It’s all happening. Lucasfilm thrilled fans on Wednesday with first look images and the first teaser for the Obi-Wan Kenobi series. And we have another first today. Entertainment Weekly shared an exclusive glimpse of Hayden Christensen’s return as Darth Vader. We (meaning me and everyone else who stans the prequels) are thriving this week. While the image of Vader is not exactly revelatory, the shot does mark our first live-action glimpse of Darth Vader in this particular time period between Revenge of the Sith and Rogue One.
He's back! @EW has revealed the first look at the one and only Darth Vader in #ObiWanKenobi played by Hayden Christensen
— Den of Geek News! (@DenofGeekUS) March 10, 2022
What are your thoughts? pic.twitter.com/rBbDkGaenq
That silhouette! Just look at it! It looks as though the Sith Lord is exiting his meditation chamber in the image.
As for Darth Vader’s specific role in Obi-Wan Kenobi and how much he’ll appear, we have scant insight. Mose Ingram, who portrays an Inquisitor named Reva in the series, said Vader, the Grand Inquisitor, and Reva share a common dark side goal. That goal is likely the eradication of the Jedi.
Christensen talked to Entertainment Weekly and provided the vaguest of vague quotes. He can’t say anything, really, so we have no idea if we’ll see Vader without the helmet in the above meditation chamber. We also don’t know if, perhaps, the show may dive into flashbacks that feature Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. (I hope for this with all of my fangirl heart).
The other tidbit we learned about Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi comes from writer Joby Harold. He told Entertainment Weekly, “His shadow is cast across so much of what we do. And the degree of his proximity to that shadow is something that we’ll discover. But he is very much a part of the show emotionally for Obi-Wan, and possibly beyond that as well.”
To make sure you’ve made the most of all this new Obi-Wan Kenobi information, check out our breakdown of the trailer’s Easter eggs and insights.
Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on Disney+ on May 27. The show was slightly delayed from its original release date.
Amy Ratcliffe is the Managing Editor for Nerdist and the author of A Kid’s Guide to Fandom, available now. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.