Warning! Spoilers ahead for Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 1
In the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series, the arrival of the Imperial Inquisitorius on Tatooine features a brutal sequence that secretly calls back to Darth Vader’s past with the Jedi hunters. As revealed in the canon comics, Darth Vader was introduced to the Inquisitors shortly after one of his first missions for Emperor Palpatine. Created to help the Dark Lord of the Sith hunt down the remaining Jedi in the galaxy, Darth Vader had a hand in brutally training the Inquisitors, a fact that is subtly referenced in Obi-Wan Kenobi’s premiere.
In Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 1, the Grand Inquisitor and his fellow hunters come to Tatooine after hearing rumors of a Jedi named Nari. While Nari was searching for Obi-Wan so they could fight, the Jedi Master refused to help, advising the Jedi to bury his lightsaber in the sand as he had. However, the Inquisitors continued searching for Nari with the more ambitious Third Sister (aka Reva) offering threats of pain while the Inquisitor known as Fifth Brother promised rewards for any information the citizens of the desert world might have. When one citizen questioned what kind of authority the Inquisitors had in the Outer Rim, Third Sister cut off the woman’s hand just as she threatened she would so that whenever she reached for anything she’ll think of the Inquisitors first.
While it’s certainly a brutal scene on its own, it also continues the longstanding Star Wars tradition of limbs being cut off with lightsabers seen throughout the films. However, it’s also a secret callback to the Inquisitor’s dark training from Darth Vader himself. As seen in 2017’s Darth Vader comics series from Charles Soule and Giuseppe Camuncoli, Vader intentionally severed limbs from each of the present Inquisitors shortly after Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. This was done to teach them an important lesson about pain, suffering, and loss, one that they would never forget.
The Third Sister’s threats in Obi-Wan Kenobi mirror Vader’s dark training quite well. While Third Sister isn’t directly seen in the comic, Fifth Brother and the Grand Inquisitor were present for this dark display. Being the leader of the Inquisitorius under Vader, it seems as though the Grand Inquisitor was spared from learning Vader’s lesson, though Fifth Brother wasn’t so lucky. Furthermore, it’s hard to tell if Third Sister was also taught this lesson seeing as how her arms are covered by gloved gauntlets in the new series. Either way, her punishment of the Tatooine woman and the reasoning behind it feels like a clear callback to the teachings of Lord Vader.
It’s going to be exciting to see Darth Vader’s on-screen relationship with his Inquisitors as the new Star Wars series continues. While the Inquisitors weren’t Sith themselves, they were very effective tools to be wielded during the dark times of the Empire’s reign. At any rate, Third Sister’s brutal scene in the first episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi does tie to Darth Vader and his past training—even if it’s only coincidental.
Obi-Wan Kenobi releases new episodes on Wednesdays on Disney+.
