Spoiler Alert: Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+
It's no secret that even with the vast history of movies and television shows made over the last hundred years, none of them have ever been perfect. No matter how good or bad a movie or tv show might be, there will always be somebody who feels the opposite way and will find arguments to support their feelings. That's just the byproduct of anything from the entertainment or creative world -- people will have differing opinions.
One such franchise that has embodied this is Star Wars, a universe that arguably reached the peak of its success back in 1977 and 1980 with the release of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. But then again, plenty of people would argue that we're currently living in the era of Star Wars' peak success due to the acclaim that the Disney+ shows have gotten recently.
Whatever the case may be, Star Wars is a franchise that will always be met with criticism and scrutiny due to the loyalty and passion of its fan base. The most recent victim of such judgment is Third Sister Reva (Moses Ingram) from the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. The Jedi-hunting Inquisitor has gotten more flack than anything else on the show, and while faults can be found in any performance, is it fair for the character to be met with such backlash?
Reva Lacks Depth as a Character
So what's the main issue with the character? In all honesty, only a few minor tweaks. Moses Ingram, who plays Third Sister, is phenomenal and is making the best out of the situation that she's been put in. That being said, the character she has been asked to play is somebody that no actress could bring to life for the screen because the character lacks depth.
Every scene that Reva appears in goes exactly the same way. She butts heads with anyone she comes in contact with and makes a point of rubbing people the wrong way. In short, characters need to be relatable and likable (even villains), and Reva isn't. If the audience doesn't connect to the villain on a personal level, her rage-induced antics are just seen as temper tantrums by an adult instead of justifiable inner pain.
So far through the series, Reva has done nothing but lie and contradict the orders of her superiors and is seemingly only doing so for personal gain. Not only is that unacceptable behavior by Sith standards (i.e., Vader would have killed her long ago), but it also means that the audience can't relate to her plight.
Reva's Dialogue Is Repetitive and Opposing
This ties into the reason stated above, but it's still just as important when describing how two-dimensional the character is. As already implied, Reva butts heads with all the other Inquisitors for no other reason than personal gain. The only person she seemingly shows respect toward in conversation is Darth Vader. But again, it's only so that she can obtain the role of Grand Inquisitor.
If Reva could go about this goal in a clever and witty manner, then the audience might be able to forgive the unrelatable attempt. Unfortunately, Reva isn't clever or witty. In fact, she's the complete opposite. Every line that comes out of Reva's mouth is just her saying the opposite of whatever one of the Sith or her combatants says. She tries to imply that she's wise or all-knowing just because she does the exact opposite of whatever she's told or expected to do. Not only does it make the character unlikable to just have her contradict every single thing being said to her, but it also makes her appear dull as she can't come up with a real thought on her own and has to piggyback off of whomever she's speaking to.
Is All The Hate Fair?
So, the main question is, does Third Sister deserve all this criticism for the character? In short, yes and no. Moses Ingram deserves zero hatred from the fans or critics. As we already stated, the character is still a loose cannon with a lightsaber, which makes her terrifying. The actress is doing an astounding job of embodying a non-Jedi.
That being said, the skepticism and judgment towards the character and how she's being written into the show is absolutely justifiable. With a franchise that has contained so many great antagonists, including one of the greatest of all time with Darth Vader, it shouldn't be too much for fans to ask to get the Sith right in a Star Wars project. So far, everything about Reva's character has embodied the exact opposite of how Sith usually act, and the audience can't seem to get behind it.
But with that in mind, Ingram is doing the best with what she's being given. Fans should focus on all the great aspects of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series (of which there are plenty) rather than hone in on one detail the creators got a little off. It's a big galaxy -- there are bound to be a few space speed bumps.