The following contains spoilers from Obi-Wan Kenobi Season 1, Parts I and II.
It's here. After years of slow production, Obi-Wan Kenobi has finally arrived. The series did a great job of giving fans exactly what they wanted, as it both impressed and depressed the fans that have already tuned into the premiere on Disney+. Fans were elated to see Ewan McGregor again take up the mantle of the legendary Obi-Wan Kenobi. However, he's not the same Jedi master that everyone remembers from Revenge of the Sith.
The series is set a decade after the final prequel film. That means that Obi-Wan has had a full 10 years to process his guilt. Yet, as Obi-Wan Kenobi begins, it's clear that the Jedi master's mental health has made little progress since the day he arrived on Tatooine. All he wanted to do was watch over Luke from a distance and wallow in his self-pity. That broken attitude leads to a very important question. Did Obi-Wan cut himself off from the Force?
Before the sequel trilogy, Jedi cutting themselves off from the Force would have been almost unheard of. Now, it's become pretty commonplace. Luke Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano and Cal Kestis are all good examples. Luke did it as a form of self-punishment; Ahsoka did it to stay hidden; and Cal didn't have a choice, as the trauma he experienced during Order 66 temporarily severed his connection to the Force. It's even possible that Kestis could appear in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
In Obi-Wan's situation, it was utterly important to remain hidden, and using the Force can attract other Force users. So, by all appearances, Obi-Wan did what Ahsoka did. He cut himself off from the Force so that he wouldn't jeopardize Luke by alerting Vader or the Inquisitorius to their presence. The first two episodes provided a number of reasons to believe that Obi-Wan cut himself off from the Force, but it also threw viewers a curveball.
The first reason to think that Obi-Wan cut himself off from the Force was when Nari came looking for help. Obi-Wan barely acknowledged him, telling the young Jedi that the fight was over. Then, Leia asked him to make her float in Part II, and he flat out said that he couldn't use the Force. Leia didn't fully believe him, so he explained, "If I use the Force, it will draw attention to us." Finally, when Leia fell from the rooftops, Obi-Wan's instincts kicked in, and he caught her with his mind. However, that one act was incredibly taxing on him. His struggle to catch Leia was almost undeniable proof that he hadn't used the Force in 10 years.
Yet, there was a curveball. There was at least one occasion when Obi-Wan asked Qui-Gon for guidance. The idea of Obi-Wan speaking into the ether and expecting a Force ghost to respond (when he was disconnected from the Force) makes little sense. That seemed to indicate that Obi-Wan hadn't completely cut himself off from the Force. Maybe he was operating in low-power mode, or maybe he was just talking to Qui-Gon out of habit and didn't really expect a response.
Either way, it's impossible to say whether Obi-Wan completely shut himself off from the Force for a full 10 years. But it's certain that he wasn't fully attuned to it. Just like lifting weights with your muscles, using the Force to lift heavy objects takes constant practice and conditioning. That explains why Obi-Wan had difficulty catching Leia. However, the fact that he was still talking to Qui-Gon indicated that he hadn't fully given up on the Force itself -- and it was ready when he called.
To see Obi-Wan reconnect to the Force, watch Obi-Wan Kenobi. The first two episodes are streaming now on Disney+.