Back in August of 2019, it was officially announced that after almost 15 years away from the Star Wars franchise, Ewan McGregor would be returning to the galaxy far far away, reprising his role as a young Obi-Wan Kenobi in an upcoming Disney+ series.
The series has been confirmed to be set between the events of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Episode IV: A New Hope. And McGregor will portray Kenobi during his time living in isolation on Tatooine, watching over a young Luke Skywalker.
Back in March, a full cast list was released, with one of the highlights (aside from McGregor as Kenobi) being actor Hayden Christensen reprising his role from the prequel trilogy as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader.
In addition to McGregor and Christensen reprising their roles from the prequel trilogy, actors Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse are also returning as Owen Lars (Anakin’s stepbrother) and Beru Whitesun (Owen’s wife) respectively.
Along with the inclusion of Owen and Beru, a young Luke Skywalker is sure to be with them, growing up on their moisture farm as Obi-Wan watches over and protects him.
Other notable names such as Moses Ingram, Sung Kang and Kumail Nanjiani will star alongside them in the series in unknown roles.
With all that said, it is very likely that the Kenobi series will feature other familiar characters from Star Wars lore, from several different eras of the films, shows and books, in addition to many new ones.
With the return of Kenobi, along with Skywalker/Vader, the Star Wars fanbase is running rampant with speculation as to who else may appear in the show, either in flashbacks or in the show’s timeline.
Without further adieu, here are 10 Star Wars characters who could appear in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series:
1. Qui-Gon Jinn
One of the most iconic characters from the prequel trilogy, despite not yet being confirmed, it is very possible that the Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn could make an appearance in the Kenobi Disney+ series
First appearing in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace, Jinn was originally introduced as the Jedi Master for Obi-Wan when he was a padawan and found and recruited a young Anakin to join the Jedi Order.
With his former padawan getting his own series and his connection to two of the biggest characters set to feature in the show, now would be the perfect time to bring Qui-Gon back to the Star Wars franchise in live action form.
The actor who portrayed Qui-Gon, Liam Neeson, has stated in recent interviews that he is open to reprising the role, and as a fan favorite character from the prequels, his inclusion would help to bridge the older movies with this new era of Disney+ shows.
As for how Qui-Gon could appear, it could be as part of a flashback to Obi-Wan’s younger days prior to Ginn’s death, or could appear to Obi-Wan as a Force Ghost, as he has in the past during the Clone Wars animated series.
Regardless of how he does potentially appear, the inclusion of Qui-Gon would be a welcome one, and off all the ones on this list, stands the best chance of happening.
2. Ahsoka Tano
While they have never appeared in live-action form together, Ahsoka has had a storied history with Obi-Wan and Anakin, and with the two of them set to appear in the series, it’s very possible we could see her as well.
The character of Ahsoka never made an appearance in the prequel trilogy and was instead introduced in the Clone Wars animated series, set between Episodes II and III.
Over the past few years, Ahsoka has become a fan-favorite character among the new generation of Star Wars fans, with an older version of the character appearing for the first time in live-action in the most recent season of The Mandalorian, played by Rosario Dawson.
Dawson is set to reprise her role as Ahsoka in her own Disney+ series, but this has also opened the door for her to make an appearance in other upcoming shows as well, and possibly in the Kenobi series.
Dawson may not necessarily be the one playing Ahsoka in live-action, as a very likely course of action to include here would be for a younger version of her to appear alongside Anakin and Obi-Wan in a flashback.
She could also make an appearance during the show’s present timeline, with Ahsoka seeking out her old friend Kenobi while he was in hiding, but of the two options, that seems like the least likely of the two to happen.
No matter how it does happen, Ahsoka making a cameo would certainly be a big moment for fans. And with Clone Wars head Dave Filoni serving as one of the series showrunners, it stands as good a chance of happening as any.
3. Yoda
One of the most recognizable characters in all of Star Wars, Jedi Master Yoda stands a good chance of making an appearance in the Kenobi Disney+ series in some capacity.
Known as one of the strongest users of the force in the Star Wars galaxy, Yoda is one of the few surviving Jedi following Order 66. And like Obi-Wan, he is set to be in hiding during the series’ time period.
Following the events of Revenge of the Sith, Yoda traveled to the planet Dagobah, where he remained in hiding until Luke Skywalker seeked him out for training during the events of The Empire Strikes Back.
If Yoda were to appear, it would likely be in a flashback, like many of the other entries on this list — however, Yoda does have the ability to appear to Obi-Wan in person on Tatooine as well.
