Where does Obi-Wan Kenobi land on the Star Wars timeline?

When does the Obi-Wan Kenobi series take place in Star Wars canon?

Obi-Wan is one of the original Star Wars heroes, portrayed by legendary thespian Alec Guinness in Star Wars: A New Hope. However, chronologically we meet him as Qui-Gon Jinn’s Jedi apprentice in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace. The younger version is played by Ewan McGregor, who became the face of the franchise while the prequel trilogy was taking the box office by storm in the late 1990s/early 2000s.

Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan discover Anakin Skywalker as a boy in The Phantom Menace. When Master Qui-Gon falls at the hands of Darth Maul, Obi-Wan mentors the force sensitive child. Years later, the pair are two of the most capable Jedis and become key leaders in the Clone Wars, as seen in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones and The Clone Wars animated series.

It’s in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith where their bond is tested as Anakin is seduced by the dark side. Obi-Wan originally thinks that Anakin perished on Mustafar, yet the Emperor transforms him into Darth Vader. In the timeline, the cartoon Star Wars: The Bad Batch directly follows Revenge of the Sith’s Order 66, with Solo being the next feature film in continuity, although Obi-Wan is nowhere to be found in either.

That leads us to the new Disney Plus limited series, again led by the exquisite McGregor. The opening scene of Obi-Wan Kenobi drops us back in on the Jedi massacre as some younglings desperately escape Order 66. Then the main story in Obi-Wan Kenobi fast forwards to 10 years after those events. It’s in this show that Kenobi learns that Anakin is still alive and has been reborn as Darth Vader.

Spoilers ahead of Obi-Wan Kenobi

But, before the old friends meet again in episode 3, Kenobi is hunted by Vader’s Inquisitors, who were an integral part of the animated series Star Wars Rebels.

The Grand Inquisitor was the predominant villain in the first season, which occurs years after the latest Disney Plus series. Perplexingly, he is betrayed by Third Sister in Obi-Wan Kenobi’s sophomore chapter, and she seemingly slays him. So, either the Grand Inquisitor survived a saber to the abdomen or this is Star Wars most clumsy, irresponsible continuity flaw the franchise has ever committed.

Kenobi also pops up in Star Wars Rebels, and runs away with the most memorable episode of the show’s entire run, “Twin Suns”, where he has a rematch with a another Sith; Darth Maul. Kenobi would later meet his fate against Vader in A New Hope, but would stick around for the entire original trilogy, in the form of a force ghost.

Where the Obi-Wan Kenobi fits in the Star Wars timeline

Aside from Obi-Wan Kenobi serving as an exemplary autonomous Star Wars project for a fan favorite character, it also fills in a few gaps that may not have seemed necessary, but unquestionably make for entertaining viewing. And, that not only goes for the eponymous hero; the show builds a gratifying supplementary narrative around young Luke and Leia and it deepens the devotion the Jedi has to the Skywalker twins, especially the little princess (from what we have seen in the first half the series).

The show effectively builds a sturdy bridge for Kenobi between the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy and would certainly enhance the viewing experience if one were to watch the movies and shows in sequential order.

Currently, this is how the Star Wars chronology roughly lines up:

• The Phantom Menace
• Attack of the Clones
• The Clone Wars
• Revenge of the Sith
• The Bad Batch
• Solo
• Obi-Wan Kenobi
• Rebels
• Rogue One
• A New Hope
• The Empire Strikes Back
• Return of the Jedi
• The Mandalorian
• The Book of Boba Fett
• Resistance (season 1)
• The Force Awakens
• The Last Jedi
• Resistance (season 2)
• The Rise of Skywalker

After its two-part Disney+ premiere on Friday, May 27th, Obi-Wan Kenobi releases new episodes on Wednesdays.

What do you think of Obi-Wan Kenobi so far? Are you excited for the second half of limited series? Let us know in the comments below.