Typically when it comes to watching TV or streaming series, I’m the type of viewer who prefers binge watching compared to trying to catch every single episode as they air. I did however been checking out new parts of the new Star Wars series, Obi-Wan Kenobi for the past several weeks. This had more to do with curiosity; what can a series about the pre-eminent Jedi from the prequel movies (Episodes I, II and III), set between the space of Episodes III and the original trilogy (Episodes IV, V and VI) have to offer when the fate the character is already a foregone conclusion in Episode IV.

Recap

Turns out there’s to be plenty to offer. As a recap of the prequel trilogy, Anakin Skywalker gets trained by Obi-Wan Kenobi as his Jedi padawan, only for Anakin to fall to the dark side, taking up the mantle of Darth Vader. While Anakin looses his duel against Obi-Wan on Mustafar, he gets transformed into the cyborg clad in armour replete with heavy breathing and the voice of James Earl Jones.

And Now

Obi-Wan Kenobi, the series, picks up 10 years after the events of Episode III with our hero still in self-imposed exile on Tatooine, a shadow of the great Jedi general that he once was. His lightsaber is nowhere to be seen, and he seems to have picked-up the uncivilised habit of using a blaster. What’s telling as well is that he doesn’t seem to realize that his former apprentice survived their last encounter on Mustafar.

The revelation that Anakin Skywalker is not dead plays out in 2nd part of the new series and Obi-Wan’s reaction to this is worth the price of subscribing to the streaming service for at least 3 months (since Disney Hotstar renews every 3 months). The duel that they have in the 3rd part (which is more of a beatdown by Anakin) , despite being labelled as potentially canon-breaking, not only seals the deal, but also sets up the possibility of a 2nd duel before this new series ends.

Clone Wars Revisited

Obi-Wan Kenobi does touch a little on the fallout of the Clone Wars, with a scene featuring a clone trooper begging for credits while still clad in the iconic clone armour which has seen better days. Speaking of the Clone Wars, did you know that back in 2003, Cartoon Network aired a Clone Wars (simply titled “Clone Wars”) cartoon series helmed by the creator of Samurai Jack, Genndy Tartakovsky and it aired for three seasons up till 2005. This series, like Samurai Jack, was animated in 2D, and pre-dates the CGI series The Clones Wars which started airing in 2008.

Taking nothing away from the CGI series, the earlier 2D animated series was nothing short of awesome, and full of iconic and bombastic moments chronicling the exploits of the Jedi (and the Sith) during the Clone Wars despite being essentially a string of bite-sized episodes. You get to watch characters like Yoda, Mace Windu, Kit Fisto, Asajj Ventress, Count Dooku, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker really flex their stuff during the war.

One particular standout episode had Mace Windu leaping great distances (ala the Incredible Hulk), taking on Super Battle Droids barehanded after losing his purple lightsaber, and then destroying a gigantic pile-driving ship but not before getting his lightsaber back.

Another would be the dark, absorbing duel between Anakin Skywalker and Asajj Ventress on Yavin 4, evoking Samurai Jack as well as being up there with one of the best duels in the live-action Star Wars movies, the aforementioned duel at Mustafar.

Oh, and you get to see Yoda doing all kinds of bad-ass things.

Legacy

While the events of the Clone Wars cartoon bridges the gap between Episodes II and III in the prequel trilogy, tying in neatly right up to the opening of Episode III, the 2D animated series is no longer canon :(. This means that there maybe be a potential retelling of some of the 2D animated Clone War stories/ideas into canon, perhaps in CGI or in live-action, but the 2D animation style will definitely be missed, another :(.

Clone Wars, the 2D animated series, is not on Disney+Hotstar’s roster yet (at least in Malaysia), but you can catch the series on YouTube, or on Disney+ if you are in the States.