I was super excited when Obi-Wan Kenobi was first announced a couple years ago. It felt like something fans have been requesting for years, so it was pretty cool that it actually became reality. I loved the character of Obi-Wan Kenobi growing up and I really enjoyed watching him in the prequels (which I do enjoy okay, I’m a prequel-enjoyer). I’ve always thought there was so much more to explore with Obi-Wan’s character, so I’m glad they took the opportunity to further delve into his history. Not only were we fortunate enough to have Ewan McGregor return as the titular character himself, we even got to see him reunited with Hayden Christensen as Dark Vader! I’m so glad Christensen is finally getting the recognition he deserves for his performance in the prequels (to my understanding he received a lot of criticism back then). Full disclosure, I’m not an expert of the Star Wars universe, so this review is based purely on what I personally understand and know.

I’m just going to start off saying that I was kind of disappointed with the overall series. It just felt…underwhelming? The plot felt generic and sometimes dull. While there were definitely some hype moments that felt nostalgic and exciting (like seeing Vader vs Obi-Wan in an epic lightsaber battle), the show felt rather bland. To me, they missed an opportunity to showcase a different side of Obi-Wan because I feel like we didn’t get to see much growth or development to the character. To be honest, I felt this way about most of the characters – they all seemed to lack development.

One big issue I had with the show was the role of the Inquisitors. They were introduced in the first episode as this menacing, powerful group, but they quickly became nothing more than a name. We barely get to see the Grand Inquisitor or the Fifth Brother as the focus was entirely on Reva and her story. I have to say, I thought her character was poorly written. There was so much potential to be had with her character given her traumatic backstory, but oftentimes the character just felt lost and had no sense of purpose; I had trouble understanding her decisions and motives. The show kept building this feeling of tension as if there was going to be a big climax in the end (particularly with Reva’s character), but I just never felt like it got to that level.

There were definitely some positives though, especially with Vivien Blair as young Leia. She was such a solid fit for the role and she brought the perfect mix of adorableness and sassiness. I really enjoyed her performance and I thought she did great embodying the character of Leia. She was definitely a major highlight in the series. I loved her interactions with Obi-Wan and the sweet father-daughter bond they developed together.

Of course, I can’t leave out the amazing return of Darth Vader. He was absolutely terrifying and merciless, perfectly showcasing why he is the most iconic cinematic villain of all time. I think the show did a great job with the cinematography here too because there were so many cool shots of him (see the image below for just one example!). It was also really entertaining getting to see Vader in action and watching him use the force. I especially loved getting to see just how powerful Anakin’s become after transforming into Vader. I’m sure his return was the star of the show for most Star Wars fans. I also loved the little flashback showing Anakin and Obi-Wan training together because it really brought back all the nostalgia.

While there were definitely some great moments sprinkled throughout and I did enjoy the casts’ performance overall, I can’t say I really enjoyed this series. Maybe it’s my expectations and having waited all these years, but I just feel like the show could’ve been something so much bigger and just so much better. I’m going to have to give Obi-Wan Kenobi a 5.5/10. If a second season gets confirmed, I’d love to see a more cohesive, well-written story as Obi-Wan is a character that definitely deserves it. If you’re a Star Wars fan, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this series regardless though 🙂

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