Obi-Wan Kenobi's final episode included the return of a legendary Star Wars character.
SPOILERS FOR OBi-WAN KENOBI AHEAD
Towards the conclusion of Obi-Wan Kenobi Part VI, Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) returns to his castle on Mustafar after being restored following his battle against his old master. After sitting down on his throne, Vader is contacted by Emperor Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) who orders him to abandon his hunt for Obi-Wan, questioning his motives.
While Disney and Lucasfilm never officially confirmed that Darth Sidious would appear in Obi-Wan Kenobi, McDiarmid teased fans that he could make a brief appearance. "All I would say about future speculation is, if you're expecting the Emperor to appear, soon in flesh and blood -- don't get your hopes up," McDiarmid said. Many fans took this phrasing to mean that he could appear in an animated Star Wars project, which was also confirmed to be the case following the release of The Bad Batch Season 2 trailer.
It's currently unknown whether Lucasfilm has future plans for the sinister Emperor, but rumors have swirled that the studio is currently developing a project dedicated to telling the origin story of Darth Sidious. "I think it's a really good rumor," McDiarmid quipped when asked about the production. The actor, who has played the live-action version of the Emperor since 1983's Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, noted that if the project is real, a younger actor should step into the role.
Palpatine isn't the only major Star Wars character to cameo in Obi-Wan Kenobi's finale. The titular Jedi, played once again by Ewan McGregor, manages to successfully make contact with the Force ghost of his deceased master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson). The beloved Jedi, who was killed by Darth Maul in Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, will also return for Tales of the Jedi, an animated anthology series set during the Prequel Trilogy.
Obi-Wan Kenobi follows the titular character as he attempts to overcome the trauma of killing his apprentice, Anakin Skywalker, and the tragedy of Order 66. Exiling himself to the deserts of Tatooine, the Jedi is called to action when a young Leia Organa is kidnapped by bounty hunters. While trying to rescue the princess, he must stare down his demons when Darth Vader and the Inquisitors begin hunting him across the galaxy.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming on Disney+.
Source: Disney+