Will Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 happen?

It was lightsabers at dawn for the Obi-Wan Kenobi season 1 finale, as Ewan McGregor was back in his robes and doing what he does best. Giving us another duel between Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) and his former master, it wasn’t quite a fiery showdown on Mustafar, but still, it cues George Lucas’ original trilogy.

Things were neatly tied off with a bow, which leaves us asking whether the grizzled Jedi Master is destined to say “hello there” again, or will the story be left alone until Sir Alec Guinness’ version enters the stage in in 1977 film.

Although Star Wars: A New Hope means we all know how things end between Darth Vader and Obi-Wan, that hasn’t stopped Deborah Chow’s six-episode miniseries from helping fill in the gaps between Lucas’ original trilogy and the divisive prequels.

Unlike The Mandalorian or Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi was always pitched as a limited series. Emphasis on the was.

Warning: Spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi ahead

What happened in the Obi-Wan Kenobi season 1 finale?

Knowing that Vader’s quest for vengeance would lead the Empire away from the escaping Jedi, Obi-Wan left Leia in the care of Kumail Nanjiani’s Haja and jetted off to face his former apprentice one more time (we know it won’t be).

The pair settled down on a rocky planet, and after Obi-Wan did his signature lightsaber stance, there was another battle for the ages. It only took him 10 years, but Anakin finally got the high ground and seemingly buried Obi-Wan alive.

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With the fates of Luke and Leia driving him forward, Obi-Wan broke free and chopped Vader down to size. Mirroring the Rebels season 2 finale fight between Darth Vader and Ahsoka, we saw The Chosen One’s helmet sliced open and what little remains of Anakin Skywalker poking through.

There was the grim realisation that whatever shred of Anakin remained had been consumed by the Dark Side. Elsewhere, Reva was haunted by memories of the Order 66 massacre and what Anakin did to her, meaning she was unable to cut down a young Luke Skywalker on Tattooine.

If dangling plot threads for Reva taking “The Path” and joining the other outcasts wasn’t enough to warrant a second season, what about the jaw-dropping (but expected) cameo of Qui-Gon Jinn’s Force ghost? With Liam Neeson’s sage words echoing throughout Obi-Wan Kenobi, many had clocked that Obi-Wan’s own master would be pop up before the final credits rolled.

The show ended with a cryptic tease of Qui-Gon saying, “Come on, we have a ways to go.” If that doesn’t set up season 2… nothing does.

Will Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 happen?

In Revenge of the Sith, Master Yoda told Obi-Wan that Qui-Gon has returned from the “netherworld of the Force” and found a way to live beyond death.

This set a precedent for everyone from Yoda to Luke and Obi-Wan to appear as Force ghosts throughout the franchise’s history. Qui-Gon Jinn didn’t feature in the original trilogy, but jump forward to Rise of the Skywalker, and Jinn was one of the many Jedi voices that spoke to Rey in her final confrontation with Emperor Palpatine.

There are 44 years between the events of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Rise of the Skywalker, and even for a ghost, that’s a lot of time for Qui-Gon to sit there and do nothing. The final scene suggests there’s more for Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon to do, but Disney needs to be careful it doesn’t start messing with the usually watertight canon of the galaxy far, far away.

Despite fears it would shatter canon, the Kenobi finale did a solid job of establishing how Luke Skywalker came to know “Old Ben” before a New Hope — and even featured his T-16 Skyhopper toy.

Looking at the cold facts, Obi-Wan Kenobi more than warrants a second run. The series premiere broke Disney+ records as the most-watched ever, and seeing dollar signs in Kathleen Kennedy’s eyes, it would be foolish to let the offshoot lie.

The franchise’s very own Emperor has reiterated this, as Kennedy told Entertainment Weekly in March 2022: “It’s certainly something we talk about.” McGregor is also on board with the idea, telling a Comic Con panel in October 2024 that Disney and Lucasfilm are “exploring” potential ideas.

“Obviously, between the end of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series and when Alec Guinness is Obi-Wan Kenobi, there’s got to be another few stories in there... There’s a couple of things [I’d like to do in the Star Wars universe]. I’d quite like to wear that armor. I was speaking to someone earlier from the Clone Wars. I think that’s something I would enjoy.”

In a separate chat with the Radio Times when the show was released, he said: “I hope it’s not the last time I play him. I hope I do it again. I’d like to do it again. I mean I had such a great time doing this, I’m sure we can think of a few more stories before I turn into Alec Guinness. Don’t you think?”

Does Obi-Wan Kenobi need a second season?

Chronologically, the next time Obi-Wan says his iconic catchphrase to anyone will be around 10 years later to a booping R2-D2. Still, the final scene of Obi-Wan Kenobi teased that he won’t simply ride off into the Dune Sea and live his best hermit life until Luke Skywalker seeks out Old Ben as Leia Organa’s “only hope”. If Obi-Wan Kenobi is going to get a second season, it has to move away from Luke and Leia to go somewhere new.

You could also argue that with most of Kenobi’s story told, there’s no need to revisit the twin suns of Tatooine.

Similar to how Din Djarin appeared in The Book of Boba Fett, Kenobi could return in someone else’s world. Despite the hate thrown at Reva actor Moses Ingram, there have been whispers that she could also lead her own live-action series on Disney+.

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Another tantalising prospect is seeing Christensen back in the suit. The star has been outspoken about the love he’s received returning to the role after the prequels did him dirty and how he’d love to come back for a Vader standalone. As far as fans are concerned, Obi-Wan could spend the next decade evading the Empire in the Dune Sea.

Obi-Wan riding around Tatooine hardly sounds like a thrilling premise, but in a separate interview with Radio Times, Chow said, “I think even just watching him ride across the sand sometimes is interesting. So, who knows?”

Even though it might be fun to imagine him solving Tusken Raider crimes with Qui-Gon à la Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), you have to ask when it becomes overkill.

Things didn’t exactly go well for Solo: A Star Wars Story trying to expand the story of a beloved character. While we cling to hopes of Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2 and the rumours continue to swirl, it’s not official yet. Remember the important lesson that “only a Sith deals in absolutes”.

Obi-Wan Kenobi season 1 is now streaming on Disney+.