Star Wars Rebels EP Shares Info About Obi-Wan Kenobi's Involvement

CBR

By Brett White

Published Feb 21, 2017

Dave Filoni details the great care the Rebels writers use when dealing with characters from the original trilogy.

As was hinted in the midseason trailer for "Star Wars Rebels" season three, Obi-Wan Kenobi will make an appearance in an upcoming episode of the Disney XD animated series. That appearance was recently hinted at in an episode of "Rebels," one that saw Darth Maul (the Sith lord that Kenobi seemingly killed in "The Phantom Menace") obtaining the location of the old Jedi master. In an interview with ComicBook.com, "Rebels" EP and showrunner Dave Filoni revealed why and how the show is bringing in a classic "Star Wars" character.

"Everything has to make sense from a story standpoint, and if it makes sense and it's valuable to the character's past, then I don't think you hesitate to do it," said Dave Filoni of bringing in a Kenobi that's much closer to the "Old Ben" that we saw in 1977's "Star Wars." "I think you have to have a lot of good reasons when you do things and work it out, and you hope things work out as you imagined them and designed them."

Filoni also said that, when using characters from the original trilogy of films, you have to "tread carefully" because they can't just be used in "Rebels" at random, "just because you're trying to add something [to the guest star's past]." Filoni added that the "Rebels" characters have to remain the star. "It has to be valuable to Ezra. This experience, whatever it is, whatever form it takes, has to be valuable to the characters that are the center of 'Star Wars Rebels.'"

Filoni spoke more directly to including Obi-Wan in an upcoming episode, saying, "It's not the most surprising thing to attempt to include Obi-Wan, and we've been, I think, pretty good. The way we included him in the pilot of Rebels, I really liked because it was a way to have him without really interfering, and it spoke to a moment in time for the characters. So, obviously I've been very fortunate over the years when we do do these Legacy characters."

The next episode of "Star Wars Rebels," titled "Through Imperial Eyes," airs this weekend. The episode's synopsis reads:

Fearing that the identity of a rebel spy will soon be discovered by the Empire, the Rebels launch a plan to rescue him before he is caught.

“Star Wars Rebels” features the talents of Freddie Prinze Jr., Taylor Gray, Vanessa Marshall, Tiya Sircar, Steve Blum, Dee Bradley Baker and David Oyelowo. New episodes air on Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT on Disney XD.