There’s not much known about Obi-Wan Kenobi’s time on Tatooine, except for the fact he is mostly alone. After all, he was in exile. But with Star Wars prequel spinoff Obi-Wan Kenobi only a few months away from release on Disney+, we learn that may not be entirely true.
A new leak suggests Obi-Wan will encounter a new friend in his eponymous series — another Jedi survivor of Order 66. But this new Jedi’s history tells us that they might not be around for too long. Let’s break down the latest leak for the Star Wars series.
The Leak — According to a leak reported by MakingStarWars, Obi-Wan will encounter the Jedi Inquisitors through Nari, a “Jedi straggler.” The report says Nari will pursue Obi-Wan much like Rey went after Luke in the sequel trilogy. And just like Luke, Obi-Wan refuses to help. In fact, he doesn’t even answer to his name, insisting that his name is “Ben” now.
When Nari catches up with Obi-Wan, he pleads his case. Nari grew up in the Jedi temple, survived Order 66, and now is trying to re-establish the Jedi Order. Reeling from losing Anakin, Obi-Wan still refuses to help Nari. Later, when Obi-Wan assists Bail Organa with a mission, he sees the body of Nari, which the Inquisitors put on display.
The leak also includes some other juicy tidbits, including the claim the Hayden Christensen appearance we were promised in 2020 will happen through a flashback. The report says the actor will be getting the same de-aging treatment Mark Hamill received as Luke in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett. There’s also a brief mention of a Qui-Gon Jinn cameo, which was corroborated by a leak from Bespin Bulletin.
The Inverse Analysis — As far as we know, Obi-Wan Kenobi was never found out to be a Jedi while in exile on Tatooine. This leak, if true, could further explain his reticence to claim the Jedi title. In trying to avoid failing another Jedi apprentice, Obi-Wan leads Nari to his doom. Basically, this Jedi will serve as a redshirt (red robe?) to show the true danger of the Inquisitor threat.
However, just because Nari is limited to this one appearance and, for all intents and purposes, could be murdered before we even get to know him, it doesn’t mean that Nari is a useless character. Although he may meet an untimely demise, we could still see an earlier version of him in a series set before Disney+’s Kenobi series.
If Obi-Wan’s past can come decades after we saw his future, there’s no reason for other Star Wars characters — major and minor — to get a chance to tell their own epic stories.
Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres May 25, 2022 on Disney+.
