Mini Series How has the Kenobi series affected your viewing of later SW stories?

As a result of the Kenobi show I’ve decided Beru and Owen went out guns a-blazing in ANH. They probably took out at least half a dozen Stormies before they received a flamethrower to the face.

Originally I figured they just got interrogated and then scorched. But now I see them going out like Butch and Sundance.

 

It improves for me, gives more backstory to characters but deals nicely with what we’re said to be canon breakers early on, adds more depth

only issue is the amount of time it’ll take up doing a Skywalker saga and tied in stories these days! Nice problem to have

 

This'll be one for the comics I think. By comic, I mean, pictures and words, not the "haha" sort.

 

I actually sat down yesterday to watch the Mustafar duel, the Part VI duel and the Death Star duel back-to-back. It was interesting! A couple of observations:


- First of all, they did an excellent job putting the level/style of sword fighting somewhere in-between those of ROTS and ANH. Obviously, it shouldn't be quite as fast and acrobatic as in their first duel and it isn't, but you can tell that they're the same two characters fighting each other again years later.
I did feel that the jump from OWK to ANH was more abrupt in that regard. On the Death Star, they're MUCH slower, stiffer and more careful. But it's not unrealistic to think that things slowed down considerably during those nine years, that old age started to catch up with Ben and that Vader is simply more careful because he's lost twice to his old Master.
Plus, Ben isn't really there to fight Vader. He came there prepared to sacrifice himself.


- Going straight from Obi-Wan watching Anakin burn and leaving him there to die to the duel where he breaks his helmet and sees that same burned face, which brings all of his pent-up guilt to the surface, was a pretty strong experience. It made that particular plot thread so clear. He left him there to burn to death, but he survived - and here's the result. And that hits Ben like a sledgehammer.
He's carried those horrible memories for a decade, knowing full well what he did, feeling the guilt gnawing away at him - but believing that Anakin died, that any chance for redemption or reconciliation died with him. Now he knows that Anakin didn't die - and suddenly, he sees with his own two eyes that same face, with those same fiery eyes that once looked into his as he just walked away while his former best friend screamed in agony.
Then, he says what he's needed to say for years and it is SO cathartic.

I mean sure, he took on some responsibility on Mustafar when he said he'd failed as a Master, but then he left Anakin for dead, knowing that he was burning alive. Can you imagine what that would do to them? How would that affect Anakin's psyche and his view of Obi-Wan? How would it affect Obi-Wan to have that on his conscience?
This is extremely heavy stuff that the films never address and that's probably the number one reason I'm glad this show was made. This conversation needed to be had. It's a major step on the journey of these two characters; one that sets the stage for their final confrontation, which is much more detached emotionally than you'd expect if Mustafar was the last time they met.


- Which brings me to how surprisingly detached Vader appeared to me on the Death Star. Which isn't very odd, since I jumped straight there from the scene where he screams Obi-Wan's name at the top of his lungs.
It hit me, though, that his last scene in OWK shows him putting the past behind him and asserting his unyielding loyalty to the Emperor. In light of that, it makes perfect sense that he would appear far more detached nine years later.
I also think this is why he now feels like he's the master. He has learned to let go of his emotions so they won't cloud his judgment. In doing so, he has finally mastered himself as he should have when he was Obi-Wan's apprentice.

Ben's portrayal, and the way he calls Anakin "Darth", is also perfectly in line with where he is by the end of the series. He hasn't changed much, he's just aged and mastered the immortality trick.


In short, I feel that having seen these two characters take a few crucial steps in-between the films, to hear them actually address what happened on Mustafar and then distance themselves emotionally from each other, greatly enhances their encounter in ANH.

 

For me, ROTS changed the way I viewed DV coming through that door at the beginning of ANH. OWK series further changes my views on all the interactions with DV/OWK in ANH. But again, I view that scene with DV entering even MORE differently (I know, great English) now that the OWK series has ended.

Changed? Well, after 19 years...

• he's till in the suit! Weird, no improvements (at least visually) to the suit. I thought AS likes to mod things, but again, he's no longer AS, right?
• No where near as intimidating. If you haven't seen ROTS/OWK, then for me he's very intimidating. But that entrance has diminished, if you have seen ROTS/OWK.

 

Changed? In what ways?

 

I loved the Owen/Beru standoff with Reva. Beru was awesome! Loved it! And, I loved how she took Owen by surprise. That look, and he went with it, because she was correct in her stance.

