After Revenge of the Sith was released in 2005, we all assumed that was the last time Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker had crossed paths before meeting again in A New Hope. Well, Obi-Wan Kenobi is now filling in some of the gaps between those two movies, delivering an epic rematch between "Ben" and Darth Vader (with another on the way...we hope).
During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter (via SFFGazette.com), Obi-Wan Kenobi Head Writer Joby Harold was asked about inventing the past and recontextualising the future with this Disney+ series, which includes building a relationship between Ben and Princess Leia that definitely changes a lot of what we saw in both the original trilogy and sequels.
"It was very helpful to know where they were going because it answers the question of, 'Why him?' So, 'Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi. You’re my only hope,' feels less arbitrary as a choice and a decision now that we know the depth of the history they have together," Harold explains. "The context within which Leia says that in A New Hope is now canon, and it’s clear."
"So it will be articulated as the show continues, but I liked the fact that it helped reinforce and better articulate a little piece of the jigsaw that is already in place. If you watch all of the Star Wars stories in a row right now, you’d be like, 'Of course, she’s going to go to Obi-Wan,'" he adds. "She also ends up naming her son, Ben [Adam Driver]. So I liked the fact that he was a big component in her life, as much as he was in Luke’s life up until now."
"It felt right after everything that happened with Anakin and those two children that he would be there for both children, to the degree he now has been in canon."
It always seemed a little odd that Han Solo and Leia Organa would name their son Ben given their lack of history with the Jedi Master. Knowing for certain that his name was paying homage to Obi-Wan, in many ways, makes Kylo Ren's fall to the Dark Side even more tragic than it first appeared.
With rumblings of an Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 and two episodes of this first run remaining, Lucasfilm can continue to add context to previous movies, all while telling new stories. When it comes to the sequels, more background can surely only improve what many feel was a disappointing trilogy and an underwhelming way to wrap up the Skywalker Saga.