Just the fact that Ewan McGregor is reprising the titular role for Obi-Wan Kenobi has made the series one of the most highly anticipated TV projects in development. But, as if Star Wars fans weren’t excited enough, Lucasfilm has also announced that McGregor will be joined by his prequel co-star Hayden Christensen, who’s reprising his role as Darth Vader.
While plot details are being kept under wraps, Kathleen Kennedy has promised “the rematch of the century” between Kenobi and Vader. But what roles could Anakin Skywalker play in the upcoming Disney+ show?
Searching The Galaxy For Surviving Jedi
When Palpatine ordered his clones to “execute Order 66,” kickstarting the Great Jedi Purge, the Jedi were taken by surprise. Most of them were helplessly gunned down by the clones assigned to protect them. But a bunch of Jedi still managed to survive the purge – not just two of the greatest Jedi, Yoda and Obi-Wan.
The canonical survivors include Quinlan Vos, Jocasta Nu, Ahsoka Tano (who had technically left the Jedi Order before the purge, but was still targeted), Cal Kestis, Kanan Jarrus, and of course Grogu. In Obi-Wan Kenobi, Vader could assemble a team of Inquisitors to search the galaxy for surviving Jedi and wipe them out.
Hunting Obi-Wan
While the Inquisitors hunt down the other surviving Jedi, Vader might launch a relentless, obsessive campaign to discover the hiding place of his former master. Thanks to Obi-Wan, Vader has to spend his entire life in agonizing pain. And on top of that, he has a score to settle.
If Vader knows Obi-Wan is out there, he won’t just sit around and let him live a happy life. He’ll come looking for his old master and stop at nothing until he destroys him.
Spearheading The Empire’s Takeover Of The Galaxy
The original trilogy saw the Empire in full force at the height of its power, but Obi-Wan Kenobi takes place midway between the original and prequel trilogies. At the end of Revenge of the Sith, the Empire was just starting out.
If there are a few systems that are reluctant to get with the program, Vader will need to step in and “convince” them to get on board with Imperial rule.
Hanging Around His Castle On Mustafar
Rogue One introduced Star Wars fans to Darth Vader’s castle on Mustafar. He seemed to spend a lot of his spare time there, which he could also do in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
If the Obi-Wan series is dedicated to reflecting on Obi-Wan’s explosive duel with Anakin, then it would make sense for the story to spend a lot of time on the volcanic planet. And, given what a pivotal moment their showdown was, it’d be great for the show to fill in the gaps.
Just The Rematch
Star Wars fans have been promised a rematch between Kenobi and his fallen apprentice between their duel on Mustafar and their duel on the Death Star. It’s possible that Vader’s role in the series is confined entirely to this confrontation.
Since this reunion will significantly alter the characters’ dynamic (one of the most significant character dynamics in the whole saga), fans have mixed feelings about it. It’ll need to be quite a fight in order to stack up next to Kenobi and Vader’s other clashes.
Battling A Rising Rebellion
The Rebel Alliance was a struggling organization in the original trilogy, but Obi-Wan Kenobi takes place almost a decade earlier when the Rebellion was even weaker.
As Vader becomes incensed with the growing Rebellion trying to bring down his empire, he might dedicate his time to crushing the Rebels’ earliest bands of freedom fighters before their cause gets out of hand. It would be fascinating to see Obi-Wan play a role in the rising Rebellion as well.
Trying To Bring Padmé Back To Life
The Obi-Wan series is set to bridge the gap between Revenge of the Sith, which revolved around Anakin’s fears of losing Padmé becoming a tragic reality, and 1977’s Star Wars, which initially introduced Vader as a faceless, inhuman embodiment of evil. Midway between mourning the death of Padmé and wholeheartedly devoting himself to the Emperor, Vader might have studied dark ancient Sith rituals in a desperate attempt to bring her back to life.
Like Walter White rolling a barrel of money through the desert, it would be a desperate bid to prove that the corruption of his soul wasn’t for nothing. Anakin turned to the dark side because he was afraid of losing Padmé and thought his newfound Sith powers could save her. After his turn to the dark side killed her, he could double down on his belief that his Sith powers are the key to everything.
Looking For His Kids
In The Empire Strikes Back, Palpatine told Vader about the kid who blew up the Death Star and said, “I have no doubt that this boy is the offspring of Anakin Skywalker.” This implies that before Luke emerged as an obvious candidate, Vader had a general idea that his kids were out there somewhere.
In theory, it shouldn’t be too difficult to find Luke, since Obi-Wan left him with Anakin’s only known relatives, who still live in the same house where he stayed with them in Attack of the Clones, and Luke continues to use the name “Skywalker.”
Plotting The Empire’s Rise With The Emperor
As long as Lucasfilm is bringing back Hayden Christensen, they might as well bring back Ian McDiarmid. His iconic portrayal of Palpatine needs a stronger swansong than The Rise of Skywalker.
Throughout Obi-Wan Kenobi, Vader could be seen plotting the Empire’s rise with Palpatine, deepening their heartbreaking puppet-puppetmaster dynamic after Palpatine’s lie about Padmé’s death encouraged Vader to commit himself fully to the Sith.
Obi-Wan Makes A Last-Ditch Attempt To Bring Anakin Back To The Light Side
When the original trilogy begins and Obi-Wan tells Luke about his father, he seems resigned to the idea that the Anakin he once loved is dead and Vader has fully taken over his soul. But after leaving Anakin for dead on Mustafar, it might’ve taken a few years for Obi-Wan to be fully sure.
In Obi-Wan Kenobi, as Vader’s reign of terror charges across the galaxy, Obi-Wan might launch a last-ditch effort to bring Anakin back to the light side before giving up and living out his days as a hermit in the Tatooine desert.