While Yoda is unable to leave Dagobah and it is very unlikely for Obi-Wan to leave Tatooine to travel to the remote planet, Yoda could still communicate with Kenobi through the Force, or even through the use of a “Force projection.”
Just as Luke did in The Last Jedi, Yoda has the ability to project his likeness across the galaxy, as he did in the Star Wars Rebels animated series, and could utilize this power to communicate with Obi-Wan from another planet, advising his fellow Jedi through whatever troubles he may be faced with.
Regardless of how he appears, Yoda is a fan-favorite character, and his inclusion in the series in any capacity would be a welcome one.
4. Duchess Satine Kryze
Although she hasn’t appeared in live-action form, Satine Kryze is a prime candidate to make an appearance in Kenobi’s series.
Prior to her death at the hands of Darth Maul near the end of the Clone Wars, Satine was the ruler of Mandalore, as well as the love interest of Obi-Wan Kenobi, with the Jedi Master going as far to say he would have left the Jedi Order for her if she had asked.
With the story centered around Obi-Wan and likely to include flashbacks to his old life during the Clone Wars era, it would make sense for his old flame to make an appearance in some form.
While the character Satine is dead at this point in the timeline, she could make a cameo as part of a flashback, or even in a dream sequence, with Obi-Wan spending his nights alone in the desert pondering how things could have been different if he had left for her.
There is already plenty of precedent for characters from the Clone Wars to cross over into live action, just as Ahsoka and Satine’s sister Bo-Katan recently did in The Mandalorian series.
Beyond that, it would simply be an intriguing inclusion that any fan of The Clone Wars or the character of Obi-Wan could get behind.
5. Mace Windu
One of the most powerful and skillful Jedi in Star Wars lore, Mace Windu could very well make his return in live action for the Kenobi Disney+ series.
While he appeared to have died at the hands of Chancellor Palpatine in Revenge of the Sith, there are many fan theories alleging that the Jedi Master did in fact survive, and beyond that, there are numerous other ways he could be included.
Windu could appear either in a flashback, or as a force ghost speaking to Obi-Wan from beyond the grave, either advising him on his mission to protect a young Luke Skywalker, or maybe even haunting him for his failure in stopping the rise of the empire.
Samuel L. Jackson, the actor who portrayed him in the prequels, has stated that he is open to returning to the Star Wars franchise, and even lent his voice for a cameo role in The Rise of Skywalker.
Seeing as this is a prequels-based story, if Windu were to make another appearance, then this seems like the most opportune place, and would surely be an inclusion many fans would like to see.
6. Padme Amidala
Along with Anakin and Obi-Wan, the character of Padme Amidala was the third protagonist of the story which the prequel trilogy stemmed around, and in many ways, her role was the most integral part.
Anakin’s desire to protect her is what led to his fall to the darkside, setting the wheels in motion for the events of all nine films in the Skywalker saga.
With both Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen reprising their roles for the first time since the Star Wars prequels, it would be fitting that Natalie Portman make her return to the franchise as Padme in the Kenobi series as well.
Love her or hate her, the character of Padme is what launched Portman’s career, and seeing as she is signed with Disney as a part of the Marvel franchise, her making a return to the Star Wars galaxy isn’t too far a stretch.
Padme is dead during this part of the time in the Star Wars franchise, having passed after giving birth to Luke and Leia. And seeing as she lacks any Force abilities, her appearing as a Force Ghost is surely out of the question.
So, for the former Queen of Naboo to make an appearance, it would likely need to be alongside Anakin in a flashback prior to the events of Revenge of the Sith or possibly in one of Obi-Wan’s nightmares, with him being haunted about his past and things he could have done differently.
Regardless of how she could appear, bringing back Padme Amidala in any capacity would be a great piece of nostalgia fans of the prequels would certainly enjoy.
7. Sharad Hett
While the list thus far has consisted of characters from either the movies or animated series, one character from Star Wars Legends who may be re-canonized in the Kenobi series is Sharad Hett.
Fans of Star Wars Legends may already be familiar with this character, but for those who aren’t, Sharad Hett is a former Jedi Knight who left the order and journeyed to Tatooine, where he became the warlord to a group of Tusken Raiders.
Hett went on to have a son, A’Sharad, who later became a Jedi himself and served as a general in the Clone Wars before returning to Tatooine and went into hiding following Order 66. Like his father, he became a leader of the sand people.
