How ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Is Fixing 'Star Wars' Plot Holes While Developing New Galaxy Lore

Thus far, Obi-Wan Kenobi has seen no shortage of intensity, surprises and emotional nostalgia — along with a lot of lore for fans to unpack.

How ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Is Fixing ‘Star Wars’ Plot Holes While Developing New Galaxy Lore

Ewan McGregor in ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi.’Courtesy of Disney+/Lucasfilm

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Thus far, Obi-Wan Kenobi has seen no shortage of intensity, surprises and emotional nostalgia — along with a lot of lore and Easter eggs for fans to unpack.

And despite the fact most viewers know how it all ends — Darth Vader and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s iconic final showdown in Star Wars: Episode IV — the Disney+ miniseries has fans on the edge of their seats, anxiously waiting to see what Easter egg or character cameo is coming next. One thing is for sure — as Obi-Wan Kenobi begins to tie together the untold years between the prequels and the original trilogy, each newly introduced plot point comes with a purpose. Let’s explore.

First things first, we meet a young Princess Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) in the first episode of the series, which premiered May 27. When Leia is kidnapped (as a means to lure Obi-Wan to Darth Vader’s Inquisitors), Senator Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) begs his old Jedi friend to help rescue his adopted daughter. As heart-melting and tear-jerking as it was to watch Obi-Wan interact with Padme and Anakin’s daughter, the journey also fills in one of the long-discussed plot holes left behind in A New Hope. When Leia sends a message with R2-D2, pleading for Obi-Wan Kenobi’s help in the rebellion, it left fans wondering: How did Leia Organa know Ben Kenobi if the Jedi master spent the last two decades in hiding on Tatooine to watch over Luke?

The premise of the first three episodes — as Obi-Wan rescues Leia in an attempt to return her to Alderaan — show that Leia not only knows Ben Kenobi’s true identity but that the princess owes her life to him. So far, she’s seen him use the Force, single-handedly fight off groups of Stormtroopers and maneuver the pair of them across the galaxy, all while being hunted by Vader’s ruthless Inquisitors.

Wednesday’s third episode marked the halfway point for the miniseries, with Obi-Wan Kenobi continuing to feed fans with long-awaited lore. One such moment occurred in the latest episode upon meeting Tala (Indira Varma). The disillusioned imperial officer uses her position to bring Jedis to safety across the galaxy. It’s in this instance that a young Leia witnesses the rebellion in action for the first time.

While Tala may not be specifically working with the Rebel Alliance, Leia clearly takes a fondness to the double agent, as Blair’s character continuously evokes the spirit of the legendary Carrie Fisher. While the desire for a young Leia backstory has been well-satisfied, fans hope to see how the princess ultimately finds herself joining the rebellion.

Enter the Inquisitors. In addition to the satisfying tie-ins, callbacks and intense moments of the first episodes, viewers were left wondering about a potential continuity flaw at the end of episode two. Star Wars Rebels fans likely asked, “Is the Grand Inquisitor [Rupert Friend] truly dead?” Despite Reva (Moses Ingram) striking down the Grand Inquisitor in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the character previously served as the main antagonist throughout season one of Dave Filoni’s animated series — which is set to take place five years later.

If the events of Obi-Wan Kenobi leave the Grand Inquisitor out of future storylines, fans might assume that Rebels season one would no longer be considered canon. However, with the appearance of several fan-favorite Rebels characters, such as Ezra Bridger, Hera Syndulla and Sabine Wren, in the Ahsoka teaser shown at Star Wars Celebration, it’s likely that the Grand Inquisitor will be making a return. As we’ve seen with the survival of Vader, along with Darth Maul’s comeback after being sliced in two or Palpatine’s return in The Rise of Skywalker, it’s clear that those who are strong with the Dark Side of the Force have the ability to withstand what should otherwise be a fatal end.

After taking out the Grand Inquisitor (for the time being), Reva also revealed the shocking news to Obi-Wan that Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) is alive, now fully transformed into Lord Vader. Although this answers the question of how Obi-Wan learned of Anakin’s survival after Mustafar, it left fans asking how Reva came to know Darth Vader’s true identity as Anakin Skywalker — something that was previously believed not to be common knowledge. It’s a safe bet this will be addressed in the three remaining episodes, as viewers learn more about Reva’s intricate backstory.

The series’ third episode also name-dropped a character from Star Wars: The Clone Wars — Quinlan Vos. Although some may remember Quinlan from the prequel films, the Jedi played a much greater role in the Clone Wars series, garnering significant fan appeal for his morally gray, loose-cannon nature. While hiding out with Tala on Mapuzo, Obi-Wan sees Quinlan’s writings carved on the walls, reading: “Only when the eyes are closed can you truly see.”

Quinlan is also known for his unique Force ability of psychometry — seeing the memories of others when he touches an object they have also touched. With that power in his arsenal, the Jedi is an expert tracker, in addition to being versed in certain aspects of the Dark Side. When the end of episode three leaves Obi-Wan, Leia and Tala in a precarious position, perhaps help from a Jedi like Vos is in store. It’s rumored that O’Shea Jackson Jr. — who is confirmed to make an appearance in the series — will bring Vos to life, meaning we may see an appearance from the character soon enough.

Obi-Wan Kenobi streams new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.