#Obi-Wan Kenobi Can Bridge the Style Change Between the Prequels and the Original Trilogy

When fans flocked to see the long-awaited Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace in 1999 many were left surprised by how different the worlds, characters and star-ships were to those seen in the original trilogy of movies. These changes continued in both Episode II: Attack Of The Clones and Episode III: Revenge Of The Sith, the change in tack was so dramatic, in fact, that Star Wars creator George Lucas went back and edited the original trilogy to match the prequals’ reliance on Computer Generated Imagery (CGI). Thankfully, upcoming Disney+ title Obi-Wan Kenobi is set directly between the two sets of movies, ten years after the events of episode III. No release date for the series has been given at this time. The show will follow a well-renowned character from both sets of films in Kenobi himself, and could allow for a bridge between the two styles, a more believable transition, to be produced. Here’s the problems faced by the series in this task, and how it can overcome them.

CGI Characters

The prequal series introduced a raft of CGI characters, from Anakin’s slave-master Watto, to the evil General Grievous, but one splits opinion more than most, the either incredibly endearing or incredibly annoying Jar Jar Binks. This character was loved by children, watching the franchise for the first time, but was hated by adults who remember episodes IV, V and VI with fondness. This type of character was not present during the original series, and would seemed out of place in the universe that George Lucas originally created.

To fix this issue, Obi-Wan Kenobi needs to include a mixture of CGI and physical characters, in an attempt to bridge the gap between the characters from both series of films. Given that Jar Jar’s fate was left unsolved at the end of episode III, there is scope for a return to action for the character. Jar Jar’s return could see an aged, darker version of character, withered by the rise of the empire and the loss of his friends.

Production begins soon on Obi-Wan Kenobi, a special event series coming to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/9z49eW9Vgx

— Star Wars (@starwars) March 29, 2021

Droids vs. Stormtroopers

Another CGI difference between the prequels and the original trilogy was the Confederate Droid Army that provided the antagonist to the Jedi in Episodes I, II and III. Despite the clones winning the war against the droids in episode III, leading to the rise of the empire and the clones eventually becoming stormtroopers, one would think that some remnants of the droid army would still be present after this war. Instead, no resemblance of the original droids is seen in the original trilogy, only making a brief appearance in Disney+ series The Mandalorian.

Anyone who has played the spin-off videogame Star Wars: The Force Unleashed, will recognize Raxus Prime, a graveyard planet where droids went to die following the events of episode III. This planet explains the lack of droid army references in the original trilogy and provides an interesting location for visits in future additions to the Star Wars franchise. Unfortunately, The Force Unleashed is no longer recognized by Disney as canon, and therefore does not count in future projects.



Anakin vs. Darth Vader

In the prequal trilogy, Anakin is a strong force wielder and dynamic fighter. However, in the original trilogy Darth Vader, Anakin’s later self, has a clunky and strength-based fighting style, using the force only to choke occasional imperial officers who disappoint him. This can partly be explained by Anakin’s eventual defeat to Obi-Wan in episode III, where he ends up burning and losing both legs and an arm in the process.

The emperor, in the aftermath of Anakin’s defeat, rebuilds his body with machines, explaining Vader’s clunky style. However, for someone with experience of making an army of droids, including General Grievous, Vader seems too clunky and restricted by his new machinery in episode IV. Showing an event in the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series that would explain this, an injury occurring just before episode IV for example, would help to explain this.

Hayden Christensen returns as Darth Vader, joining Ewan McGregor in OBI-WAN KENOBI. The Original Series begins 10 years after the dramatic events of Revenge of the Sith, and is coming to #DisneyPlus. pic.twitter.com/9WR2npRUkk

— Star Wars (@starwars) December 10, 2020

Darth Maul

Villain of episode I, Darth Maul made a big impression on fans of the Star Wars franchise, and viewers have been hoping for a return of the character ever since. Despite being cut in half by Obi-Wan at the end of the first movie, Maul returned in the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, with metallic limbs replacing his lower half. He was then defeated for a second time by Kenobi, bringing an end to his character for the final time.

That was the end of Maul until Solo: A Star Wars Story was released in 2018. Towards the end of the movie, it was revealed that Maul had been liaising with film’s antagonists all along and was shown via hologram with his metallic limbs in place, teasing his return to non-animated Star Wars projects. Whether Obi-Wan Kenobi will retell Maul and Kenobi’s second meeting, originally shown in The Clone Wars, or follow a different path is yet to be revealed.

Coruscant-style Worlds

The main setting of the prequel trilogy of movies was Coruscant, a city-based world which featured both the Jedi Temple and the chambers of the Galactic Senate. The like of this bustling city, with drama, intrigue, politics and a dark underbelly, was not seen in the original trilogy and was a stark departure from the forest moon of Endor or the desert planet of Tatooine. The bustling bars, manic floating highways and futuristic shard-like buildings became a staple of the prequels, but was not included in the original films.

The end of episode III saw the Jedi Temple on fire, the Galactic Senate in disarray and stormtroopers killing younglings in what was the downfall of the once impressive city. One would think that Coruscant would then become the heart of the empire, with the Jedi gone and the emperor being the leader of the senate. However, Coruscant is not seen in the original movies and therefore an Empire-occupied Coruscant would be a great location to include in the new Obi-Wan Kenobi series.

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