Kenobi episodes 1 and 2 have debuted on Disney Plus, with the new Star Wars series already tinkering with the previously existing canon by having Obi-Wan leave Tattooine on a new adventure. However, one major moment in the show has potentially huge ramifications for Star Wars, potentially retconning the Rebels animated series in the process.
WARNING: Spoilers for Kenobi episodes 1 and 2 below.
How the Kenobi Grand Inquisitor death might retcon Star Wars Rebels
At the end of Kenobi episode 2, we see the death of the Grand Inquisitor at the hands of the new villain Reva. The “Third Sister” is on the cusp of capturing Obi-Wan before the Grand Inquisitor intervenes, with her then taking him down before Kenobi manages to escape with the young Leia Organa.
The Grand Inquisitor may not be familiar to those who have only followed the live-action Star Wars films and series, but he’s a big part of the Rebels animated series, being ordered by Darth Vader to hunt down the remaining Jedi and the “children of the Force,” including the shows’ protagonists Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger.
Star Wars Rebels takes place between the years 5–0 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin), while Kenobi takes place around 9 BBY, ten years following the events of Revenge of the Sith. This means that the Grand Inquisitor’s death taking place before the events of Rebels would effectively remove him from the animated series, causing huge problems with the show’s continuity and possibly indicating that it will be retconned altogether.
Considering that Rebels is one of the most beloved Star Wars properties for fans, and that it was believed the show would have major ties to the upcoming Ahsoka live-action TV series, seeing the Grand Inquisitor die was certainly a shock. But is he really dead?
Did the Grand Inquisitor really die in Kenobi?
The Grand Inquisitor certainly looks dead by the end of episode 2, lying face up with his eyes open after taking a lightsaber through the stomach. Still, we’ve seen Star Wars villains survive worse, including Darth Maul being chopped in half. This means that the Grand Inquisitor isn’t necessarily dead, even if he appears to be just that.
When the Grand Inquisitor dies in Rebels, he says: “There are far worse things than death.” The series’ executive producer Dave Filoni explained this line in an interview with StarWars.com, saying: “The Inquisitor chose death because it was easier than facing the penalty for his failure. He’s afraid of Vader and knows he would probably die at his hand.” However, this could also work for his character arc in Kenobi, with him possibly being resurrected by way of some Sith magic and forced to continue living.
We already know something similar happened to the Inquisitor following his death in Rebels, with it being revealed in Charles Soule’s Star Wars comics that Vader prevented his spirit from moving on, permanently torturing him in the process. So while his final line in Rebels may have seemed prophetic, it may have actually been the Grand Inquisitor speaking from experience, if he is resurrected after the events of Kenobi episode 2.
Or there could be a more simple explanation for it and the Grand Inquisitor we see in Rebels is different from the one we see in Kenobi. While the live-action character certainly looks similar to his animated counterpart, there are certainly distinguishing features — the latter’s face is much narrower, for starters, and the distinguishing marks around his eyes are far clearer.
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, it was also revealed that the Grand Inquisitor actor Rupert Friend didn’t watch Rebels to prepare for the role, wanting to instead be “faithful to the spirit of the character without doing a kind of impression of anybody else’s interpretation.” Friend’s comments were controversial among Star Wars fans who believed that the actor should have stayed true to the character, but if the Inquisitor we see in Kenobi isn’t the same one we see in Rebels, this quote would arguably make more sense.
Or it could be that Disney’s plans for the future of Star Wars will play it fast and loose with the existing canon, and the Grand Inquisitor’s death signifies that we should expect the unexpected when it comes to future films and shows. We’ll have to wait and see how the rest of Kenobi plays out before we make a judgment call.
In other news, Star Wars fans were surprised to see Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea in the new show, while we also detailed the Star Wars films and shows to also watch while binging Kenobi.
