Obi-Wan

Disney continues to use its streaming platform to expand on various corners of its vast intellectual property empire, and the latest television series in the Star Wars universe promises to answer a simple but intriguing question: just what exactly happened with Obi-Wan Kenobi in the thirty-odd years between Episodes III and _IV_?

It’s a period that we haven’t quite seen before, and the trailer’s job then is to convince the audioviewer that it’s not only interesting, but an essential part of the Star Wars story arc. Moreover, it must do so in a way that that appears not only to casual viewers but also to fans who would be able to recognize that the new villains are known as the Inquisitors, for example. Ewan McGregor looks suitably grizzled thanks to the naturally intervening years between Episode III’s 2005 release and now, but nor are we quite at the elevated age of Alec Guinness. Further evidence of where it lies on the timeline comes at 0:25, when we see what is strongly suggested to be a Luke Skywalker at roughly ten years old pretending to be a pod racer. Notice the extreme dissonance on the variation of the force theme when Kenobi notes that “the fight is done—we lost” at 0:15. Moreover, the signature rising scale of a celeste is a reliable sonic identifier for a trailer belonging to the Star Wars franchise, with the mystique that keeps fans coming back represented by the trill-like half-step in the background.

At 0:29 we get an audiovisual blackout at a (negative) synch point which leads into the studio title card as well as the introduction of the next musical theme. As is the case in many a Star Wars trailer, the editors aren’t shy to draw from the deep well that is the series’ musical canon. Several previous John Williams compositions from the prequel trilogy figure here, but none so prominently as “Duel of the Fates”, which was first head in Episode I: The Phantom Menace. In this new context, the theme is not so much about a duel as it is a rumination on Obi-Wan’s past and future. It also works as we can see and hear that the Inquisitors will serve as a source of much of the conflict and drama in the series, so “Duel of the Fates” fits this role well.

In a montage sequence, we also hear the less-identifiable but no less important pieces “Battle of the Heroes” and “Anakin’s Dark Deeds”, both of which first figured in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. It’s a strong way to connect, familiarize, and situate the world Obi-Wan inhabits with the audience’s last experiences of him in the early to mid-2000s, while of course also being a play at nostalgia. In addition, it’s a reminder of the world of consequences that Obi-Wan finds himself in after the events of Episode III.

Finally, it’s a bit hard to discern underneath the final title card with the force theme, but under this, one can definitely hear Darth Vader’s breath—a subtle but important detail, and certainly worthwhile for those who pick up on it.

Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives on Disney Plus May 25th.

— Curtis Perry