New Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer teases a confrontation with Darth Vader

A new Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer has arrived, featuring the Jedi Master fending off bounty hunters and getting ready for a confrontation against the Empire.

Ewan McGregor’s Ben Kenobi is returning to the big screen in Obi-Wan Kenobi, a new Disney+ series set 10 years after 2005’s Revenge of the Sith. The show picks up with the former Jedi Master hiding in Tatooine, secretly watching over Luke Skywalker and his aunt and uncle.

His exile, however, comes to an end when he’s forced to take on the Empire, its dreaded Sith Inquisitors and his former apprentice, Darth Vader. May 4 is Star Wars Day, and to commemorate it, Disney and Lucasfilm have released a new trailer for Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Watch the new Obi-Wan Kenobi trailer

The trailer features many notable moments, one of which is Uncle Owen telling Obi-Wan he doesn’t want him anywhere near Luke. The trailer also shows the former Jedi Master facing off against different bounty hunters, using a blaster and hand-to-hand combat to defend himself. It’s easy to forget given their proclivity for lightsabers, but Jedi are also skilled fighters, so it’s exciting to see those elements more prominently in live-action.

Lastly, the final moments of the footage presented tease the presence of Darth Vader, as he’s shown having his armor put on him as Kenobi looks on ominously.

Trailers usually splice together moments from different scenes to make them look like they’re part of the same sequence. As such, it’s possible the Darth Vader and Obi-Wan shots are from different parts of the show. Regardless, it teases Kenobi and Vader’s long-awaited reunion, which will likely be quite memorable.

A new poster for the show was also released. It features Obi-Wan with Darth Vader in the background, holding his lightsaber.

Returning to the Dark Side

In a way, Obi-Wan Kenobi is a second chance for Hayden Christensen, whose journey as Anakin Skywalker got off to a rocky start with 2002’s Attack of the Clones. The actor’s take on the future baddie received heavy backlash from the Star Wars fan community, with most of the criticism aimed at the way his role had been written.

This was understandably difficult for Christensen, who told Entertainment Weekly:

"“When the [prequel] films came out and the critics were very critical, of course that was a difficult thing — because you care so much about this thing that you’ve invested so much of yourself into. So, for sure, that’s challenging.”"

Fortunately, Star Wars has been reinvigorated. Over the years, Lucasfilm and Disney have somewhat flipped the public’s perception of the prequels by using elements from them as the basis for projects that have gone on to become lauded, such as Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch.

Due to this, what was old is now new, and, as mentioned, Christensen has the opportunity to leave a new mark on Darth Vader’s legacy — something he is looking forward to. Also speaking with EW, he discussed what it was like to return to the part after over a decade away from the Galaxy Far, Far Away:

"“It was mostly a lot of excitement because I had spent enough time with this character and felt like I knew him, and coming back to it felt very natural in a lot of ways. […] And I was just really excited to get to come in and play Darth Vader at this point in the timeline because it did feel like a natural continuation of your journey with the character. And that was very meaningful for me.”"

Being a man engulfed by the Dark Side yet troubled by his decisions, Darth Vader is one of Star Wars’ most fascinating characters. Having the actor that portrayed his fall from grace over the course of three films makes the villain’s return to the screen even more powerful.

The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi will premiere on May 27, 2022, exclusively on Disney Plus.

What did you think about the newest look at Obi-Wan Kenobi? What are you most excited about from the show? Let us know in the comments!