Could An Obi-Wan Kenobi Mid-Credits Scene Bring Back A Familiar Character?

Could it really be? The highly-anticipated Disney+ show, "Obi-Wan Kenobi," might be (re) introducing an iconic "Star Wars" anti-hero, Darth Vader/Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) in a mid-credits scene in one of the show's early episodes, as per a behind-the-scenes scoop report by Making Star Wars. It is no secret that Christensen will be reprising his role as Anakin/Darth Vader in "Obi-Wan Kenobi," and the actor recently expressed what "a great honor" it was to don the iconic suit and helmet after all these years.

And while this mid-credits scene has not been officially confirmed yet, this seems to be a viable piece of information as per a source who worked on the set of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" and claims to have seen the footage firsthand.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi" takes place 10 years after the events of "The Revenge of the Sith," following the titular ex-Jedi Knight (Ewan McGregor) going into exile with the intention of looking after a young Luke Skywalker (Grant Feely), who is living in Tatooine with his uncle and aunt.

While the series will mostly be following Obi-Wan's adventures, and his attempt to navigate his complex emotions after and during the Great Jedi Purge, we will also get a glimpse into the rise of Vader and his emerging position within the Empire. Keeping this in mind, it makes sense for the series to introduce him via a mid-credits scene, which will purportedly be placed towards the end of episode 2 of the show. As per the source, a series of events will lead to Obi-Wan crossing paths with a young Princess Leia, triggering the mid-credits scene in question.

Details of the scene are rumored to reveal a shot of Anakin/Vader waking in his Bacta tank, purportedly healing from the fatal injuries (chopped off limbs and almost burnt to a crisp) he suffered from at the end of "The Revenge of the Sith." The implication is that Vader is awakened in his tank after sensing the presence of his old master through a disturbance in the Force, which cannot be good news for anyone, especially a Jedi Master tasked with protecting two children from malevolent forces.

Given that he is not in his suit inside the tank, it is Anakin (in a certain sense) who is awakened, who must commit to his transformation into Vader in order to carry out his grand plans. Although one can argue that Anakin died on the planet of Mustafar, transformed by agony into Vader for good, this, of course, is not the case, as Anakin/Vader's arc and psyche is a complex one, innately driven by personal conflict with the Jedi Order, and Obi-wan, particularly. 

Although this mid-credits scene might or might not be in the actual series, it does make for a powerful introduction to a cornerstone character in the franchise, and it remains to be seen how the show tackles Anakin/Vader's arc in actuality. 

"Obi-Wan Kenobi" is set to premiere on Disney+ with two episodes on May 27, 2022.