Obi-Wan Kenobi Director Teases Epic Lightsaber Duels

Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen have been the stars of some of the most epic lightsaber action in all of Star Wars. Now, the actors are back as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Darth Vader for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+. Naturally, it begs the question of what kind of lightsaber duels we can expect as the first live-action Star Wars shows, The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, have put blasters and other weapons at the front of action sequences. Obi-Wan director Deborah Chow sounds excited about some of the action she got to bring to the series, including sequences with the iconic Star Wars weapon.

“I really loved doing the action sequences, and it was really different from Mando, ’cause Mando was just all shootouts, so we were all blasters,” Chow told ComicBook.com. Chow directed a pair of episodes of The Mandalorian in its first season before moving on to all six episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi. “So, it was really interesting coming into another Star Wars show, but this time it was more saber-based, obviously, and having different weapons, like the Inquisitors, and whatnot. And I will tell you, it is much easier to spin a lightsaber in animation than it is in live action. So there are challenges sometimes, but it was really interesting, and I think the choreography, we had a great stunt coordinator who was really invested in it, and I think we really tried to respect, and we looked back at the fighting styles, and how they were trained and everything, but also, you wanna do some awesome action, so we also really wanted to let it fly.”

While Obi-Wan Kenobi and The Mandalorian used similar filmmaking technology to produce elements of the galaxy far, far away, they are shows which tell stories in drastically different time periods in the Star Wars saga. Obi-Wan Kenobi is set between the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy, following the execution of Order 66 and before Luke Skywalker dove into Jedi training. The Mandalorian is fitted between the original trilogy’s end and the start of the sequel trilogy, showcasing an era after the fall of Palpatine and Darth Vader but before the rise of Snoke and the First Order. 

“It was really different. Obviously, with Mandalorian, we were in a different time period, and there was a lot of new characters,” Chow explained. “There was a lot more freedom. So, that was really exciting. But with Obi-Wan, you do definitely have the legacy, and we’re between two trilogies, so a lot is defined for us. But I think the exciting thing, though, was that we’re telling a story that’s a different chapter in their lives, and they’re at a different place in their lives. So, even though we did have obviously some parameters, and we were really trying to respect the canon, we’re also telling a new story about where they are at this period.”

Are you excited for Obi-Wan Kenobi? Share your thoughts in the comment section and watch our full interview with Deborah Chow in the video above. The series premieres on Disney+ on May 27.