Spoiler Warning: Obi-Wan Kenobi Season OneDisney Plus' Obi-Wan Kenobi is simply ending too fast. It has taken some time for the story to really get into a groove, and we have only seen one confrontation between the former Jedi and his old padawan. Though it was quite satisfying, it did lack the emotional depth that we are craving to see between these two one-time brothers.
It seems as though everything is sand-speeding toward an explosive conclusion, one of the first known battles between the Empire and the blossoming rebellion, probably to take place on Alderaan. Still, we were just getting into the characters we thought we knew so well! It can't end so suddenly, not unless a lot happens in a brief period of time. Even still, the fans want more.
Obi-Wan Kenobi has so much potential to dig into these characters. They have been changed so profoundly by the events in their lives. It's like watching completely different people. Who are Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker now? Forget about breakout star Vivien Lyra Blair's performance as the spunky young Princess Leia, which is too heart-rending to end here. Here is our case for why the series should continue!
Ewan McGregor & Hayden Christensen Are on Board
McGregor and Christensen, who share a real-life bond after all their work on the prequels, are both interested in coming back as their characters for a second season. While it's vital not to overdo their stories, it's also important to fully flesh out these performers' legacies as these iconic archetypes. Six episodes of one series, especially considering how long it is taking for the story, the dynamic, and the drama to build will only two episodes to go, is not enough to accomplish this.
Hayden Christensen has said he would be interested in a show just about Vader, something that could be fascinating. Moses Ingram's Reva/Third Sister could potentially be a part of such a show as an evil Ahsoka Tano, so to speak, if she survives Obi-Wan Kenobi, that is. Ingram's strong performance as the embittered and ruthless former Jedi is far too captivating to end here.
Obi-Wan and Anakin/Vader have the opportunity to come to some kind of rough understanding, an agreement that, someday, one will kill the other, or the unspoken decision that Anakin will let Obi-Wan go on the condition that he yields to his fate upon their next meeting. The writers will also need to decide on whether they will keep Vader's having no knowledge that Leia is his daughter canon, but that secret alone could create lots of watchable tension. Will Leia even meet Lord Vader? It seems likely that a confrontation between them will take place, even though they may not discover each other's real identities.
And finally, let's not forget all the other Jedi referenced that we are waiting for. Samuel L. Jackson is willing to return to the Star Wars franchise, something that could potentially shake the foundations of the Earth with its awesomeness. Finally, Qui-Gon Jinn, name-dropped several times by Obi-Wan, could appear as a Force ghost. The prequels were so important to a generation, and the actors, and the audience, deserve to revel in that recognition for a bit longer.
Young Princess Leia's Story Can't End Here
Disney should consider a season two, even if only because the young Princess Leia storyline is too important to be confined to one, six-episode miniseries. As Leia grows up, a Kenobi series could follow her as much as Obi-Wan. Were Disney to expand on the Star Wars' Princess rise from Imperial royal to elite rebel spy, it could pave the way for a variety of backstory exploration for this relatively underutilized character, and Obi-Wan Kenobi is just the show to at least lead into such a plot. We know every single thought, feeling, and event that Luke Skywalker, Leia's symbolic male counterpart, has processed since the beginning of his story. Not so with Leia Skywalker.
Throughout the originals and the J. J. Abrams sequel trilogy, Leia is pretty much just there. She was Luke's crush, Han's love interest, suddenly Luke's sister, and then she is Kylo Ren's mother and the galaxy's final hope. The Obi-Wan Kenobi series has reminded us we have never gotten to see Princess Leia's history or inner workings up close, opening the door for a continuation that functions somewhat as a "secret life of Princess Leia" expose, sort of like what Rebels 2 is doing. We could see her function as a diplomat and her transition into something far more dangerous. We could learn who her role models were besides her parents, and who her friends were if she had any love interests before she met Han Solo. Maybe she has a type.
Continuations of Young Leia's story needn't be confined to pre-A New Hope times, either. We want to know what happens to Leia that makes her decide to become a Rebel. What did she see or experience that motivated her to use her talents? When did her parents find out, or did her father encourage her to undermine the Empire in the first place?
However, filling in her backstory could go beyond. How did she process the destruction of Alderaan, her home, after the Death Star destroyed it? Leia never got to interact with her father, knowing who he was, and did not get to be a part of his redemption. How did she feel about this? Leia quickly became a mother after the Empire was destroyed. What was that like?
In sum, the possibilities are endless for a continuation of Obi-Wan Kenobi, which should at least set up the spinoffs for the things we want to see. We look forward to seeing the series conclusion and the hopeful announcement that it's not quite over yet!