The Star Wars fanbase is notorious for its fickle nature, swift backlash to unpopular projects, and, at times, outright vitriol. That has been proven time and again over the years, and while it might feel as though that began with Disney’s acquisition of the franchise in 2012, the truth is, Star Wars movies and TV shows have been stuck in this cycle since the prequel trilogy. However, it is true that various Disney projects, from Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker to The Acolyte and countless others, have been subjected to this response.
Videos by ComicBook.com
Granted, some of those projects absolutely deserved the heat they got. Palpatine’s resurrection remains incredibly frustrating and under-explained, for example, and The Rise of Skywalker should have been harshly criticized for that. However, one live-action Star Wars TV show that was released four years ago was way too hated at the time, and it continues to get an unfair amount of criticism even today.
Obi-Wan Kenobi Gets Way Too Much Hate
Obi-Wan Kenobi was released in 2022, and it was immediately met with intense criticism. Among the complaints that fans had was the fact that the show didn’t solely focus on the titular lead, Obi-Wan, but rather incorporated a range of characters, from new Imperial Inquisitor Reva Sevander to a young Princess Leia. It’s worth noting, though, that a significant part of the backlash to Reva was rooted in racism targeting Reva actor Moses Ingram, which Obi-Wan actor Ewan McGregor himself took to social media to condemn.
In addition to that, many fans simply didn’t like the show and fell back on the common refrain heard from certain parts of this fanbase these days, including the idea that “no one asked for the show” (which is, obviously, not true, as many fans were perfectly happy about and excited for it). Some also took issue with the concept of Star Wars revisiting this era of the timeline at all, particularly by introducing a brand-new reunion between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi, which these fans argued undercut the prequel and original trilogies and deviated too much from previous canon.
Whatever the reason, the show continues to be bashed by some in the fanbase four years later, and much of the heat that it gets is far more intense than the show deserves. In fact, there are many aspects of Obi-Wan Kenobi that deserve to be celebrated a whole lot more than they have been.
This Story Was Especially Important For Leia And Obi-Wan
Among the reasons that Obi-Wan Kenobi deserves more respect than it frequently gets is the fact that this show provided so much more insight into Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, not only during this era, but also overall. Leia’s presence in particular was a surprise, but it was a delightful one. For one, this show finally explained why Leia would have gone to Obi-Wan for help in A New Hope and, a much bigger mystery, why Leia would name her son Ben decades later.
But Obi-Wan Kenobi also gave viewers a bit of closure when it came to the brutal story of the Skywalker family. Specifically, Leia never got to know her parents; in fact, she met her father, not knowing he was her father at the time, and was tortured at his hands. This is particularly painful knowing how much Anakin and Padmรฉ wanted and, under different circumstances, would have loved their children. Obi-Wan gets to tell Leia more about her parents and acknowledge how she is like them, which was a truly emotional and profound moment.
Likewise, Obi-Wan Kenobi showed more about Luke’s relationship with Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, which was similarly emotional and important. In A New Hope, it’s difficult to fully appreciate how much these family members meant to one another, but Obi-Wan Kenobi shows that Beru and Owen were willing to die to protect Luke, and Owen has a beautiful moment in which, referring to Luke, he says, “He is my own.”
Finally, as much as the reunion between Anakin/Vader and Obi-Wan may be a source of contention within the fanbase, this led to some of the best fight scenes since the prequel trilogy, and it also provided a type of closure between the former master and apprentice who had once been like brothers. Call it fan service if you must, but there is plenty to love about Obi-Wan Kenobi, and it really doesn’t deserve the intense hate it often gets.
What do you think? Leave a comment belowย and join the conversation now in theย ComicBook Forum!
Most Viewed
-
Courtesy of TOHO Animation -
Image Courtesy of MAPPA -
Courtesy of Crunchyroll -
Courtesy of Viz Media
