Four Things ‘Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Stole From Animated Stories

Obi-Wan Kenobi was a decent show, but it wasn’t super original and stole one or two things.

Kenobi has wrapped up. It was a pretty ok show in the end. It also drew a lot of things from existing Star Wars stories. now, obviously, this was always going to be somewhat the case. After all, Kenobi is set between other Star Wars movies. There are plenty of references to the other movies.

But beyond that, there are some scenes and even story beats that seem like they were stolen from non-live-action Star Wars. Both the movies and the animated shows. (This isn’t a bad thing; seeing things in live action is different and vice-versa). Today, let’s take a look at a few of these homages in Kenobi’s – inspirer of epic memes – solo series.

4. Obi-Wan… Kenobi!

In the final Episode after Obi-Wan Kenobi bests Darth Vader (again) he walks off leaving Darth alone. Vader unleashes his anger by screaming out “Obi-Wan!” This seems to closely mirror a scene in Rebels season 3, “Twin Suns”.

Darth Maul, another of Kenobi’s rivals, is also hunting the Jedi. Lost in the desert, he falls to the ground and yells out, “Kenobi!” The shots for both are pretty similar, and it seems a clear homage. It’s also a nice note that while Maul, yells “Kenobi”, Vader uses his first name. This speaks to their closer relationship.

3. Fortress Inquisitorius 

The whole of episode four could be said to be stolen from other Star Wars properties. Many things were taken from Jedi: Fallen Order. The setting of Fortress Inqusitorius is the most obvious since it was first introduced in that game. Ben sneaks into the Fortress using what appears to be the same airlock you use in the game.

Using force on water in one of the underground tunnels is also something that happens in the game and the show. This seems to be a couple of key things that Kenobi clearly stole. Still, given how cool it is, we can’t be too mad.

2. Kenobi Stole the Ship Pull from Force Unleashed

Episode 5 of Kenobi sees Vader really showing off some Sith powers. At one point, he savagely rips a ship that is trying to escape out of the sky. He slams it into the ground and then rips it open with force.

For anyone who’s played The Force Unleashed this is a move right out of the game. While they didn’t 100% steal a scene from the game, grabbing ships with your dark side Force powers and throwing them around is something the game is known for. This seems to be a pretty clear nod.

1. It Stole a Peek Behind the Mask

During their final fight of the season, Ben lends a blow that cuts part of Vader’s mask off. Through it, he can see what was once the face of Anakin Skywalker. This leads to a quick conversation in which Vader’s iconic voice cuts in and out with Anakin’s voice. It’s a heartbreaking shot of what lies behind his mask.

It’s also an idea they clearly stole from the season two episode of Rebels, “Twilight Of The Apprentice”. In that episode, Vader and Ashoka Tano face off and Ashoka cuts his mask, showing some of his face. They also have a quick conversation with Vader and Anakin’s voices switching. It quite clearly inspired the scene in Kenobi, though both were effective. Besides, in Stars Wars, it’s not stealing, it’s poetry.

Let us know what things you noticed Kenobi copied, down in the comments! 

Author: Abe Apfel

Abe is that rare thing, an Austin local born and raised here. Though he keeps on moving around, DC, Japan, ETC., he always seems to find his way back eventually. Abe has decades of experience with a wide range of tabletop and RPG games, from historicals, to Star Wars to D&D and 40K. He has been contributing to BOLS since almost the start, back when he worked at and then owned a local gaming store. He used to be big into the competitive Warhammer tournament scene but age has mellowed him and he now appreciates a good casual match. He currently covers 40K tactics and lore, as well as all things Star Wars, with occasional dabbling in other topics. Abe remains in mourning over the loss of WFB to this day.