With Ewan McGregor set to reprise is role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Disney+ Series, a few other Star Wars characters are rumored to make a return.
After years of speculation of a Star Wars Anthology movie, to the anthology movies being scrapped, to rumors of a live action TV series, fans were delighted to learn that Ewan McGregor would reprise his role as Obi-Wan Kenobi in a Disney+ Series when he came out on stage at D23 last September.
In recent weeks, the Kenobi Series has been in the news, but not for the best of reasons, as rumors have circulated that the series may be delayed in order to rework the script.
McGregor has come out and stated that those rumors have been over hyped, and although filming may be delayed, they are still expected to be ready for their targeted released date.
Additionally, potential leaks have emerged regarding a legends character who may be re-canonized in the future Star Wars series.
All of this has at least reignited the conversations surrounding the Kenobi series and what fans want/ can expect of it, including if fans can be treated to any returning characters from both the prequel and sequel trilogy.
It’s already a given that characters like a young Luke Skywalker and Owen Lars will probably appear in the series, but there are others from outside the box who may make a cameo in the show as well.
Here are four characters who may appear in the Kenobi Disney+ series.
Qui-Gon Jinn
While Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan is arguably the most popular prequel performances among fans, this old master Qui-Gon Jinn is a close second.
The man who trained Obi-Wan in the ways of the force and groomed him into the Jedi Master we knew him as throughout the Star Wars Saga, his return in live action would be a welcome surprise to the series.
We know that actor Liam Neeson would be open to returning to the franchise, as he voiced his character in a few episodes of the Clone Wars, as well as a voice cameo in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
It’s a bit of a shame that such a great character only had one live action appearance, and appearing in this series with his former apprentice could rectify that wrong.
As for how he may appear, it could be in a flashback to Obi-Wan’s time as an apprentice at the old Jedi Temple, or as a force ghost speaking to Obi-Wan in the present.
There is precedent for the latter of those two options, as Qui-Jon appeared as a force ghost in the Clone Wars to offer advice to the likes of Yoda, Anakin and his old apprentice.
Simply put, seeing a live actin Qui-Gon on-screen with Obi-Wan one more time would be awesome to see, and this show would make the most sense for it to happen.
Master Yoda
While Obi-Wan watched over a young Luke Skywalker on Tatooine, his former master Obi-Wan isolated himself on the Dagobah system following the events of Revenge of the Sith.
While on different planets, there would still be ways for those who are strong in the force to communicate with each other, and both Yoda and Obi-Wan are two of the most powerful force users known in the Star Wars Universe.
We know that there is precedent for Yoda at the very least to communicate with force users from another planet, as we saw in Star Wars: Rebels, when he spoke with Ezra while he meditated despite being on Dagobah.
Yoda could appear and give guidance to Obi-Wan as he struggles to adjust to his life in isolation, or he could also appear in flashback to Obi-Wan in his younger days before the fall of Jedi Order.
Regardless, Yoda is one of the most recognizable character from all eras of Star Wars, and given his connection to Obi-Wan, it would make sense for him to have a cameo at the very least.
Jabba the Hutt
One of the most well known residents of Tatooine, the Star Wars crime lord Jabba the Hutt could very well make an appearance in the Kenobi series, coming into conflict with the titular character.
A interesting route to take the show in, Jabba was known to be a powerful gangster in the Star Wars Universe at this time, as he was seen to be operating at a high profile during The Phantom Menace, up until his death during Return of the Jedi.
The fact that Jabba operates his crime enterprise during this time could mean that his interests come into conflict with Obi-Wans at some point, possibly leading to a bounty being placed on Kenobi in retaliation by Hutt, or maybe the two coming face to face to negotiate terms to settle their respective scores.
The Hutts were known to be brutal gangsters, and its possible that one of the potential conflicts of the show is him sending “collectors” to bully the Lars’ family into paying them, and Obi-Wan steps in to protect the farm and young Luke.
While he may not be the ideal antagonist for the former Jedi, the addition of Jabba in the series would not feel out-of-place at all, and would help to further immerse the series in established Star Wars lore.
Anakin Skywalker
Now that some time has past and Hayden Christensen has earned some good will back from Star Wars fans, this is an opportune time for him to make a return to the franchise in live action form.
In the prequel trilogy, the relationship between Anakin and Obi-Wan was one of the prominent storylines, and their final battle on Mustafar was to many, the highlight of the trilogy, after which, Obi-Wan takes his son to watch over him in hiding.
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A flashback between Obi-Wan and Anakin as he reflects on his past life seems like a natural fit for the series, and off all of these options, this is arguably the inclusion Star Wars fans would want to see the most.
Obi-Wan’s story has been interlocked with Anakin/Darth Vader in some form or another throughout his life, from the time his master died and he took him under his wing, to their final confrontation, ending in Kenobi’s death.
With their relationship and history, it would only make sense for Anakin to make and appearance in his former Master’s series in some form.
As for his alter ego Darth Vader, while I don’t know if those two coming face to face in the series would make sense, I could see an opportunity in this series to fix one of the original trilogy’s plot holes.
The plot hole I refer to is how Obi-Wan knew what Anakin became after Revenge of the Sith, when he left him for dead on Mustafar. How he knew he survived and became the machine like Darth Vader has yet to be answered, but one that could be rectified in the show.
Kenobi could maybe see a transmission of Vader while on a trip to Mos Eisley and realize its his old apprentice, or they could even have a confrontation in each others minds through their force connection.
Regardless, of how he appears in the show, I think that of all of these options, the return of Anakin Skywalker I feel would be a welcome one.
The Kenobi Disney+ Series is expected to be released in 2021.