Although Obi-Wan Kenobi was once one of the most central figures in Star Wars movies and TV shows, the franchise has certainly shifted its focus over the years. In fact, since the sequel trilogy, Star Wars has largely tried to move beyond the Skywalker Saga, be that in terms of the Skywalker family members themselves or the stories and characters that are tied to them (one of whom is certainly Obi-Wan himself). Movies like The Mandalorian and Grogu and the upcoming Star Wars: Starfighter are proof of that, as are shows like The Acolyte, Skeleton Crew, Andor, and others. However, there have been some exceptions to that rule, from Ahsoka, which brought back Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker and will do so again in Ahsoka season 2, to Obi-Wan Kenobi, which, as the title makes clear, brought Obi-Wan back to the screen, with Ewan McGregor returning also alongside Christensen.
That show, unfortunately, faced a bit of an uphill battle, though, as many fans became frustrated with various choices it made, from introducing new characters like Reva Sevander to focusing arguably just as much on young Leia as it did on Obi-Wan. It’s perhaps for that reason that Star Wars has largely steered clear of a connection to that show, but now, four years later, a brand-new Star Wars book written by Rebecca Roanhorse, Star Wars: Edge of the Abyss (Reign of the Empire), has revisited the show in one key way.
As shared by The HoloFiles, Star Wars: Edge of the Abyss directly addresses what the impact of Leia’s kidnapping in Obi-Wan Kenobi was, especially in terms of her adoptive parents Bail and Breha Organa, years later and how those events affected her and her parents long-term. Specifically, in a scene between Leia and Bail, the book states, “Leia pressed her hand over his. They didn’t really talk that much about her kidnapping, but it was always there, a weight across his shoulders. He knew that it had been his fault, that his politics and his connection to the Jedi had made Leia a target before.” Despite just being a brief moment, this is actually profound. For one, it’s the first time the kidnapping is addressed following Obi-Wan Kenobi.
More importantly, however, this shows that the events of Obi-Wan Kenobi had a lasting impact on the family, particularly on Bail, and given that Leia went on to become very involved in the Rebellion, it’s easy to imagine that this context shaped how Bail went about discussing the Empire and the Rebels’ efforts to Leia. In fact, what feels especially notable is that Bail is considering how his connection to the Jedi (in this case, directly referring to Obi-Wan) was responsible in some ways. It’s actually a shame, because with Bail dying in A New Hope, we are unlikely to ever get a considerably closer look at the long-term effects, although that’s not necessarily the case. After all, McGregor is still pushing for Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2, which could very well explore that, in addition to what books make possible.
