Obi-Wan Kenobi Finally Gives A Famous Star Wars Locale Time In The Spotlight

Aside from a brief drop-in at the end of "Star Wars: Episode III – The Revenge of the Sith," fans of George Lucas' franchise haven't seen much of Princess Leia's adopted planet of Alderaan. If your fandom goes no further than the movies and the Disney+ television shows, it's nothing more than, per Leia, a "peaceful" planet devoid of weaponry.

This changed today when Disney+ released the first two episodes of its hotly anticipated "Obi-Wan Kenobi" show. We've now been to Alderaan, and we can confidently say that it is, if nothing else, a helluva lot more scenic than Tatooine. Then again, Tatooine makes East St. Louis look like Shangri-La.

The planet that is destined to be blasted to smithereens by Grand Moff Tarkin is — at least in the chunks we get to see of it in the new series — a verdant environment rich with snow-capped mountains. It's every bit as peaceful as Leia claimed. Alas, her presence on the planet attracts the villainous attention of galactic bounty hunter Vect Nokru (The Red Hot Chili Peppers' bassist Flea). Leia is kidnapped in the first episode and whisked off to the planet of Daiyu, which forces Obi-Wan to retrieve his lightsaber and rescue the daughter of his former protégé.

It's assumed Leia will eventually find her way back to Alderaan because, well, it's more of a way station than a home for her at this juncture. You don't have to live in one place for a long time to not want to see it vaporized, but it'd also be strange if the "Star Wars" creative team had zero future plans for a location vital to the series' lore.

If you're familiar with the Star Wars video games, you know a great deal more about Alderaan than most of us movie-and-TV-watching normies. It is a near-Utopia. According to Bail Organa (played by Jimmy Smits in the prequel trilogy), Alderaan is a "planet of beauty. Nature, poetry, philosophy, art, couture, cuisine — we freely share all with all." Sounds like a party. It's a shame that Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin decided to use it for target practice. In any event, soak up every second spent on Alderaan in this series because, like the McRib, it is here for a limited time.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi" and the peace-loving people of Alderaan currently await your company on Disney+.