With Obi-Wan Kenobi now over, it will fall victim to rigorous discourse amongst hardcore Star Wars fans and film/TV nerds as they fit it into their Twitter rankings and Letterboxd lists. One fascinating comparison that has already cropped up is between Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Mandalorian, with both generally considered the best Star Wars series on Disney+ thus far. But which is better?
As they are wildly different shows, with a variety of different characters, eras, and unique narratives, each one will have an array of strengths and weaknesses. However, while the score and the visuals with the volume tech in The Mandalorian are better and more consistent, there are many ways in which Obi-Wan Kenobi is superior.
Bridging The Gap
The Mandalorian takes place in 9ABY, five years after Return Of The Jedi and twenty-five years before The Force Awakens. While it does illustrate some of the changes in the Galaxy - such as the diminishing Empire and rise of the New Republic - it does not bridge the gap between eras and trilogies the way Obi-Wan Kenobi does.
Obi-Wan Kenobi, with its total runtime of under four hours, acts like an episode 3.5 between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. It slots wonderfully as a part of the Skywalker saga. Not only is this thanks to its story and its place in the Star Wars timeline, but with its performers like Ewan McGregor, Joel Egerton, and Bonnie Piesse. They have all aged since Revenge of the Sith and altered their voices to match the lives of their characters beautifully.
Connecting To Important Content Outside Of The Skywalker Saga
In The Mandalorian, there are some genuinely wonderful connections to the extended canon and TV shows of the Galaxy far, far away. Bo-Katan Kryze, talk of Mandalore, and Ahsoka Tano are the most obvious examples (especially with Ahsoka speaking about her past), but there are others too. However, Obi-Wan Kenobi does a bit of a better job, especially given it is much shorter.
Obi-Wan Kenobi has an advantage in this regard, given its immediate connection to The Clone Wars. But, there is far more than that. The Jedi: Fallen Order connections in episode four, in particular, are super fun for players. Then there are the Rebels parallels in Vader's duel with Obi-Wan in the finale that makes fans wonder, what if Obi-Wan and Ahsoka had faced Vader together? Could they have saved Anakin? The show also ties in wonderfully to various comic elements set around the time (such as Obi-Wan's outfit in the show's last moments and his dynamic with Owen).
A Consistent Story
Din and Grogu's arcs throughout The Mandalorian are fantastic. However, the show does take detours. While some of those are great, the overall plot of the seasons do not flow in the same way as Obi-Wan Kenobi. These are two different but equal ways of doing TV, but for those who want more of a flowing, consistent story, Obi-Wan Kenobi is better for that.
The Mandalorian occasionally got criticized for taking 'side missions' rather than focusing on a central plot of the season. While these kinds of episodes can be great, fans are thankful not to have to deal with them in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Every episode plays into the six-episode, four-hour story of its characters. This kind of storytelling will be appreciated by many, even more so since the actual story of the season is so fantastic and an absolute joy to watch for fans.
Answering Questions & Recontextualizing
The Mandalorian, thus far, has done a fantastic job at answering questions that it asks throughout its first two seasons. But, in terms of the Skywalker saga and wider canon, it does not do a ton of improvement. It adds to Ahsoka's story and explains a lot about Bo-Katan, the Darksaber, and Mandalore, as well as giving some post-Return of the Jedi Luke. However, this is an aspect of Obi-Wan Kenobi that thrives.
Obi-Wan Kenobi adds so much to the original trilogy and its characters, giving new meaning to moments involving Obi-Wan, whether Leia's explicit knowledge of Ben (and then going on to name her son Ben) or Luke flying his toy. The duel between Obi-Wan and Vader in A New Hope is also more impactful, with Obi-Wan calling Vader "Darth" carrying a lot more weight now.
The series also enhances the prequel trilogy by adding more to the Obi-Wan/Anakin relationship and generally making the three movies better (especially Revenge of the Sith - somehow). This is especially done through Obi-Wan and how he dealt with everything after the events of the film and how he has to learn that he did not kill Anakin, but Vader did.
Villains
Gideon is a great villain for The Mandalorian, and it looks like the show will be getting another awesome antagonist in Bo-Katan Kryze next season. But overall, how could they compete with Vader?
Perhaps without Vader, the likes of Gideon, the Client, and all the one-episode villains could win out. Alas, there is no way for The Mandalorian to compete against Reva's fascinating story and Vader's typical brilliance. Vader is such a complex and terrifying yet electrifying villain, one of the most powerful villains in Star Wars and maybe the best in film and TV history, and this show displayed just why that is.
Ambitious Thematic & Emotional Ideas
The Mandalorian is jam-packed and full of powerful stuff and thematic brilliance (specifically through Din Djarin as he examines his creed, what he has always known and believed in, and his newfound fatherhood to Grogu in which he has to do what is right for the child). However, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a bit more epic in its emotional power and how it handles themes.
One of the many ambitious ideas the series deals with is that of loss and trauma, doing so through multiple characters (e.g. through Obi-Wan in his relationship with Anakin and the Jedi Order or Reva and what she lost during Order 66). This idea of how to cope, how to overcome, and what to do about it is central to the show. Is Hope lost, and is the person deemed a failure like what happens to Obi-Wan? Or do they seek revenge like Reva?
This also ties into another wonderful example of thematic exploration is that of finding one's path; no matter how complex or strenuous the way is to find that path. Even if they do not want to go on that journey, they must. Obi-Wan must find his way to seeing clearly hope and his beliefs once more, Reva must see what she is becoming on her path to vengeance, and even Leia must find her way on Alderaan, knowing that there are many ways to fight and make a difference.
Character Exploration
These are not to say that The Mandalorian does not do a great job of examining and developing its characters or exploring themes. But Obi-Wan Kenobi has such an advantage in this regard and succeeds so incredibly by growing and delving into Obi-Wan's character and the supporting cast.
Of course, Obi-Wan is the star, and his story is the best to watch as he overcomes his trauma and feelings of failure to go on his path to regaining his hope to become who fans see in Rebels and A New Hope. Vader remains intensely ruthless but also complex and tragic as glimpses of Anakin shine through but are ultimately squashed. The flashbacks do a lot to reflect the characters and their stories too.
Reva's entire journey where revenge is turning her into the thing she vowed to destroy, Tala's story as a disillusioned Imperial looking to help people, Roken's status as a leader who has lost so much and wants to help those who need it, and Leia, who is so kind, fierce, and good-hearted, but needs to realize how she can help from a position of power (for now). These are all brilliant journeys the characters go on in the show, which are better than those still great ones in The Mandalorian.