After years of fan anticipation, the official Obi-Wan Kenobi series
is finally coming to Disney Plus. If you need a quick refresher on the entire history of Obi-Wan
in the Star Wars canon, don’t worry, this video has you covered.
Chronologically, we are first introduced to Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Episode I - The
Phantom Menace. Obi-Wan is a Padawan apprentice of the Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn. The pair rescue
Padme Amadala, the teenage queen of Naboo, a planet currently under blockade by the corrupt
Trade Federation. The group are attacked during their escape, and forced to land their damaged
ship on the planet Tatooine. While there, they meet a 9-year old slave named Anakin Skywalker,
whom Qui-Gon believes to be the prophesied Chosen One, a Jedi that would bring balance to the Force.
The group takes the boy in as they travel back to Naboo to assist in defeating the Trade Federation.
On Naboo, Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan are confronted by Darth Maul, a highly skilled Sith lord of
the dark side. Maul mortally wounds Qui-Gon, but is ultimately defeated by Obi-Wan, who cuts him
in half. Obi-Wan promises to fulfill his master Qui-Gon’s dying wish, to train Anakin as a Jedi.
Jedi Master Yoda promotes Obi-Wan to Jedi Knight and allows him to train Anakin as a Padawan.
In Episode II - Attack of the Clones,
ten years have passed and Anakin has grown to be incredibly powerful in the Force
under Obi-Wan’s tutelage, but also begins pushing back against the Jedi Order’s stricter beliefs.
When Padme, now a Senator, is the target of an assassination attempt,
Anakin is sent away with her to protect her. The two fall in love, which is forbidden by the Jedi.
Meanwhile, Obi-Wan attempts to uncover the conspiracy behind the assassination plot.
He learns that the Republic has secretly created a massive clone army, made in the template of famed
bounty hunter Jango Fett. Obi-Wan then discovers that Jango was involved in the assassination plot,
having been hired by Count Dooku, the Jedi-turned-Sith former master
of Qui-Gon Jinn. The Jedi and the clone army team up to fight Dooku and his army of droids.
The ensuing fight sees the death of Jango, but Dooku manages to escape.
In the Clone Wars animated series, we learn a lot more about the adventures and life of
Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan is made a General of the Republic’s Grand Army, going on many missions with
his partner and best friend Anakin Skywalker. Obi-Wan’s second-in-command is clone trooper
Commander Cody. During the clone wars, Obi-Wan’s old enemy Darth Maul re-emerges, looking for
revenge. Obi-Wan and Darth Maul face each other multiple times in Maul’s quest for revenge,
and eventually Maul murders the Mandalorian Satine Kryze, ruler of Mandalore, sister of Bo-Katan, and
former lover of Obi-Wan. Satine and Obi-Wan had formed a relationship when he was just a padawan,
but both decided to end the relationship to pursue their paths as Mandalorian and Jedi respectively.
In Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, more years have passed and Obi-Wan has now been
made a Jedi Master. Anakin was now a Jedi Knight and Obi-Wan’s partner and best friend.
The two go on a mission to rescue the kidnapped Supreme Chancellor Palpatine
from Separatist commander General Grievous and Count Dooku. Obi-Wan and Anakin fight Dooku,
with Anakin eventually killing the Sith Lord in cold blood at Palpatine’s command.
But, it turns out, Supreme Chancellor Palpatine was actually the Sith Lord Darth Sidious,
secretly the mastermind behind the entire war. Palpatine activates Order 66, which forced all
clone troopers to turn on the Jedi, slaughtering most of them, including the young padawans at
the Jedi Temple. Obi-Wan manages to survive the attack and reunites with Master Yoda. Obi-Wan is
then heartbroken to discover that Anakin had led the attack against the Jedi Temple after being
corrupted and turned to the Dark Side to join as Sidious’ Sith apprentice, Darth Vader. Anakin
and Padme had continued their romance in secret, and Padme became pregnant. Anakin was cursed with
visions of Padme dying during childbirth, which Sidious said only he had the power of preventing.
