When Ewan McGregor said he was reprising his role of Obi-Wan Kenobi we, the fans, went nuts with excitement. He was back! After years of speculation, he was finally back. And then we got a second surprise. Hayden Christensen would be back too as the legendary Darth Vader for another epic showdown. The shock was palpable, the excitement was electric, and all in all, I absolutely couldn’t wait to see this show.
Now that it’s here, it’s far better than I could’ve imagined. Parts I and II were already special and utterly transfixing but Part III was undoubtedly some of the best Star Wars I’ve ever had the fortune of witnessing. From the first second to the last the episode reveals that is not going to be a boring episode. In fact, it established instantly that the episode would, on many occasions, be designed to emotionally wreck Star Wars fans. And that’s what it did.
Obi-Wan’s time with Leia has been spectacular and emotionally rewarding. The line where she asks him if he’s her real father gets me choked up every time. But it’s the episode’s last ten-fifteen minutes that will stand out as some of the tensest, most incredible minutes in Star Wars history. And that, of course, involved the return of the legend, Darth Vader.
Darth Vader is iconic for a reason and this episode reminded us why. We all knew there was going to be a showdown between Kenobi and his former padawan-turned-incarnation-of-evil but I don’t think anyone expected them to come face to face so soon.
Seeing Darth Vader depicted as a literal horror movie villain was something I didn’t even know I wanted until this latest episode. His presence was terrifying, his words were poignant, and his skill with the Force was on full display.
Obi-Wan, racked with terror upon seeing Anakin transformed into this horrific depiction of evil, asks him, “What have you become?” There’s a quiver in his voice because of the sheer shock he feels at seeing Anakin this way.
Vader replies, “I am what you made me.”
Boom. Can’t argue with that. The hatred Vader has for Kenobi is beyond understandable. He’s literally been waiting years for the chance to enact his revenge on his former master and when he does…ouch for Obi-Wan.
I’m still in shock that I’ve seen Obi-Wan Kenobi dragged through flames but here we are. The sounds of his screams, the sight of his burnt arm, there’s just so much to unpack. Vader was determined to kill Kenobi in the most painful way possible and what’s saddest of all, he actually does eventually kill Kenobi.
Of course, Kenobi willingly accepts his blade and becomes one with the Force but still, it is by Vader’s hand that Obi-Wan accepts his fate. How incredibly sad.
As someone who has always wanted to see Obi-Wan’s story continued this series has been perfect so far and we’re only at the halfway point. Let’s see what happens next week.
I thank you for reading and I hope you have a great day.
Annlyel Online 
I think this series, in many ways, informs why Kenobi behaves the way he did in the original trilogy and how he got there from the prequels. When Luke says he wants to save Vader, Kenobi says “he’s more machine now, than man… twisted and evil.” Now we know some of what Kenobi’s seen that informs that judgment — and, let’s be real, that’s a very, VERY reasonable conclusion from what we’ve seen. However, when Vader confronts him on the Death Star, Kenobi gives himself up and lets Vader have his revenge. On some level, he’s seen the depths of Vader’s hate for him… and he perhaps even believes that he deserves it. And so, when he decides that his time is up, he lets his old student have his revenge… perhaps even as a form of apology for his own failures and the pain he put him through. He still believes Vader is an incorrigible monster, but he understands he had a role in making that monster, and so he decides in the end that letting the monster destroy him is nothing more than what he deserves.
I don’t know. There’s a lot of different inference that could be taken from this, but there’s a lot to unpack in this series so far.
That said, the fear I had after a few episodes into Book of Boba Fett — that they would find a way to somehow screw up Darth Vader? Yeah. That fear’s gone. They’re doing it right.
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