Star Wars Actor Reveals Why They Came Back For Kenobi
Star Wars has been upping its content and continuity that has delved deeper into the backstories of some great characters, which is why a certain huge cameo took place.
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For those who have not seen the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale, look away immediately, as the rest of this article contains heavy spoilers. You have been warned. For those lucky enough to have seen the mini-series finale, and not have the end spoiled, hello there. Throughout the entirety of the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Obi-Wan kept attempting to speak to his former master, Qui-Gon. Obi-Wan needed guidance but had none. Thankfully, at the end of the finale, that is exactly what we got. Liam Neeson reprised his epic Star Wars role, presumably for the final time. Neeson recently responded to returning. According to Neeson, “I certainly didn’t want anyone else playing Qui-Gon Jinn, and I wanted to show my respect for George [Lucas] and that mythical world that he created,” he added, “Plus, Ewan [McGregor] is a pal, and I loved working with him during The Phantom Menace 25 years ago.”
The Hollywood Reporter got to speak to Liam Neeson about his epic Star Wars return, and those are some succinct words that make a lot of sense in the grand scheme of things. There really is no one else that would have been acceptable in the role of Qui-Gon. What fans got from his decision to return was a resounding finale that was filled with emotion and nostalgia. On top of Neeson reappearing as Qui-Gon Jinn, we also got to see Ian McDiarmid reprise his role as the evil Emperor. Honestly, Obi-Wan Kenobi was a show that was filled completely with fan service. We are more than happy that Neeson decided to make his return.
Obi-Wan Kenobi bridged the gap between the end of Episode III, Execute Order 66, which all but wiped out the Jedi, and leading up to A New Hope. However, Luke and Leia are both children still, so there is more story to be told. We did get to see Darth Vader in all his glory. Starting from Rogue One, the Star Wars universe has painted the galaxy’s most feared villain into even more of a scary entity. Obi-Wan Kenobi delved much deeper into the hatred that Anakin harbors for Obi-Wan as well. Obi-Wan wanting to redeem himself or redeem Anakin is why he was also not prepared to see Qui-Gon until he finally forgave himself for creating Darth Vader.
The great thing is that Liam Neeson played the part so well that he was not going to be returning. He had an interview back in April in which he revealed that he would not reprise his Star Wars role unless it was for a film. He claimed to be a snob for TV and would rather appear in a feature film. Guess he fooled us all. The same can be said for Ian McDiarmid who stated at Star Wars Celebration that he would not be appearing as The Emperor.
All episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi are streaming right now on Disney+, and fans can truly see an emotional story that showcases the anguish that Obi-Wan felt in betraying his friend, Anakin Skywalker. But it also shows how evil and hellbent on revenge Darth Vader was engulfed as well. Plus, we get to see Liam Neeson return. If you are like us, you are probably going to watch the mini-series a few more times and hope that a second season is made.
