Disney Plus’ latest Star Wars effort is dominating conversations online as everyone obsesses over Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The live-action series, starring Ewan McGregor in a return to his longstanding Star Wars character, is the latest attempt by Lucasfilm and Disney Plus to keep the franchise alive. It appears poised to do just that, adding to other Disney Plus favorites like The Mandalorian to see the decades-old franchise reach a fresh audience via a fresh medium.
The first two episodes of the series are already being met with broad delight from fans, many of whom have been awaiting its release with bated breath. Several new and returning villains are slated to appear in the highly-anticipated series, including one that’s been in Obi-Wan’s life for years.
All the villains in Obi-Wan Kenobi
A number of intriguing and terrifying villains are set to appear in the first season of Kenobi, with several longtime favorites making major returns. One anticipated character — Darth Maul, a longtime nemesis of Obi-Wan — won’t be making an appearance in Obi-Wan Kenobi, thanks in large part to his death in Star Wars: Rebels (and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, and Star Wars: The Phantom Menace), but a few other favorites will return for the fresh series.
The Grand Inquisitor
An intimidating character that was technically introduced in the fan-favorite Clone Wars series, the Grand Inquisitor made his live-action debut in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Once a Jedi Temple Guard, the vicious Pau’an eventually went on to become the primary villain of Star Wars: Rebels season one. Following Order 66, the Grand Inquisitor and his fellow members of the Inquisitorius are tasked with hunting down and slaughtering all the remaining Jedi. He remains set on this task in Kenobi, with his gaze set firmly on the titular Obi-Wan.
The Grand Inquisitor is a capable and menacing villain, one who enters the series several years before he made his real Star Wars debut. Obi-Wan Kenobi takes place four years before the events of Rebels, leaving plenty of room for writers to fill in the Grand Inquisitor’s backstory. The character wields skills only attainable from the Dark Side to hunt his foes, leaning on expertise he gained from one Darth Vader to pursue what many would consider the galaxy’s most dangerous prey. Leader of the Inquisitorius and master of its many unexplored members, the Grand Inquisitor boasts many of the skills of a genuine Sith, but doesn’t technically claim the lofty title.
Reva
She’s never made an appearance in mainstream Star Wars media before, but Reva seems poised to be the primary villain of Kenobi‘s first season. Played by Moses Ingram, Reva — aka the “Third Sister” — is perfectly suited to her role in the Disney Plus series. She is clever, capable, and brutal, willing to do whatever it takes to accomplish her task. In this case, that task is hunting down and ending Obi-Wan for good.
While she’s never graced screens before, the groundwork for Reva — and her fellow Inquisitors — was laid long ago. They feature prominently in Rebels, during which time the team is tasked with hunting down the show’s primary trio of Jedi, composed of Ezra Bridger, Kanan Jarrus, and Ahsoka Tano.
The Fifth Brother and other Inquisitors
Another Rebels staple, the Fifth Brother appeared alongside the Grand Inquisitor in the popular animated series. The pair caused plenty of chaos for the show’s team of heroes and seems guaranteed to deliver a similar amount of strife in Kenobi. Several other Inquisitors are also slated to join the cast for the series, fleshing out this insidious team even further. They appear to be positioned as the primary villains of season one, but all of that may change with the introduction of our next major baddie.
Darth Vader
The final villain confirmed to appear in Kenobi is also one of Star Wars‘ greatest. Introduced in 1977, Darth Vader has been a staple of pop culture for more than four decades, cementing himself far beyond Star Wars as one of the greatest villains ever imagined. He’s one of very few villains who is instantly recognizable through the mere act of breathing, and we can’t wait for him to make his official entrance into Kenobi.
Vader is arguably the most exciting villain on this list, particularly when his history with Obi-Wan is considered. For the non-Star Wars die-hards out there, the pair goes way back. Obi-Wan, following the death of his master, Qui-Gon Jin, took Anakin Skywalker — the man behind the mask — under his wing at a young age and served as master, mentor, friend, and an older brother-like figure to the young Skywalker for years.
Anakin’s eventual transformation into Darth Vader is brought about, in part, by a brutal fight between the two Jedi on the scorching world of Mustafar. After relieving Anakin of both of his legs and his single remaining arm, Obi-Wan leaves his former apprentice and close personal friend for dead, thinking a fate ending in fire is better than one among the Sith. This is, unfortunately, not Anakin’s end, however, and plays a key role in his conversion into the towering Sith Lord that will eventually rain terror on the galaxy.
The man who played Anakin through each of the prequel films — Hayden Christensen — is set to make a return in Kenobi, a fact that fans are overall delighted by. While his role in the first three films remains a contentious topic amongst fans, time and distance have been good to the oft-derided role. Christensen wasn’t perfect, but for the most part fans are overjoyed that he’s returning. We don’t know what to expect from Vader’s big return in Kenobi, but we can’t wait to find out.