Very notably, A’Sharad had a battle with Obi-Wan in Legends over the presence of Luke Skywalker, the son of Darth Vader, on Tatooine, fearing that Vader may one day sense him. That lead to the Dark Lord journeying to Tatooine where he may hunt down Hett and his tribe.
Last year, a Reddit leak post stated that the stories of Sharad and A’Sharad would be combined into one character, with Sharad Hett serving as one of the primary antagonists for the series, coming into conflict with Obi-Wan for allowing the son of Vader to live on Tatooine, leading to a war between Kenobi and the sand people.
This was just a rumor from over a year ago so take it with a grain of salt, but it’s very possible we may see Sharad Hett be reintegrated into Star Wars canon in the upcoming Disney+ series.
8. Jabba the Hutt
With the Kenobi series set to help bridge the prequel and original trilogies closer together, it would make sense for a major character from the original trilogy to appear in addition to all these prequel characters.
Seeing as the show will be set primarily on Tatooine, it would be fitting for the crime lord Jabba the Hutt to appear in the show in some capacity.
During this time period, Jabba was firmly in control of the Hutt crime family, with his palace located on the desert planet. And with all his power and influence, there are a number of ways Hutt could come into conflict with Obi-Wan.
Jabba could try to send some of his foot soldiers to shake down the Lars’ family for “payments,” only for Kenobi to intervene and scare them away, leading to Jabba sending more mercenaries after the Jedi in hiding.
Another course of action the showrunners could take would be for the honorable Obi-Wan to attempt to free some of Hutt’s slaves and prisoners from Jabba’s palace, only for the Jedi to have to either strike a bargain with him or fight his way out of the palace.
Hutt could simply make a small cameo as well, similar to his appearance at the pod race in The Phantom Menace.
Regardless of how he could appear, Jabba the Hutt remains a fan-favorite character amongst Star Wars fans, new and old alike. And if he could be fit into the story in a way which makes sense, Jabba would be a great inclusion into the Kenobi series.
9. Bail Organa
Another possible cameo from a prequel character, Bail Organa was a member of the Republic Senate during the prequel trilogy, hailing from the planet Alderaan.
A friend of the Jedi, Organa helped both Kenobi and Yoda to escape into hiding following Order 66 during Revenge of the Sith, and afterward, offered to adopt baby Leia following the death of Padme, promising to raise her as his daughter and protect her from the Empire.
Naturally, the character of Bail Organa would fit in nicely to a flashback during Obi-Wan’s days as a Jedi. But beyond that, he could reasonably fit into his story during Kenobi’s time in hiding.
Organa was one of the few people who knew that Obi-Wan intended to go into hiding on Tatooine and watch over Luke as he grew up. So if any character was to head to the desert planet to find him, it would be Bail.
Additionally, having him appear during the show’s timeline on Alderaan could also provide an opportunity for a young Princess Leia to make an appearance.
The actor who portrayed him, Jimmy Smits, even reprised this role recently in 2016’s Rogue One: A Star Wars Story in a minor role, showing his willingness to return to the Star Wars franchise.
An appearance by Organa may be a little out of left field. But with the right story, an appearance by him certainly would work.
10. Emperor Palpatine
With Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker set to appear in the show (and possibly as his alter ego, Darth Vader), then there’s a chance the Emperor could appear along with him.
As all Star Wars fans know, back when he was Supreme Chancellor, Palpatine was the invisible hand pulling strings in the background leading to the Clone Wars and allowed himself to become the Emperor.
Beyond that, Palpatine was the man who turned Anakin to the Dark Side and took him on as his apprentice, leading to the fall of the Jedi Order and forcing Obi-Wan to go into hiding.
Seeing as Palpatine was such an integral part of the Skywalker saga, and the fact that Ian McDiarmid (the actor who portrayed the Emperor) recently reprised the role in 2019’s The Rise of Skywalker, there’s a solid chance he could cameo in the Kenobi series as well.
He could do something as simple as making a small appearance in a flashback in Obi-Wan’s past as a Jedi Knight, or set it during the events of the show, possibly ordering Darth Vader on a mission to track down the remaining Jedi.
Vader could go to him on Coruscant and receive the order in person or could simply be given the message via hologram, as he did during the Emperor’s first appearance during The Empire Strikes Back.
Regardless of how it could happen, I’d say Palpatine has a strong chance of popping up in the series in some capacity, and his presence would certainly a welcome surprise.
Who would you like to see in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series? Let us know in the comments!