Obi-Wan Kenobi, the new Disney+ series, drops on May 27th, and there has been a steady stream of leaked information and mounting excitement for fans. Along with the slowly revealed details, there has been a rise in fan theories of where the series could possibly go. Along the lines of some of those possibilities, there exists healthy room for exploration. Obi-Wan Kenobi could birth new spin-off series in the same way that The Mandalorian gave rise to The Book of Boba Fett.

Star Wars has a lot of rich history and a very exciting future. Perhaps the most exciting part is that showrunners are beginning to explore the spaces in time closest to the original trilogy. The Obi-Wan Kenobi series occurs sometime in the 19 years between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. In that time, Old Ben Kenobi is hiding out in the dunes of Tatooine, but there will be no shortage of threats coming for the man who must be the most hunted Jedi in the galaxy. Of all the characters pursuing him, many have their own stories to tell.

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Vader’s Quest

     Lucasfilm Ltd.

The biggest bad of the entire Star Wars universe is Darth Vader, and with Hayden Christensen announced to play him, it’s possible we’ll see a little bit more behind the mask. Although we know how this conflict will end, we also know that Anakin will be hunting his old master with great intensity. We’ve already seen the Inquisitors in the trailer and know that they are the long arm of Darth Vader. So it’s likely that they’ll be the main antagonists for the series, with Vader coming in late for a big reveal.

But Anakin Skywalker has his own story and a big one at that. According to the popular comic book run, Darth Vader has been hunting Jedi and communing with the dark side of the Force. While the Inquisitors do most of his work for him, as far as hunting Jedi goes, Vader is on his own quest. Though he is obsessed with finding his old master, he does not get to be the powerful Sith he was in a single day. A story about Darth Vader in the context of Obi-Wan Kenobi is an excellent vehicle to explore Anakin’s deep desire to search for his son. But a story about Darth Vader might be more than a story about Anakin.

Maul and the Crimson Dawn

     20th Century FoxLucasfilm Ltd.

Obi-Wan has made a lot of enemies on his journey to preserve order in the galaxy. Chief among them is Darth Maul. Like a crazy ex who is constantly obsessing over your break-up, Maul has been roaming the galaxy filled with resentment while Kenobi has just been trying to get on with his life. To be fair, Obi-Wan did chop him in half. While Maul is no longer a Sith lord and hence no longer referred to as “Darth” Maul, he is still a Force-sensitive crime lord with a lightsaber. And though we haven’t seen him in the main Star Wars canon, he has been busy in the extended universe.

After his fall from grace, Maul began to lead an extensive criminal operation known as the Crimson Dawn. Despite being just another enemy for Obi-Wan Kenobi to face, Maul has a huge backstory that has yet to be fully told. Fans will know much more from the Star Wars Rebels series, but the ex-Sith eventually tracked down Kenobi on Tatooine and confronted him. So it’s entirely possible we could see him in a future season. But the other parts of Maul’s story are heavily linked to the Empire and intergalactic crime syndicate, which would make for a good series.

Early Rebellion and Young Leia

How did Leia know to send the Death Star plans to Obi-Wan? Before the Tantive IV was boarded in that first beautiful scene of A New Hope, Leia had to have been in contact with the Jedi somehow, or her father had to have known where he was hiding. Either way, Kenobi must have made contact with the Rebellion at some point. It’s likely he starts out living on Tatooine as quietly as possible, but you can’t fight every inquisitor on your own (actually, if you’re Obi-Wan Kenobi, you probably can).

But this early stage of loss and severe doubt in Kenobi’s mind would be the perfect place to introduce the tiny spark of hope that is the Rebellion. He could be found through back channels in that wretched hive of scum and villainy that is Mos Eisley. He could be introduced to Leia through some scheme to preserve the Old Republic by saving Alderaan’s ruling legacy, their princess. Rogue One gave us that connection for how the Death Star plans got aboard Leia’s ship. Still, Leia’s voice during her time in the Galactic Senate and her leadership amongst the Rebel fighters could prove for an exciting spin-off series.