“Obi-Wan Kenobi”: Learn all about the character before the premiere

After 17 years away from the “Star Wars” universe, Ewan McGregor returns this week as our beloved bearded Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi .

But what was Master Kenobi doing when we last saw him? Do you have to watch several series and movies to know what’s going on? And what crumbs did Disney throw at the plot of “Obi-Wan Kenobi”?

If you’re as lost as C-3PO and R2-D2 were on the sandy planet Tatooine, fear not. Here’s everything you need to know before “Obi-Wan Kenobi” debuts next Friday (27th) on Disney+.

Yay, Obi-Wan is back! But where are we in the timeline?

“Obi-Wan Kenobi” is between the prequels and the original trilogy. Disney+ says the series takes place about 10 years after “Episode III: Revenge of the Sith,” which saw Obi-Wan go into hiding.

That means Luke and Leia are about 10 years old at this point in the “Star Wars” timeline, and Anakin is only a decade old as Darth Vader. Obi-Wan has his eye on Luke from afar, on his way to becoming “Old Ben”. (Although, to be fair to McGregor, his Obi-Wan is more of a “middle-aged and aging Ben Ben.”)

Uh, I forgot – what happened in the movies before this series?

Don’t have time to spend more than six hours watching these movies? Here’s a crash course on what Obi-Wan was doing in “Episodes I-II-III”.

“Episode I”: Obi-Wan, then Padawan to Qui-Gon Jin, meets a cheerful young Anakin Skywalker on Tatooine, where “Ani” and her mother are enslaved. Qui-Gon, certain that Anakin is the “chosen one” based on his midichlorian count (don’t ask), is killed by Darth Maul, but tasks Obi-Wan with training young Anakin.

“Episode II”: Obi-Wan, now master of a more temperamental and sand-averse Anakin, checks out what is happening on Kamino, where a clone army has been secretly commissioned and wars with Jango Fett. Anakin and Obi-Wan are close, though Anakin avoids Obi-Wan’s logical ways of following his impulses.

“Episode III”: Anakin embraces the Dark Side and duels Obi-Wan on Mustafar, where Anakin becomes Vader. Emperor Palpatine/Darth Sidious commands the clone army to execute Order 66 (aka killing all Jedi). They are successful, though they fail to kill two of the most important Jedi – Yoda and Obi-Wan, the latter of whom is distraught over the loss of his “brother”.

He must be trained.

Check out this clip from #ObiWanKenobiand start streaming the two-episode premiere this Friday on @DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/gtI5q3vS7f

— Obi-Wan Kenobi (@obiwankenobi) May 24, 2022

Do I need to have watched previous TV series to know what’s going on?

Probably not, unless you like homework. Several “Obi-Wan Kenobi” characters are featured in the “Star Wars Rebels” animated series, which is streaming on Disney+. “Rebels” takes place after “Episode III” like this series, and Obi-Wan makes a memorable appearance in season three.

Who are the bad guys in this series?

In this series, we’ll meet the “Inquisitors”, a society of trained hunters who are steeped in the Dark Side.

First introduced in “Rebels”, their leader is the Grand Inquisitor, now played by Rupert Friend. Inquisitors, strangely, use lightsabers in battle. Yes, lightsabers are no longer reserved for Jedi and Sith – and not every Force wielder belongs to either of those two orders.

Speaking of the Sith, the Inquisitors work for one – Darth Vader, who wants them to locate a particular Jedi Knight.

What’s with Vader?

The father of all Skywalkers is back and badder than ever. “Obi-Wan Kenobi” marks the return of Hayden Christensen how Darth Vader a role he fully embodied for just a few minutes at the end of “Episode III.”

So what is Vader doing after he lost his wife, believed his children died, and severed ties with Obi-Wan (who in turn severed several of his limbs)? The trailer skims on details, but we can assume he’s still focused on nullifying the growing Rebel Alliance and finding our titular Jedi. Prepare the tissues for the inevitable reunion.

Is it a young Luke I see?

In the trailer, we see Obi-Wan watching a boy with racing glasses pretending to pilot a ship. We can assume that this boy is a young Luke Skywalker, who appears to be the same age as his father when Qui-Gon found him.

Young Luke lives with Owen Lars, son of Cliegg Lars, who married Anakin’s mother Shmi. Owen and his wife, Beru, raise Luke on their humble farm and hide the truth of their parentage, but Obi-Wan knows he is destined for more.

Joel Edgerton and Bonnie Piesse will reprise their roles from the prequels as Owen and Beru, though hopefully they’ll have a little more screen time to flesh out the characters before they meet their violent end in “Episode IV.”

Aren’t there other celebrities in this?

There sure are! Joining McGregor and Christensen are comedian Kumail Nanjiani, O’Shea Jackson Jr. “Straight Outta Compton” and “Uncut Gems” co-director Benny Safdie, among others.

We haven’t seen footage of any of them, except for Nanjiani, who is in the trailer for a split second, looking distressed. Otherwise, we don’t know who the stars are playing – a fun surprise as the series unfolds.