Reports of delays and rewrites aside, it is a great time to be a fan of Obi-Wan Kenobi -- with a television series starring Ewan McGregor as the former Jedi Master slated to hit the Disney+ streaming service in the near future. However, while many Star Wars fans are excited about Obi-Wan's triumphant return to live-action, there are also a few skeptics out there.
One of the major reservations some fans and commentators have regarding the Obi-Wan series is whether or not it is a "necessary" addition to the Star Wars canon. This has sort of become standard practice in regard to Star Wars tie-ins that aim to fill in certain blanks, with the anthology films Rogue One and Solo being deemed "unnecessary" by some (they weren't, by the way). Rest assured, however, Obi-Wan's story between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope is one that absolutely needs to be told.
Concerns that Disney+'s Obi-Wan series could be "unnecessary" stem from its premise. After all, what could possibly be so exciting? It's just a man hiding alone on a desert planet, growing old and biding his time while secretly keeping watch over the boy who will one day rise to challenge the Empire. Except, that's really not the case at all. And you don't even have to look that deep into Star Wars canon to realize Obi-Wan's transformation into Ben Kenobi was most likely not nearly that cut and dry.
Take, for instance, the animated series Star Wars Rebels -- which revealed the time Obi-Wan spent on Tatooine between the Prequel Trilogy and the Original Trilogy was also the period of time in which he had his final battle with Darth Maul, finally killing Palpatine's former Sith apprentice once and for all. That's kind of a big deal.
Not only did this major event happen during the period of time in which Obi-Wan was supposedly "doing nothing" on Tatooine, but it also speaks to a larger point: just because Obi-Wan was in hiding doesn't mean the ghosts of his past just went away, nor does it mean he spent those 19 years living in a vacuum separate from the rest of the galaxy. Between the rise of Darth Vader and the Empire, Purge Troopers and Inquisitors running around, not to mention any unexpected players that could pose a threat to an unwitting Luke Skywalker (e.g. Darth Maul), it honestly seems like a bit of a stretch to say Obi-Wan's self-imposed exile was without incident.
What's more, there are plenty of dangling plot threads regarding Obi-Wan's history that do genuinely bear explaining. For example, we could finally see what Yoda meant when he told Obi-Wan he would teach him to communicate with his deceased former master, Qui-Gon, at the end of Revenge of the Sith. It would also be rather interesting to get a more in-depth look into his grieving process following Anakin's fall to the dark side.
Speaking of which, the upcoming series also provides a perfect opportunity to address some of the inconsistencies between the Prequel Trilogy and the Original Trilogy, putting them to bed once and for all by providing canon explanations. What exactly caused the generally candid Obi-Wan to become the more eccentric and deceptive Ben Kenobi? Why did he lie to Luke about who his father really was and pretend not to know C-3PO and R2-D2? As Rogue One made clear, giving answers to plot holes (or perceived plot holes) can enrich the franchise as a whole if executed correctly.
McGregor's Obi-Wan Kenobi was easily one of the best aspects of the Prequel Trilogy, and a huge part of the reason why many younger Star Wars fans who grew up with those films still hold them in high regard, their imperfections aside. As such, it seems not only fitting but also poetic that the character's return takes steps to enrich the sage, making it an even more complete, more cohesive watch.
Quite frankly, it seems a bit mean-spirited to dismiss any Star Wars story apart from the original three films as "unnecessary," for the exact same reason it seems pessimistic to dismiss Obi-Wan's time on Tatooine as "uneventful" -- it represents a profound lack of imagination. The Star Wars franchise is comprised of a massive galaxy with an endless supply of characters, conflicts and possibilities. Why wouldn't you want to explore more of it?
If projects like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Rebels and even The Mandalorian have proven anything, it's that there are always more worthwhile stories to be found between the main films if you know where to look. Clone Wars alone added so much to Obi-Wan's character and journey in particular, from his love affair with Mandalorian Duchess Satine Kryze to his continued conflict with Darth Maul. And the only reason we got to experience such excellent stories is because someone decided they were worth telling.
With all this in mind, Disney+'s upcoming Obi-Wan series is not only necessary but -- when all is said and done -- it could very well be essential.