Everything The Obi-Wan Kenobi Concept Art Tells Us About The TV Series
As part of today's huge load of reveals for Disney+ Day, Lucasfilm unveiled a sneak peek at the upcoming "Obi-Wan Kenobi" TV series coming in 2022. In a short featurette, currently streaming on Disney+, a handful of concept art pieces unveiled our first look at the "Star Wars" project unfolding between the events of "Revenge of the Sith" and "A New Hope." Aside from containing gorgeous illustrations, the concept art revealed the return of Darth Vader, the debut of Inquisitors in live-action, and a rugged, western Jedi Master.
Hello There!
There's our hero, Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, and he's never been dustier. He looks like a Jedi cowboy, with a tattered cloak waving in the wind as he rides an eopie through the desert. Clearly this is Tatooine, where Obi-Wan has tasked himself with keeping an eye on a young Luke Skywalker (rumored to make an appearance in the show), who is in the hands of his Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru. The gear that the creature is saddled with is interested, because some of it appears to be technology of some kind, perhaps cooling or hydrating the eopie in the arid climate.
It looks like Obi-Wan Kenobi will be getting a little visit from some familiar bad guys. The Stormtroopers are instantly recognizable, but you might have to zoom in on that figure in black to see that a Sith Inquisitor appears to have arrived on Tatooine. Never seen in live-action form, these Jedi hunters are going to give Obi-Wan a run for his money. Based on the physique and the armor, I'm guessing that's the Seventh Sister, though I can't tell if that's a lightsaber in her hand or just a piece of her ship jutting out behind her.
But the entire series won't be taking place on Tatooine. In fact, it looks like Obi-Wan (or someone) will find themselves on what appears to be Coruscant. This looks like an underground market of some kind, perhaps where some shady dealings are going down. That's not the only other location either.
This seems to be a new location, or at least one that doesn't immediately look familiar. Though the color palette of the city in question could be another part of Tatooine, the ground looks wet, indicating that this place has seen some rain. We're bound to see at least a few new "Star Wars" locations, if only to expand the universe and change up what we're used to seeing.
Another intriguing location features a fleet of snowspeeders. This doesn't look like a super snowy environment, though the base itself appears to be built in some caverns that looks like they could be icy. If this isn't an arctic landscape, maybe these speeders were used easily across other environments before they were adapted for use on Hoth.
The Dark Side
The other pieces of concept art included in the featurette get a little more sinister. In this piece, Darth Vader sits in a throne within his fortress on Mustafar. He's communicating via hologram with someone, possibly Emperor Palpatine, but it's not entirely clear. It'll be interesting to see what Darth Vader is doing during this period. Is he actively seeking out Obi-Wan Kenobi? Is he even aware that Kenobi is alive?
What's the rest of the Empire up to? There's a stronghold of Stormtroopers pictured above. Is this somewhere on Coruscant? The size of this base would indicate that it's in a rather large structure, and the interiors resemble much of the Imperial architecture we've seen before. However, those huge windows make it appear as if the exterior is made of stone.
Finally, you might remember that last year, during Disney's huge investor day presentation, Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy promised the "rematch of the century" with Hayden Christensen reprising his role as Anakin Skywalker, now turned into Darth Vader. This piece of art shows Obi-Wan Kenobi clashing with his former apprentice as the environment burns around them. Could this be on an Imperial ship or maybe within Darth Vader's fortress? It brings to mind their battle among the lava and fire in "Revenge of the Sith." Can this battle rival their last encounter? Does it take away from their reunion in "A New Hope?"
"Obi-Wan Kenobi" is slated for release in 2022, exclusively on Disney+.