After the original Star Wars trilogy in the late '70s and the Star Wars prequel trilogy from 1999 to 2005, the fans pondered the question, what happened between those years before the original trilogy?
This is answered in the Disney+ miniseries Obi-wan Kenobi which links the prequel trilogy with the original one and the audience gets to see the adventures of the most beloved Jedi master as a fugitive of the Empire.
The series starts ten years after the events of Revenge of the Sith, where the Jedi order has fallen, Anakin Skywalker gave in to the dark side and became Sith Lord Darth Vader, and the Skywalker siblings are hidden from the empire to give the galaxy a second chance.
Obi-wan Kenobi is known for his swashbuckling personality, witty remarks, and distinct sense of humour. But in this series, he is not that charming Jedi anymore. He is now a post-war veteran suffering from trauma after losing his brother-like Padawan Anakin to the dark side and running away from the guilt and the never-ending Jedi-hunting Empire.
Anakin, now Darth Vader, is still vengeful enough to hunt down Obi-wan Kenobi by any means even after ten years. The audience can feel his anger and hatred towards his former master, whom he looked to as his father.
He initiated the Inquisitor program, which recruits former Jedi turned to the dark side who will relentlessly track down and execute every Jedi in the galaxy.
One of the inquisitors, Third Sister Reva, plays a crucial role in this series. She is a complicated character, surviving the purge of Order 66 as a Jedi youngling and becoming a Sith inquisitor under Darth Vader later.
At first, she wants to avenge her youngling friends by tracking down Obi-wan, but by the course of the show, she realises her mistake, tries to take revenge on Darth Vader, and finally gains closure by freeing her of the guilt of losing her loved ones.
The series also shows the 10-year-old young Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, the Skywalker siblings. Although much of the character of Luke is not revealed, the audience gets to know the young Leia long enough.
Even though a 10-year-old princess, Leia shows great maturity while finding herself in adverse situations and shares a father-daughter relationship with Obi-wan, which is heartwarming to watch.
Obi-wan Kenobi hits peak nostalgia during the flashing lightsaber duels between Obi-wan Kenobi and Darth Vader. Their first battle was a traumatic experience for Obi-wan, who could not get over the regrets of what his apprentice has become.
But the climactic second duel in the season finale was the pinnacle of his Jedi mastery and skills, where he redeems himself by defeating Vader.
In the battle between anger and restraint, Obi-wan apologises to Anakin but finds the Sith Lord is still suffering from the pain and hatred from the past. Knowing that his friend is dead, Obi-wan finally finds some closure and moves forward, whereas Vader is not ready for his conviction, saving it for Return of the Jedi.
Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen reprise their roles as Obi-wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker respectively from the prequel trilogy, with James Earl Jones providing the voice of Darth Vader.
As the season finale aired last week, the series is, for Star Wars fans, a mesmerising nostalgia trip.
