The new Obi-Wan Kenobi series is not just supposed to bridge the gap between the prequel trilogy and the original trilogy when it comes to Obi-Wan, it’s presumably also going to provide fans with information about what the character was up to during those years. One theory posits that Obi-Wan settling on Tatooine was not about protecting anyone but waiting for his one chance at redemption through Luke Skywalker.
Reddit user TheMediocreCritic speculated that Obi-Wan might have been told his fate by the force ghost of his own dead Master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Armed with that knowledge, Obi-Wan’s reasoning for basically hiding in a cave and waiting for years would make more sense. Star Wars deals heavily with prophecies and more importantly, destiny. Had Qui-Gon shown Obi-Wan not just his prospective future, but how that future promised a redemption, of sorts, that might have been enough for Obi-Wan. Particularly considering Obi-Wan’s likely frame of mind during the years that he hid on Tatooine.
Fans have discussed this question for years, which is why the Disney+ series carries with it so much anticipation. But a lot of the clues that this theory could be true have already been woven into the storyline. Fans of the franchise already know that Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan’s beloved Master, who was killed during the events of Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, was the first of the recent Jedi to rediscover how to become a force ghost. His studies weren’t complete by the time he was struck down by Darth Maul, which is why it took him a while to figure out his corporeal form. But once he did, it’s been established he guided Yoda, and later Obi-Wan, through becoming force ghosts themselves.
Common sense indicates something so essential to the original trilogy should be featured in the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series. Liam Neeson has denied he will be appearing in the series, but that doesn’t close the door on the possibility at all. For one many other Disney actors – on the Marvel side in particular – deny castings even while they’re in the process of filming the project they’re being asked about. Even if it ends up being true, though, there are ways to tell the story and still make references to Qui-Gon Jinn without even having Neeson on screen. This is particularly important because, at the theory speculates, Qui-Gon might have shown Obi-Wan more than how to become a force ghost.
If there’s one person Obi-Wan would trust it would be his former Master, and the message coming from him would be much more emotional than coming from Yoda, for example. There’s also the fact that it was Qui-Gon’s idea, not Obi-Wan’s, to train Anakin. One of the main reasons Obi-Wan took on Anakin’s training was to honor his Master, who’d seen something in the boy. Anakin’s turn to the dark side would be seen by Obi-Wan not just as him failing the galaxy, but his own Master too. That could make redemption, of any kind, sound very appealing.
There’s no doubt that Obi-Wan cared for Anakin in his own right. Both the prequel trilogy and Star Wars: The Clone Wars clearly established the relationship between these two as one of mutual respect and affection. The events of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith would surely leave Obi-Wan rattled, maybe even depressed. It would make sense that he’d want to protect Luke, the possible next generation of Jedi, and hide himself from the world. It would make more sense for Obi-Wan’s character, however, that he stayed around Tatooine knowing that his destiny was to one day train Luke.
Obi-Wan, after all, knew he was one of the few Jedi left at that point. Even if he thought resistance against the Emperor and Darth Vader was futile, it’s hard to reconcile the Obi-Wan seen through the prequel trilogy and Star Wars: The Clone Wars with one that just gives up and hides from the world. Some fans have speculated this is merely the result of the story not being planned linearly, and for years, that was more or less accepted. But with the Obi-Wan Kenobi series ready to fill in the storytelling blanks, there’s a much simpler explanation for Obi-Wan’s time in Tatooine.
To this day it’s unclear what story the Obi-Wan Kenobi series is set to tell. It would be incredibly rewarding for fans, however if the show could answer one of the fandom’s most asked questions: Why would Obi-Wan spend all those years in Tatooine? Particularly if the answer were something that aligned with that fans already know of the character and that fit in with the themes of the Star Wars universe, at large. Obi-Wan just waiting for time to pass as he keeps an eye on Luke is just not as interesting story as Obi-Wan bidding his time and training to be ready when Luke needs him.