.
Kessel has been getting mentioned for decades thanks to the Kessel Run, but it is also a prime hub of spice in the Galaxy, which is best seen in Solo: A Star Wars Story, The Clone Wars, and Rebels - with Kessel Pure actually name-dropped in guides to both Solo and Rebels. The spice carried and dumped by the Martez sisters may well have been the same.
The Veteran Clone
In one of the most painful moments in Star Wars TV to date, a veteran clone trooper, bearded and still wearing his iconic 501st Legion armor, begs for credits on the streets of Daiyu.
This clone, especially since he is being played by Temura Morrison and donning the armor which marched on the Jedi Temple, is a brilliant connection to the prequel trilogy. However, Clone Wars fans will have immediately associated him with the countless times they saw any number of 501st clones in the show under the command of one of Star Wars' best duos, Anakin and Ahsoka.
Obi-Wan Calling Out To Qui-Gon
At the end of Revenge Of The Sith, Obi-Wan is told by Yoda to get training (to learn the secret to becoming a Force Spirit) from Qui-Gon Jinn. For years fans have wanted to see this, and it has already been teased in Obi-Wan Kenobi by Obi-Wan calling out to his former Jedi mentor Qui-Gon in both episodes.
This is reminiscent of the arc in The Clone Wars in which Yoda has to undergo the same training, guided along the way by the voice of Qui-Gon, who never completed his training and so never became a full-on Force Spirit. Yoda also calls out for advice and help from Qui-Gon a couple of times to no avail, and that is what is happening to Obi-Wan in the show thus far.
The Inquisitors Are Fallen Jedi
Those fans watching Obi-Wan Kenobi without having watched Rebels or reading any of the extended canon were quickly informed regarding what the Inquisitorius is all about. Obi-Wan explains it himself in the second episode, calling them Jedi hunters. Many of them are fallen Jedi, an idea that connects back to Rebels.
The Grand Inquisitor himself is a prime example of this, and his past as part of the Jedi Order was displayed in Rebels and gave him a backstory that helped make him arguably the best Inquisitor. He got shown to be one of the Jedi Temple Guards before being lured to the dark side by Darth Sidious. It also looks as though Reva was a Jedi Padawan too, which will be an exciting plot point if it is confirmed in the next four episodes.
Leia's Role In Rebels
This show is already full of such remarkable connective tissue to the prequel trilogy, original trilogy, and The Clone Wars, but it also has some to Rebels through more than just the Inquisitorius, as Leia is very reminiscent of Rebels as well.
In Rebels, Leia is a politician who helps the rebels, kind of playing both sides but only truly being on one team. In this show, audiences see how politics was of no interest to her, but Bail makes clear that is what will make her such a good politician. Leia's free-spirited, independently-minded ways paired with Bail's wisdom and experience - as well as assurance that "there are many ways to lead." - turned her into the political leader and eventual rebel spearhead she is in Rebels and beyond.
Leia/Hera Similarities
The Bad Batch is a part of The Clone Wars family, as it's a spin-off to that show that featured a surprising but brilliant appearance from Rebels' Hera Syndulla. The similarities between her and young Leia are evident in the premiere episodes of Obi-Wan.
The pair of them, as fans see them, are young, strong, fierce free spirits and free thinkers who go up to the sky to the Galaxy beyond - and not just for the adventures, but for the good they can do up there. Both also have droid companions (Lola and Chopper) who they seem to prefer to most humanoids.
The Empire's Treatment Of Clones
Up until Rebels, and more recently The Bad Batch, the treatment of clones by the Empire and what happened to them post-Order 66 hadn't been explored much. Obi-Wan Kenobi gives the first live-action look into the disgusting treatment they receive.
They are cast aside, left to rot in a Galaxy that has no purpose for them as it did during The Clone Wars. Rex admits his and other clones' fears about this during season 7 of The Clone Wars, and he also clarifies in Rebels that the Empire has no care for them. The Bad Batch shows the beginning of this phasing out as clones begin to get replaced by troopers. This small, heartbreaking moment connects to wider ideas of purpose and the individuality of clones and also connects to three of the four major animated shows.
Purrgils
While consoling his daughter, Bail Organa makes a reassuring comment to her about wanting to live past Kathou (a place on Alderaan) when he was her age, explaining that he wanted to be out there to chase Purrgil in one of the best quotes of the opening Obi-Wan Kenobi episodes.
To many, this will be a fleeting mention of some random creature in the Star Wars Galaxy. Rebels fans, though, are well aware of the Purrgil, the infamous space whale that can travel through hyperspace, to whom Ezra has a connection, and who helps him take Thrawn deep into the Galaxy. They also appear in The Clone Wars in the episode "On The Wings Of Keerdaks."
Obi-Wan's Missions With Bail Organa In The Clone Wars
In order to draw out Obi-Wan, Reva has Leia kidnapped, but it's not because she knows the truth, it's because she sifted through the records and found that Obi-Wan was on missions with Bail during the Clone Wars.
The two were involved in many episodes of The Clone Wars, working mainly separately but, of course, crossing paths. Namely, Obi-Wan helped orchestrate the victory over Trench's fleet that was blockading Christophsis and preventing supplies from being delivered to Bail and others on the planet's surface.