Obi-Wan can’t use the Force at the start of Obi-Wan Kenobi confirms Ewan McGregor. Previously McGregor had hinted that his powers were rusty and unused, however he never outright said the Force was closed off to him. Until that is, McGregor appeared at last week’s Obi-Wan Kenobi Press Conference, at which LRM were in attendance. Star McGregor was talking about where we find Obi-Wan Kenobi at the beginning of the show which debut’s this Friday on Disney+.
“I think because of what happens at the end of Episode III, Revenge of the Sith. That’s what it’s called. Yeah. Yeah. At the end of the third episode, you know, the Jedi order are all but destroyed and those who aren’t killed have gone into hiding and they can’t communicate with one another. So, for 10 years or if it’s been 10 years, for 10 years, OBI-WAN has been in hiding. He can’t communicate with any of his old comrades and he’s living a pretty solitary life. [He’s not able to use the Force.]”
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“So, in a way, he’s lost his faith. It’s like somebody who’s stepped away from their religion or something, if you like. And the only responsibility to his past life is looking over Luke Skywalker who he’s delivered to — we see at the end of Episode III — to Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. So, that’s his only sort of link to his past. So, it was interesting to take a character that we know and love from Alec Guinness’ creation of the character in the seventies of this wise, sage-like, spiritual man. And then, the work that I did in Episode I to III from the padawan, from the student to the Jedi to somebody’s who’s sitting on the Jedi council, you know, to take that OBI-WAN and take him to this more sort of broken place was really interesting to do.”
It’s interesting that Kenobi would become completely detached from the Force. Perhaps instead of training, like Yoda told him, he sulked and got depressed in those 10 years? That’s certainly an aspect of Kenobi we have never seen before, but of course it does provide a character arc. I’m sure by the end of Obi-Wan Kenobi the character will be more familiar to the Alec Guinness version from A New Hope. The wise, aged, and powerful Jedi Master. But good arcs make good drama, so I’m all for building Kenobi towards that goal in the show.
Inspired by The Last Jedi?
Perhaps the idea to shut oneself off from the Force actually came from Luke in The Last Jedi. Before that, outside of the old EU there was nothing to suggest this was even possible in the canon. However it does perhaps settle an argument between my The Cantina co-host and friend Kyle Malone and I. Kyle felt Obi-Wan would have sensed the presence of Vader and that he’d be less peeved by it if Obi-Wan had shut himself off from the Force. I myself had a different point of view in that the Jedi struggle to sense the Darkside. However here we are.
I wouldn’t go quite as far as to suggest this answers Kyle’s other concerns. Specifically about why Obi-Wan wasn’t up to date on the state of the Galaxy? Kenobi would have heard the name Darth Vader, if he was keeping up with Galactic news. Though perhaps his state of mind would answer that question well enough to suspend disbelief? At the end of the day, Suspension of disbelief is essential to some degree in Star Wars. However push that too far, and the fans will let you know.
Obi-Wan Kenobi will be upon us this Friday. You better believe I’ll be reviewing both premiere episodes in written articles. Additionally on The Cantina Reviews with Kyle, and hopefully Shockey as well.
What do you think of the news that Obi-Wan can’t use the Force at the start of Obi-Wan Kenobi. any thoughts on Ewan McGregor’s comments? As always, leave them below, or jump over to our Discord to chat with LRM/GenreVerse staff, and some of our fellow geeks and gamers.
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