Disney+ dropped several new stills for the upcoming Obi-Wan Kenobi series, featuring a new look at the titular jedi as well as his nemesis in the show, the Grand Inquisitor.
Released through Total Film Magazine, the stills show off actor Ewan McGregor wandering through a dusty town in a new costume beneath a raggedy cloak. Another shows a bustling metropolis somewhere in the galaxy and finally, the Grand Inquisitor can be seen, wielding his signature double-bladed, spinning lightsaber.
The Grand Inquisitor made his proper debut in Star Wars Rebels in the Season 1 episode, "Spark of Rebellion." It is shown that he is under the command of none other than Darth Vader, who sends him out to hunt down any and all jedi across the galaxy who may have survived the Great Jedi Purge that occurred during the events of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith.
The character was a former Jedi Temple guard and even appeared in the 2008 series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, though, as series writer and director Dave Filoni put it, audiences were unaware of his presence. In fact, Filoni confirmed that the Pau'an guard was one of those who escorted Ahsoka Tano from the Jedi Temple in the Season 5 episode "The Wrong Jedi."
Following the release of Obi-Wan Kenobi's first official trailer, there has been some amount of discussion concerning the Grand Inquisitor's appearance in the show, as this is the first live-action appearance for the character. Many have expressed disappointment with his look, comparing it to what has been described as the more sinister-looking animated former jedi.
Actor Rupert Friend, who plays the Inquisitor, recently revealed that the experience wearing the costume was not great either. He stated, "It was a sweaty, sweaty suit and I did sweat buckets inside the prosthetics which would pour across my face at the end of a day and make me look like a very, very miserable clown." Though he added later that it was "so worth it."
But the Inquisitor won't be alone against Obi-Wan. The show will also feature the return of actor Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader, now a Sith lord under the mentorship of Emperor Palpatine. The actor, who last appeared in the franchise in 2005's Revenge of the Sith, recently stated that he prepared for his return by binging through the entire Star Wars saga, including its animated series. "They did a lot with these characters in those shows. And they did further explore the relationship," the actor said. "There was interesting stuff there to learn about. It was great fun getting to go back and re-immerse yourself in this world that just continues to grow and become more and more vast."
Obi-Wan Kenobi is set to have a two-episode premiere on May 27 on Disney+.