Whether you’ve seen the animated shows or you’ve only watched the live-action Star Wars content, there’s no denying that the trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi looks cool. It had everything: new planets! Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor)! Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) breathing! “Battle of the Heroes,” and more iconic music!
But, while you didn’t have to have seen the animated programs to appreciate the brief snippets of the show, there’s one “new to live-action” character that might befuddle movie- or live-action-only Star Wars fans: The Grand Inquisitor. Here’s why he’s important.
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Who Is the Grand Inquisitor?
To understand the Grand Inquisitor, first, a bit of backstory on Inquisitors themselves. Inquisitors are a group of former Jedi who survived Order 66. After that, they either volunteered or were tortured to assist Emperor Palpatine and Darth Vader in hunting down all remaining Jedi. As such, they’re trained in and strong with the dark side of the Force. They carry double-bladed red lightsabers that spin like a fan when they fight, and while we doubt this will happen in Obi-Wan Kenobi, those lightsabers did also occasionally allow them to fly.
The Grand Inquisitor first appeared in Star Wars: Rebels. There, he worked for the Empire to hunt down Kanan (voiced by Freddie Prinze Jr.) and Ezra (voiced by Taylor Gray). He appears as the main antagonist in Season 1, where he’s killed in the finale when he falls into a fiery pit. Other Inquisitors show up later to take on his mission.
Notable bits of his backstory include that he was once a Jedi Temple guard, but he turned to the dark side after seeing the Jedi Order falsely accuse and nearly exile Ahsoka Tano (voiced by Ashley Eckstein) over a crime she didn’t commit. Also notable: It appears he’ll be played by Rupert Friend on the show, rather than Jason Isaacs, who voiced him in Rebels.
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What Does the Grand Inquisitor Mean for Obi-Wan?
Simply put, this guy — and all of his Inquisitor pals — are bad news. If he’s after Obi-Wan, “Ben Kenobi” will have to watch his step! But if a face-off between them occurs, don’t expect it to be deadly.
Most obviously, Obi-Wan will survive because he has to be in the original trilogy. And the Grand Inquisitor will survive because chronologically, Obi-Wan Kenobi is set before Rebels. In Rebels, Princess Leia is close to her A New Hope age, while Luke, her twin, is quite young in the Kenobi teaser. We’ll have to wait and see if they duel, but until then, it’s exciting to see another character from the animated shows making an appearance in live-action.
Obi-Wan Kenobi, Premieres May 25, Disney+
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