In the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ewan McGregor reprises his role as the revered Jedi, who must now grapple with the aftermath of the rise of the Galactic Empire and the fall of the Jedi Order. Set between the events of Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, the series finds Obi-Wan living in solitude and struggling from the emotional weight of the events of the prequels.
With the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Obi-Wan Kenobi director Deborah Chow saw an opportunity to explore the complex relationship between Obi-Wan and his former apprentice.
In The Magic Series, a new video series by The Advanced Imaging Society, Chow explains, that “we were trying to show the dynamic between Padawan and the master, and to also show the difference in the personalities and the characters, and to get a sense of the darkness and some of the characteristics in Anakin that would eventually lead to Revenge of the Sith.”
In the videos, the director focuses on two key action scenes that pit Obi-Wan against Anakin/Vader, including their perilous penultimate duel in Episode 6. Reflecting on that final battle of the series, Chow continues, “for me as a director, this was what the series was about. This scene is what we were building to for all six episodes. So much of what we were trying to do, you know, Obi-Wan’s character, carrying all the guilt, carrying all the weight, and so much of that is connected to Anakin. So, for him to kind of have this moment, and to have Anakin say to him, you know, it’s not you, it’s me…This was a pivotal thing for us, and it’s sort of the moment I think in the series for Obi-Wan’s character that really allows him to kind of start moving forward and start the journey that eventually leads to A New Hope.”