The finale of Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series on June 22, 2022, concludes a story that Star Wars fans have wanted for decades. While it has been hinted that a second season might be possible, viewers can be happy with how the show has done justice to aspects the films didn’t quite master.
These range from the portrayal of Obi-Wan and Darth Vader to the way special effects have been employed in the films and the TV series. Looking at the positives that Obi-Wan Kenobi has achieved over the movies also provides details for why the show has been such a critical success, along with hyping up the calls for a second season to arrive.
While many fans made predictions for Obi-Wan Kenobi’s finale, it’s clear that the show would continue the primary arc of the titular character coming to Princess Leia’s aid. This plotline has brought Obi-Wan the chance to spiritually redeem himself for failing during Order 66.
Star Wars films usually feature multiple stories happening at the same time, which can distract viewers from the main action. The biggest examples include The Last Jedi’s multiple arcs including the exploits of the rebels, Finn and Rose, Rey and Kylo Ren, and Luke’s inaction. Obi-Wan Kenobi has kept the story firmly focused on his mission to bring Leia back to Alderaan.
There are many villains in the Star Wars series whose powers are known across the galaxy. However, the films rely a lot on informing viewers rather than outright showcasing these abilities. Exceptionally powerful characters like Palpatine and Snoke have been offed by weaker characters, which Obi-Wan Kenobi has avoided.
The Disney+ series has featured Darth Vader at his deadliest, to the point where he was shown pulling apart a ship all on his own through the Force. Darth Vader has delivered no-holds-barred defeats to everyone he’s faced, driving home the point that he’s the biggest threat. Although Rogue One had done something similar, it didn’t go into detail as Obi-Wan Kenobi has.
The return of the Grand Inquisitor confirmed that Star Wars Rebels was still canonical and that Obi-Wan Kenobi is faithful to the Star Wars timeline. This is in contrast to the films where massive retcons have happened, including Obi-Wan’s “certain point of view” logic, Leia remembering her deceased mother, and Palpatine somehow returning from the dead.
Maintaining continuity has always been an issue for Star Wars, but Obi-Wan Kenobi hasn’t messed around with the major plot points. The titular protagonist’s adventures still set him up to come across Luke on Tatooine a decade in the future and explain why Leia knew of him in A New Hope.
Viewers have come to know the attributes of the protagonists and antagonists, ranging from the most intelligent Obi-Wan Kenobi characters to the most ruthless. Keeping the action centered around Obi-Wan and Darth Vader’s allies has been the reason for this clarity since it means the story doesn’t veer off course.
Meanwhile, Star Wars films have been guilty of wasting time on side characters just to fill up the time. The likes of Jar Jar Binks, Vice-Admiral Holdo, Rose, and certain others haven’t brought much depth and taken away the time the main characters could have used to progress the story.
The Empire is the overarching antagonistic force in the Star Wars series but the films haven’t featured its most vicious elements. While the Empire’s ruling has been without question, Obi-Wan Kenobi has done a better job of reflecting how scared the average person in the galaxy is.
It was shown in the first episode, where the Inquisitors gathered to torture Tatooine’s residents in order to give the Jedi’s location away. The characters’ inability to do anything they want without facing possible execution at the Empire’s hands has left no doubt how terrible the living situation was around this time period.
Fans are well aware of Darth Vader’s saddest facts in Star Wars, although the films usually limit the sympathetic villains to one per entry. Obi-Wan Kenobi has showcased Darth Vader’s tragic story with flashbacks to his time as Anakin Skywalker and it has simultaneously added depth to Reva Sevander’s characterization through her past as part of the Younglings that Vader had slaughtered.
The villainy of these characters is without question, yet viewers can sympathize with them since they were turned to the dark side of the Force through circumstances beyond their control. This has made their scenes filled with conflict because fans are torn between wanting Obi-Wan to defeat them and for the villains to find peace.
Lightsabers will always have special effects since they make battles as magnificent as they are. However, the films have also heavily used CGI for background effects, as well as for alien species. All the special effects can be jarring (especially where the prequels are concerned), but Obi-Wan Kenobi fans haven’t had to experience this.
The Disney+ series has mainly used special effects for lightsaber sequences, beyond which practical effects like make-up, costume design, and authentic backgrounds have been used. It’s contributed to making the series seem realistic and grounded, with fans not having to worry about overloading of CGI.
Darth Vader is known for striking fear in the hearts of many, with Rogue One’s finale depicting just how scary he can be. However, the films at large didn’t make him all that scary, as the likes of Grand Moff Tarkin, Palpatine, and Obi-Wan all showed little fear of him.
The Disney+ series has made Darth Vader appear as the stuff of nightmares, with his search for Obi-Wan on Mapuzo coming across as a horror movie chase sequence - it was preceded by Vader murdering innocent people for the heck of it. Vader has also been absolutely ruthless with the Inquisitors, mercilessly taking down Reva during her attack as the show hasn’t shied away from showing the deaths he’s incurred.
From the depiction of Darth Vader to maintaining Star Wars' continuity, Obi-Wan Kenobi has succeeded where many of the franchise's films didn't.Saim Cheeda