There’s no scarcity when it comes to great Obi-Wan Kenobi content, but a masterpiece storyline featuring the Jedi Master that’s usually overlooked was released 8 years ago. After Alec Guinness’ rather brief but highly impactful role as the iconic character in the original trilogy, franchise creator George Lucas found a way to further explore his story as part of the prequels. While they primarily function as Anakin Skywalker’s origin story leading to his transformation as Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi was arguably equally important to the trilogy. The movies also tackled his own journey as part of the Jedi Council and eventually a recluse in Tatooine.
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Obi-Wan remains as one of the best characters in Star Wars, but Disney and Lucasfilm have had to be very careful with revisiting his story so as not to create any plot holes. There are still pockets of time in the galaxy far, far away that could be the setting of future projects with him at the center — primarily in the gap between the prequel and original trilogy. Most famously, Disney+ brought back Ewan McGregor for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, which showed important portions of the character’s story in relation to his encounters with Darth Vader and Princess Leia ahead ofA New Hope. However, a less-discussed story set in that gap is a quintessential story for the Jedi Master that deserves to be more prominent.
Star Wars Rebels Released “Twin Suns” 8 Years Ago
After Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2012, one of the very first projects under its new era was the animated series Star Wars Rebels. The DisneyXD series introduced a new band of characters fighting the Empire in a small but significant way. Throughout its run, its titular characters encountered various familiar faces from the franchise, including both Maul and Obi-Wan. By then, it had been years since the arch rivals saw each other the last time during the second battle in Florrum, with the former Sith Lord still seeking a new mentee while also hunting down Qui Gon Jinn’s Padawan for revenge.
In Star Wars Rebels season 3, episode 20, “Twin Suns,” their paths finally crossed again. Ezra Bridger was initially caught in the middle of the pair’s eventual encounter in Tatooine, but the show eventually shifted focus to settling the score between the long-time adversaries, allowing the outing, which was written and directed by the now Lucasfilm co-president, Dave Filoni, to settle their feud once and for all. Frankly, their reunion didn’t last very long. Obi-Wan was fully expecting Maul to come, and the pair didn’t waste any time before they dueled.
Ultimately, Maul met his end fairly quickly with Obi-Wan using his improved fighting skills to get their one-on-one finished once and for all. The way that their duel ended has remained a controversial topic of conversation among fans, especially considering how different it was from the acrobatic and highly choreographed fights that they used to have. That said, the fact that Obi-Wan quickly defeated Maul was one of the reasons why “Twin Suns” was such a vital piece of the character’s history.
What Makes “Twin Suns” An Excellent Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode
Admittedly, Obi-Wan had a very small role in Star Wars Rebels overall. The Lothal freedom fighters had more interactions with the likes of Mon Mothma and Ahsoka. That said, his involvement in Star Wars Rebels opened the door to additional information about how he quietly lived his life in Tatooine, looking over Luke Skywalker while the Empire ruled the galaxy. Maul himself pointed it out during their reunion, citing how far he had fallen from grace, as he kept himself hidden in Tatooine.
Obi-Wan’s situation in “Twin Suns” may be far from ideal, and somehow, Maul was right about how far he had fallen since the Empire took over. That said, the way the Jedi Master handled himself in the lightsaber fight perfectly highlighted how powerful he had become in isolation. Obi-Wan didn’t stay stagnant in Tatooine; he honed his connection with the Force, allowing himself to be more precise in the lightsaber fight that spelled the death of Maul. After the fight, their final conversation exposed the harsh truth about their situation — they were truly against the same villain.
In “Twin Suns,” Obi-Wan was driven by his purpose. He didn’t care about how pitiful he looked in Tatooine and wasn’t impacted by Maul’s taunts. He was focused on making sure that he delivered on the promise of keeping Luke safe and eventually reuniting him with Leia. The episode showed Obi-Wan at his peak before he re-emerged in A New Hope and finally fulfilled his role in the defeat of the Empire.
Star Wars Rebels is available to stream on Disney+.
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