Yoda goes after Sidious while ordering Obi-Wan to go after Vader.
Obi-Wan and Padme confront Anakin on the volcanic planet of Mustafar,
where Anakin accuses them of conspiring to kill him. In a fit of rage, Anakin uses the Force to
strangle Padme until she falls unconscious. Obi-Wan then attacks Anakin, and the former
friends engage in a duel to the death. Ultimately, Obi-Wan gets the upper hand, cutting off Anakin’s
legs and left arm. Anakin is set on fire by the lava, and Obi-Wan takes his former padawan’s
lightsaber before leaving him to die. Obi-Wan leaves the planet with the unconscious Padme,
unaware that Anakin is rescued and reconstructed by Sidious, fully becoming Darth Vader.
Padme dies giving birth to twins, Luke and Leia. Leia is adopted by Senator Bail Organa,
while Obi-Wan delivers Luke to Anakin’s step brother Owens Lars and his wife Beru
on Tatooine. Owen and Beru would raise Luke in secret while Obi-Wan
changed his name to Ben and lived in exile, watching over the boy
until he was ready to challenge Darth Sidious and his evil Galactic Empire.
And it’s sometime after this that the Obi-Wan Kenobi series is set,
but obviously that’s not the end of the story as we currently know it.
In Star Wars: Rebels, Obi-Wan’s old nemesis Darth Maul finds the Jedi living on Tatooine
and the two have their final battle, resulting in Obi-Wan finally killing the Sith Lord.
During this time, Darth Sidious also forms the Order of the Inquisitors,
who look to play a large role in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series.
They are an order of former Jedi that work under Darth Vader, with their primary objective being
to hunt down and kill the Jedi survivors of Order 66. Throughout Star Wars: Rebels,
the Inquisitors have many confrontations with Jedi characters like Ahsoka Tano and Ezra Bridger,
and in the game Jedi Fallen Order, Jedi Knight Cal Kestis helps stop Darth Vader and
the Inquisitors from obtaining a holocron that would lead them to Force-sensitive children.
In Star Wars: A New Hope, Luke Skywalker is entering adulthood and gets pulled into the plot
of joining the Rebel Alliance to take down the evil Galactic Empire. He finds the droid R2-D2,
which contains plans for the Galactic Empire’s superweapon the Death Star,
and a message from Princess Leia Organa, who Luke doesn’t know is his sister,
to deliver the plans to the Rebel Alliance. Obi-Wan comes out of hiding to assist Luke,
revealing that he was a Jedi. He gives Luke his father’s lightsaber, telling the boy his
father was killed by Darth Vader. Obi-Wan trains Luke in the way of the Force, preparing him for
battle against the Galactic Empire. After Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru are killed by storm troopers,
Obi-Wan and Luke flee Tatooine to join the Rebels and commence their Jedi training. Along the way,
the pair make new allies in Han Solo, Chewbacca, and Princess Leia, but the group are eventually
confronted by Darth Vader aboard the Death Star. Obi-Wan and Darth Vader enter into a
lightsaber duel, giving Luke and his allies time to escape. Ultimately, Darth Vader kills Obi-Wan.
In death, Obi-Wan Kenobi becomes one with the Force, allowing him to continue guiding
Luke Skywalker as a ghost. He sends Luke to Master Yoda to continue his Jedi training.
Upon the training’s completion, the old and frail Yoda dies and also becomes one
with the Force. Luke eventually uncovers the truth about Darth Vader being his father. Believing that
the good Anakin was still somewhere inside Vader, Luke refuses to kill him. When the Emperor begins
torturing Luke, Vader finally has a change of heart, killing the Emperor to save his son,
but mortally wounding himself in the process. The redeemed Anakin Skywalker dies peacefully
in Luke’s arms, and the evil Galactic Empire is defeated. As the rebels celebrate their victory,
the Force ghosts of Obi-Wan, Anakin and Yoda are reunited and watch over Luke.