In Obi-Wan Kenobi Part V, Disney Finally Gave Star Wars Fans Something They All Love
It's easy to characterize "Star Wars" fans as a bunch of complainers who find fault with every new piece of "Star Wars" content that comes down the pike. Sure, "Star Wars" fans have been plenty vocal about what they don't like about the new Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series. Some fans have found "Obi-Wan Kenobi" disappointing overall, singling out the filmmaking and the characterization of Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor). Others feel like the show is playing fast and loose with the canon established in "Star Wars: Rebels." Particularly toxic elements of the fanbase have attacked Moses Ingram, the actress who plays Reva, on social media. That's just a sampling of the many, many gripes fans have expressed online about the series.
Still, it would be inaccurate to say that "Star Wars" fans hate everything about "Obi-Wan Kenobi." When they find something they appreciate, they're not shy about speaking up, either. After the fifth episode of Season 1, "Part V," aired on June 15, fans took to Reddit to praise the way the show depicted Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen/James Earl Jones).
Fans love seeing Darth Vader at close to the height of his powers
Part V of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" has several moments that let the Sith Lord flex his muscles. At one point, he stops a fleeing Rebel transport using only the Force, then rips it apart. At another point, he has a lightsaber duel with Reva without needing a lightsaber of his own, just the Force. Part V really drives home how formidable Vader is.
Redditor u/TitanMatrix summed it up best. "This whole series is just: let's show Vader at full power and I'm here for it."
"They done Vader perfectly. I'm happy about that," agreed Redditor u/AncientSith.
For Redditor u/Bulwark_HD, this is a continuation of Disney's overall handling of the character since purchasing "Star Wars" for more than $4 billion in 2012. "That's been all of Vader's appearances since Disney bought it. And I love every one."
u/Fusi0n_X expanded on u/Bulwark_HD's point, noting that before the buyout depictions of Vader post-"Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith" showed him as a "shadow of his former potential." Post-buyout, however, "Vader has been portrayed as only growing more and more powerful after Mustafar. The armor still poses some physical limits but his strength in the Force far exceeds them."
From a storytelling standpoint, a strong Vader makes the most sense. "Obi-Wan Kenobi" made the choice to show Obi-Wan as a broken man suffering from PTSD after the events of the prequels, and mostly disconnected from the Force. Vader is the diametric opposite, which makes him an even more dangerous villain than he already is. Plus, "Star Wars" fans originally fell in love with Vader precisely because he's so powerful and scary. Chalk up Darth Vader as one detail "Obi-Wan Kenobi" nailed.