Obi-Wan Kenobi‘s finale is now streaming on Disney+, and while the series has more than earned the acclaim of Star Wars fans and casual viewers alike, there was certainly an uphill battle for Episode 6 to top the thrills of Episode 5. And yet, Obi-Wan succeeds in delivering what fans were promised (an epic rematch between Ewan McGregor’s Kenobi and Hayden Christensen’s Vader), plus some added bonuses and surprises (cameos) as the cherries on top!
(WARNING: Obi-Wan Kenobi Finale SPOILERS Follow!)
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The real main event of this Obi-Wan series was seeing Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen reunite after the Star Wars Prequels and give us another epic lightsaber battle, a la Revenge of the Sith. Rumors pointed to Obi-Wan having two rounds of dueling, but if you count the Anakin flashback in Episode 5 we really got three rounds – and the best was definitely saved for last.
Obi-Wan and Vader’s duel in this finale will easily go down as one of Star Wars‘ best – and largely because the series hit all the marks of making the character arcs of both the Prequels and Original Trilogy Kenobi and Vader feel so much more resonant, while also making this series feel like a crucial canon fill-in. The amount of emotional catharsis to be found in this duel is pretty immense – especially when we finally see Anakin’s mangled face and that terrifying maniacal Sith eye peering out from Vader’s broken helmet. The sound mixing of Hayden Christensen’s Anakin voice, and James Earl Jones’ Vader voice was a magnificent feat that will haunt fans for ages.
The other half of Obi-Wan’s finale was aimed at tying up Reva’s (Moses Ingram) story arc. While this is definitely the more clunky part of the finale (Reva hunting down Young Luke Skywalker on Tatooine), the resolution of it is equally masterful. Reva’s true origin and Vader connection instantly reframed the character in a much more complex and nuanced light, and her choice to spare Luke actually bolsters one of the more easy potential nitpicks of this final chapter: why Obi-Wan didn’t kill Vader when he had the chance.
Reva’s act of mercy is (as Obi-Wan explains) a redemption for her and a peace for her slain comrades. That’s how Obi-Wan sees his act of sparing “Vader”: his mercy is a way of not becoming the darkness he’s fighting, and bringing peace to his “dead” friend Anakin Skywalker. And when you realize that Obi-Wan’s mercy sets in motion Vader’s eventual redemption, it’s hard to keep a dry eye. As for Reva: Star Wars has cleared the way for her to have a much bigger future, and we are here for it!
…And if you managed to keep a dry eye all through Obi-Wan, that final cameo from Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn likely got you (too).
Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming on Disney+.
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