 

I'm not sure how it can change your experience of what SW content came before because the message is still the same. May be some people look for different things, may be they carry a political view now that s contrary to message this franchise tries to project. I think we saw it with the ST when people were critical more than just with the quality of storytelling but the various PC aspects within characters and that sadly is the world in the early 21st century.

 

It didn't change your rewatching for the better or for worse?

 

I don’t count it as canon for me.

 

It has not changed a lot. Maybe gives a bit more meaning to Leia's reaction on Death Star when she wants to see Obi-Wan. Since now we know they have history. Although it makes her message to Obi-Wan seen oddly formal now. For Obi-Wan- Vader interaction I don't see much effect really. I always thought they would have met between the movies actually. I thought about some fanon-scenarios what would've happened then. Their interaction was pretty close what I imagined it would've been. Vader was a bit too obsessed about Obi-Wan for my liking though, but I think it does strengthen their bond in a good way to see Obi-Wan now sparing his friend instead of killing him "again".

And in a way shows that some of the Anakin's weaknesses still are part of Vader at this point. He is more calculating supervillain in OT after Obi-Wan is dead. Obi-Wan is really his weakness. Anakin always held Obi-Wan in unnaturally high esteem. Always feared that he is worse jedi than him and in a way he was. I mostly liked the way they handled these two characters and it is in line what I thought about them previously. So not much is changed, but many things I thought about them were confirmed.

 

That’s a great point. Is it possible the suit - especially the Darth Vader mask and helmet has become for Darth Vader his actual face? So it’s something he won’t change too much. At least the look of it. The inside can be updated but not the look.

The other change which we see now in Rogue One and on OWK is Darth Vader spending time in bacta. Has Anakin constantly modifying technology been replaced with Darth Vader constantly trying to heal his body? Anakin developed an obsession with stopping death. Part of that must be Force healing. Has Darth Vader dedicated himself completely to Anakin’s quest for power?

 

Very true! Previous material to this series had already established that, while looking the same, the armor was modified by Vader himself to adjust to his needs.

With a slap.

 

I like it. Gotta ask where are those bubbles coming from on the second bancta tank frame? Is that where midichlrians come from?

 

A New Hope was on TV yesterday, and I couldn't believe how perfectly the young Leia character in OWK so seamlessly leads into Carrie Fisher's Princess Leia. After 45 years, I suddenly feel like I know Princess Leia much better than I did before. I understand her better. As others have stated, Owen and Beru also benefit tremendously from their portrayal in OWK. They are both much more capable, and that changes how they are perceived. And don't get me wrong, I feel like ANH was pretty much perfect as it was before. But damned if this series didn't add something substantial. This is what the new Star Wars shows should be. Interesting stories that delve deeper into the saga.

 

I have reconciled the fact it's not for me. I watched it - Then wiped it!

 

This explains the new dialogue that’ll be included in the next version of the ANH special edition.

“Luke, there was nothing you could have done, had you been there. Beru slapped the **** out of the whole stormtrooper squadron, and didn’t need your help.”

 

It enhanced the viewing experience greatly for me. I rewatched OWK at one go and then watched R1 and then watched ANH. Boy, was it satisfying AF. I liked that they put into context Obi-Wan and Leia's relationship because we didn't get to see that in the OT. And the fact is, yes, Leia's as important as Luke. Also like how they put a new spin on Vader's line, "When I left you I was but the learner, but now I am the master."

For the longest time, because fans always thought Obi-Wan and Vader did not meet in the 19 years in between, that line referenced to their Mustafar duel. But the new context for how Anakin/Vader will always be a learner if he feels the need to prove himself all the time was much better done. And that final Kenobi-Vader duel was just *chef's kiss*. Mustafar was awesome, but this one feels deeply emotional on so many levels obviously.

And again, the final duel added more context to Obi-Wan's line in ANH "A young Jedi named Darth Vader, who was a pupil of mine until he turned to evil, helped the Empire hunt down and destroy the Jedi Knights. He betrayed and murdered your father."

I know some fans don't feel OWK was necessary and that's okay. Personally, I feel the showrunners added and enhanced ANH in such a respectful and loving way that I almost feel OWK should be one-and-done if not for my desire to see Ewan's Obi-Wan more in SW.

 

It hasnt really. It doesn’t really feel canon.

Except maybe seeing the voices flip back and forth does kind of help me see Christensen in the suit in the OT.