The wait was excruciating. The years took a toll on the actor as well as the desperate fanbase. But, finally, the world once again had the opportunity to see Ewan McGregor suit up as the Jedi Master. Did McGregor’s incarnation of the character finally grow more into Alec Guinness’ original zen Jedi? Could McGregor still convincingly infuse Obi-Wan with the energy that threaded his younger self with the elderly man we first saw rescuing Luke on Tatooine? The Obi-Wan Kenobi series proved that Ewan McGregor had so much more to show audiences as the character, and we were gifted with several incredible scenes that have instantly become iconic. Here are our picks for the best scenes and moments in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series on Disney+.
8. The Tomb of the Jedi
As Obi-Wan rushes to rescue Leia for the second time—this time, after she’s been captured by Reva in the lair of the Inquisitors—he stumbles across a strange room. Inside, Obi-Wan finds the bodies of countless Jedi that met their end when the Empire ordered a brutal culling against his kind. The horror on Obi-Wan’s face, mixed with fear of what will happen to Leia if he doesn’t reach her in time, sees Obi-Wan put aside his anger over the slaughter to get to the feisty princess. However, when looking back at the series, the Tomb of the Jedi is a moment that shows how cruel the Inquisitors can be and how they’ll mercilessly kill any Jedi they come across.
7. Obi-Wan Finds Leia
After Obi-Wan is recruited by Bail Organa to find the kidnapped Leia, he leaves Tatooine for the first time and heads for Daiyu. Once there, we find an Obi-Wan who hasn’t used the Force in some time, a man broken by the horrors of Order 66, a Jedi frightened of being discovered by the Inquisitors who hunt throughout the galaxy. He’s far from the Obi-Wan who first arrived on Tatooine to give Luke to his aunt and uncle. However, he still finds Leia and brutally puts her captors down, proves to her that he isn’t there to harm her, then forms a bond with Leia that will endure.
6. Third Sister Tries to Kill Darth Vader
When the heartbreaking truth about Reva comes to light in a conversation with Obi-Wan, we all realize that her primary motive isn’t to serve the Sith Lord. It’s to kill him. When Obi-Wan and Reva hatch a plan to lure Darth Vader to the bay where Obi-Wan and the refugees are holed up, she has her shot at killing Darth Vader when he least suspects it. Unfortunately, Darth Vader long knew about Reva’s past as a Jedi youngling who survived Order 66 at the temple, and the sheer might of the Sith Lord disposes of Reva without mercy—despite her best efforts to kill the man who slaughtered her friends.
5. Darth Vader Burns Obi-Wan
When a weakened Obi-Wan faces his former apprentice for the first time since he dismembered Anakin on Mustafar, he’s clearly no match for the powerful Sith Lord. Darth Vader pushes his former master Kenobi backwards, ignites the floor using flammable stones, then uses the Force to drag Kenobi through the fire and burn him horribly in the process. The moment is tough to watch as Darth Vader exacts revenge on Obi-Wan for his own disfigurement years earlier, all while Obi-Wan screams in pain. Fortunately, Obi-Wan is rescued by Tala and escapes Darth Vader’s clutches with his life.
4. Darth Vader and the Emperor
After the epic conclusion of Obi-Wan and Darth Vader’s showdown, we find Vader back in his castle on Mustafar speaking with his master—a scene that includes a surprising and delightful cameo by Ian McDiarmid, who reprises his role as Emperor Palpatine. But the conversation is more than just a nod of fan service. Darth Vader is once again agitated by his loss at the hands of Kenobi and swears to locate the Jedi using probes to track the systems. However, the Emperor pushes back on this idea and asks Vader why he seems agitated by Kenobi’s disappearance. Accepting that he must obey his master, the Sith sits back and affirms his commitment to Palpatine: “Kenobi means nothing.”
3. Obi-Wan Meets Luke Skywalker
The Star Wars saga started with Obi-Wan offering to guide Luke as a Jedi after the deaths of Owen and Beru, showing Luke that there was a better way to fight against the tyranny of the Empire. That’s why seeing the Jedi Master and the boy meet for the first time is a moment that means an awful lot to Star Wars fans. As Obi-Wan agrees to keep his distance from the farm, Owen shows a rare moment of thanks towards Obi-Wan and allows him to meet Luke for the first time, ending with the mighty Jedi saying his iconic phrase to the boy: “Hello there.”
2. Qui-Gon Jinn Returns
The Star Wars prequel trilogy, which aged like wine compared to the sequel trilogy, gave us a handful characters who were greatly adored by fans. One such character was Obi-Wan’s master Qui-Gon Jinn. Liam Neeson’s Jedi—who was slain by Darth Maul at the end of The Phantom Menace—continues to be loved by fans to this day, particularly because he’s been willing to return as a voice in projects here and there even if we couldn’t see him physically in the role. But in Obi-Wan Kenobi, after Obi-Wan’s journey is complete, we got to celebrate a special moment as Liam Neeson’s Jedi Master appears as a Force Ghost to his apprentice. Marked with his signature wisdom, Qui-Gon tells Obi-Wan that he’s always been with him.
1. The Rematch
After Obi-Wan’s first encounter with Darth Vader, we get to witness a rematch at the climax of the series—a rematch that sees Obi-Wan Kenobi with his full strength restored. The 17-year-wait was worth it, as Obi-Wan and Darth Vader face off once again—and, once again, Obi-Wan defeats his padawan in battle. The moment Obi-Wan strikes Vader’s helmet and reveals part of Anakin’s face is a visceral jolt in a beautiful fight sequence, which sees Obi-Wan tearfully apologize to Anakin for his failings as master. The entire scene is one that’ll forever stand as one of the saga’s best moments, with Obi-Wan finally absolved of guilt over Anakin’s death. Read next: Why Obi-Wan Kenobi is the greatest Jedi of all time
