What will the inevitable Obi-Wan Kenobi movie be about? Will he stay on Tatooine or will he go off world? I just recently listened to the audio book of Kenobi by John Jackson Miller, and I have a few ideas about what I'd like to see in a Kenobi movie. Read on for more…
So in John Jackson Miller’s Kenobi, we see an Obi-Wan who has recently arrived on Tatooine. A man who is getting used to being alone. A man trying to explore the Force and connect to his former master, Qui-Gon Jinn and a man feeling the intense loss after the events of Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The Sith. These are some of the things id like to keep, albeit in a slightly different form.
Here is what id like to see…
The cold open should be the closing scene of Star Wars Episode III Revenge Of The Sith reshot with the original actors. Obi-Wan handing over baby Luke to Owen and Beru, before riding off on his eopie (kind of a Tatooine horse). I'm not sure howling we should spend with Obi-Wan in the cold open, perhaps long enough to see him in his home, the small abode we see in Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope. Maybe even a scene of him trying to reach deep into the living Force to reach Qui-Gon. Then we cut to the opening logo…
After the logo, we need to introduce some new old characters. Maybe Bail Organa, which would be a great excuse to get Jimmy Smits back into the movies. This could take place on Coruscant and give us a peek into the Empire some years after the events of Revenge of the Sith. I'd suggest ten years feels like a nice amount of time to elapse, but that would be dictated by some of the other characters I'd like to include. If ten years passes then Ahsoka Tano will have been working with Bail Organa as Fulcrum for some time. I'd suggest Ahsoka would ask Bail for Kenobi’s location so that she can reach out to him for assistance in addressing the Emperors Jedi Purge.
Sith Inquisitor
Every Star Wars movie needs a cool villain and if they sport a red lightsaber, all the better. This is where I'd enjoy a little fan service. I would live to see Starkiller brought into canon as a Sith Inquisitor, hell bent on taking down a high-value Jedi target in order to impress Darth Vader. Maybe we will get to see Vader via hologram, or maybe he only allows the Inquisitors to talk withVaneé at this point in time. Starkiller heads out into the galaxy to hunt some Jedi and heads to Coruscant.
At some point, Starkiller will need to become aware of Ahsoka and her place in relation to the Jedi. He follows her as she seeks out Obi-Wan.
When we head back to Tatooine we meet an Obi-Wan Kenobi, now very comfortable in his new life as Ben Kenobi, as he helps some local farmers chase off some invading Tusken Raiders. I have this image of a rugged looking Ben Kenobi in utility clothing, riding his eopie at speed across the desert, blaster rifle slung over his back, working alongside the farmers from the area, including Owen. The two men are close, good friends who trust each other. This will give us an opportunity to see a happy Obi-Wan. A man who has found a place he belongs.
Then a mysterious outlander starts to ask around about Kenobi.
Ben, fearing the worst goes in search of the mysterious visitor from off world and encounters a cloaked and hooded figure in a bar in a local town (Mos Eisley or Mos Espa seem a nice fit). The cloaked stranger soon reveals herself to be Ahsoka and the two old friends are reunited after years apart. Ahsoka visits Kenobi at home and pleads with him to return with her and help establish the Rebellion with Bail Organa. Obi-Wan will not reveal why he is on Tatooine but simply tells her that he has taken the Barash Vow and will only return when the time is right. At some point Owen should arrive at Ben’s home, thinking his friend is in danger. Ben introduces Ahsoka to Owen and all head to the Lars homestead to eat. Ahsoka meets a young Luke and plays with the child whilst the group of friends eat and trade stories of simple life on Tatooine.
On the ride back to Ben’s home, Ahsoka reveals that she sensed who the boy was and understands why Obi-Wan must stay. She asks Ben to share what happened to Anakin. Ben tell’s her that he killed her former master on Mustafar because he had fallen to the dark side. This will add weight to the moment where Ahsoka learns of Vader’s true identity. She will long to tell Obi-Wan the truth about Anakin. We should see the Skywalker lightsaber, and he should show that to Ahsoka as if to prove that their friend is in fact dead.
When Ahsoka tries once more to convince Ben to return with her, and she mentions the Emperor’s purge and Darth Vader, we should get the impression that Obi-Wan realises this Sith Lord is Anakin.
Then another mysterious visitor arrives on Tatooine…
When Starkiller arrives in pursuit of Ahsoka, he should leave a trail of bodies in his wake. Word travels across the wastes to the homesteads, and Owen once more rides out to help his friend, Ben Kenobi.
When Starkiller arrives in the desert to confront Ahsoka, it should be a call back to Star Wars Visionaries. When Maul tracks Obi-Wan to the Lars homestead and realises there is more hidden in the desert than just the old Jedi. In this movie, we should first get the reveal that Starkiller is on the trail of Ahsoka and the presence of Obi-Wan Kenobi is simply a bonus. Ahsoka will use the Force and her white bladed lightsabers to engage the Inquisitor. Ben and Owen watch on as the two do battle, Starkiller taunting Obi-Wan as they fight.
It's not until Starkiller senses an extraordinary presence in the Force that Ben is provoked. Starkiller reveals that he knows the presence is the son of Anakin Skywalker, a powerful gift for his Emperor. Owen enters the fight with his blasters, showing no fear, just fury as he defends his “son” from this fearsome warrior. Pushed to his limit, Ben ignites his lightsaber and joins Ahsoka in during the highly skilled warrior. Owen takes off on his speeder bike back to the homestead and Starkiller follows with Ben and Ahsoka in pursuit,
The fight resumes at the homestead where Beru takes young Luke to hide in the garage. Ultimately Obi-Wan, now complexity enraged, gets the better of the Sith Inquisitor and ultimately kills him right next to the entrance to Owen and Beru’s home.
Furious that Ben could have brought this Sith Inquisitor to their home, Owen tells Ben never to return and banishes him from Luke’s life. This could be made to tie into the events of the comic books and take place prior to the great drought that had Obi-Wan protecting the Lars from Jabba the Hutt’s men, in secret. An act that would lead to Owen insisting Obi-Wan keep his distance.
Ahsoka, keen to return to the Rebellion and inform Bail about the Inquisitor, makes one last attempt to recruit Obi-Wan to the cause. He refuses, asking her never to return.
When the movie ends we should witness Obi-Wan connect with Qui-Gon through the Force. Qui-Gon reassuring Obi-Wan that Luke is safe and Ben must remain a distant guardian for the child, that he has a great destiny.
I think a movie like this would allow Obi-Wan to remain on Tatooine throughout, but can still have some high stakes for the characters. It will allow for the live action introduction of Ahsoka Tano and explain how Ben fell out of favour with Owen. It will allow for some clarification about who knew Anakin was Vader, how Obi-Wan mastered the living Force and it introduces the concept of the Inquisitors so we can hold back Vader for the later films.
Thank you for reading,