The long awaited Obi-Wan Kenobi series premieres THIS week!
With the first two episodes dropping on Friday, May 27, the show brings Ewan McGregor back as the heroic Jedi Master. Obi-Wan is someone that every Star Wars fan immediately recognizes, being one of the main heroes and biggest fan favorites of the entire saga, but perhaps you’ve forgotten some things about him – or not realized that there’s more to his story than you once thought!
So in preparation for this new series, you might be wanting to check out some more Kenobi stories! I’ve compiled a list of some ones that I’d recommend, spanning movies, shows, comics, and books. You obviously might not have time to check it all out, but give it a look and see which stories you may have missed out on that you want to visit!
Master and Apprentice | By Claudia Gray
You might not have a ton of time to read through some books before the Kenobi series releases, but in a list of stories you should check out about the character it definitely makes the cut. It’s a story about Obi-Wan training under Qui-Gon Jinn, and how the two of them struggle with their relationship and learn to grow together rather than apart. It’s Obi-Wan at a different point in his life, as a teenage padawan, coming to understand his master and learn from him.
The Phantom Menace
A padawan Kenobi takes center stage in the first chapter of the prequel trilogy, alongside his master – and a young boy they discovered named Anakin Skywalker. His relationships with both his master and his soon-to-be padawan are developed, while at the same time they stumble upon the return of the Sith. Kenobi cuts down the Sith apprentice Maul, but not before Maul kills Jinn. Qui-Gon’s dying wish to his apprentice was for Obi-Wan to train the boy.
Obi-Wan and Anakin | By Charles Soule
This five-issue comic mini-series explores a mission Obi-Wan and Anakin go on together during the years following The Phantom Menace. Anakin has come to question his Jedi path, and he’s ready to quit the Order and walk away. Master and apprentice go on one final mission together, though which Skywalker regains some confidence in his way forward and decides to stay. The overall plot isn’t anything spectacular, but this series does explore more of the relationship between Kenobi and Skywalker during this period.
Attack of the Clones
Ten years have passed since Obi-Wan Kenobi took Anakin Skywalker as his padawan, and though their relationship has grown, it has also led them to butt heads many times. Obi-Wan struggles with his headstrong apprentice, but also finds himself in trouble as he investigates a mysterious Separatist plot. All paths converge when master and apprentice fight alongside one another in the first battle of the Clone Wars, taking on the new Sith apprentice, Count Dooku.
Brotherhood | By Mike Chen
Taking place in the earliest days of the Clone Wars, directly following the preceding film, this book is an exploration of the Jedi’s involvement in this new war, including both the logistics of it and the philosophical challenges that come with it. But at the heart of this book is Obi-Wan and Anakin and their relationship – now with Kenobi on the Jedi Council and Anakin a full-fledged Jedi Knight – and how they come to a deeper appreciation for one another. They are stronger together.
The Mandalore Arc | The Clone Wars 2.12-16
In this trio of episodes – “The Mandalore Plot,” “Voyage of Temptation,” and “Duchess of Mandalore” – Obi-Wan undertakes a tricky assignment: protecting Duchess Satine Kryze, the ruler of Mandalore who has pledged neutrality in the war, against threats from the Mandalorian terrorist group Death Watch. Why is that so tricky? Because Obi-Wan and Satine have a complicated – and romantic – history. This arc opens up a brand new side of Kenobi, allowing us to see how he navigates the realm when the woman he loved, the woman he would have left the Jedi Order for, becomes a part of his life once more.
Mortis | The Clone Wars 3.15-17
This is without doubt one of the most influential stories The Clone Wars ever told, having influenced much since it, as the Mortis arc dives deeper into the nature and workings of the Force than perhaps any other Star Wars media. It’s a pivotal moment for Anakin Skywalker, but Obi-Wan gets some nice moments. Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka are brought to the Force world of Mortis, while the Father, Daughter, and Son attempt to discern whether Anakin really is the Chosen One.
Obi-Wan Undercover | The Clone Wars 4.15-18
I’ve included many of the stories on this list because they greatly develop Obi-Wan as a character and add plenty of depth, and while this one certainly does that, that’s not really the reason I’ve listed it. Instead, I’ve included this because this arc is almost entirely focused on Kenobi while he goes undercover as the bounty hunter Rako Hardeen, attempting to win over a group of bounty hunters who are planning an elaborate plot against Chancellor Palpatine. Obi-Wan must work to foil this plan – all the while sowing further seeds of darkness in Anakin Skywalker.
Maul’s Reign Arc | The Clone Wars 5.14-16
Maul has returned, having survived his encounter with Kenobi years earlier, and is out for vengeance. This arc reaches the height of it, with the trio of episodes (“Eminence,” “Shades of Reason,” and “The Lawless”) showing Maul and his new apprentice, Savage Oppress, building a massive criminal enterprise. This results in him taking the throne of Mandalore, and Obi-Wan comes undercover to aid Satine. But Maul’s cruelty comes through, striking at Kenobi’s heart through the best way he knows how: killing the one he loves. (As an aside, for those who haven’t watched the series, I think “The Lawless” is the best single episode of the first six seasons of the show.)
Revenge of the Sith
War! In the final days of the Clone Wars, Obi-Wan and Anakin are as inseparable a duo, as dynamic a team, as any in the galaxy, and they are the ones called to rush to the Chancellor’s aid when General Grievous strikes at the Republic capitol. With Obi-Wan wearied from war and Anakin frustrated by his own shortcomings and the Council’s dealings, Palpatine steps in and seduces Anakin to the dark side, revealing himself as the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Obi-Wan must take on the hardest task he’s ever had to do: fight Anakin in a battle of the heroes. Kenobi wins, believing he killed Anakin. But Anakin survives, the new Sith apprentice, while Kenobi takes Anakin’s son to Tatooine to watch over him until the time is right.
Star Wars (2015) #15 & #20 | By Jason Aaron
It’s not exactly clear when these two issues of the 2015 Star Wars comic line take place, but they almost certainly take place after the events of this upcoming series – and I doubt they’ll have much impact on it. So why do I list it here? Because this is really the closest thing we have to date in the new canon of seeing what Obi-Wan was up to in this period. We see his tense relationship with Owen Lars, and commentary from Kenobi on what he’s been doing and how he’s been protecting Luke. It’s a rather inconsequential story (and be warned: the art is pretty terrible), but it’s one worth reading if you want a framework for Obi-Wan’s time in obscure exile.
“Twin Suns” | Rebels 3.20
This episode of Rebels takes place after the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, but it’s nonetheless an important step along the path of this great Jedi Master. It shows his singular purpose in these days is to protect Luke Skywalker, and that is threatened when another Jedi padawan, Ezra Bridger, inadvertently leads Maul right to Kenobi on Tatooine. Obi-Wan decides to try to mend the old wound, but when Maul senses Kenobi’s true purpose there the Jedi has no other choice. Maul’s aggressiveness is his downfall, and Obi-Wan makes quick work of him, killing him once and for all. As Maul dies in Kenobi’s arms, Obi-Wan assures him that the one he’s watching over is, in fact, the Chosen One.
A New Hope
This too happens after the events of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, but it shows the endgame of Kenobi’s exile on Tatooine. The day does come when Luke discovers his own destiny, and Ben Kenobi is ready. A distress call from Princess Leia reaches him, pleading for his help at their most desperate hour, and Kenobi brings young Luke along, training him in the ways of the Force. Ultimately, Ben sacrifices himself in combat against Darth Vader, becoming one with the Force – and becoming more powerful than any could possibly imagine, thus being able to aid Luke further in the days to come.
Star Wars Thoughts 