Why The Grand Inquisitor In Obi-Wan Kenobi's Teaser Trailer Has Fans Scratching Their Heads
"Star Wars" fans got plenty of the things they expected from the first teaser trailer for the upcoming "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series, set to debut on Disney+ in May. Curious folks looking forward to the "Star Wars" original series have known since August 2019 that Ewan McGregor would be reprising his role as the eponymous Jedi Master (along with Hayden Christensen's return as Darth Vader) since the project got on rails a few years ago. Still, even though we've known these two would be coming back to this sci-fi world, there's a cathartic feeling in seeing such beloved actors return to the roles they are (arguably) most readily associated with. However, there were a few surprises in the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" trailer some fans never expected, in between those moments where McGregor's face was front and center. One of those surprises revolves around the Inquisitors.
For those who don't know, the Inquisitors are an order of Force-sensitive hunters that were trained by, and work for, Darth Vader in order to capture, kill, or corrupt any surviving Jedi in the galaxy. Many of them appear in "Star Wars" series, like "Star Wars: Rebels," as well as various related comics and video games, like "Star Wars: Jedi Fallen Order." Despite their popularity as villains, this is the first time that they have appeared in a live-action context, similar to Cad Bane's appearance on "The Book of Boba Fett."
However, not every "Star Wars" fan who watched "Rebels" is jumping for joy at the Inquisitors' live-action debut. In fact, it's the appearance of the Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend) that has fans scratching their heads. As the secondary leader of the Inquisitors under Vader, the Grand Inquisitor's appearance should be a big deal, and it is for all the wrong reasons.
The live-action Grand Inquisitor doesn't look the way fans had hoped
Fans on Reddit made it clear that this live-action Grand Inquisitor (played by Rupert Friend) was close to the version of the character we see in "Star Wars: Rebels," but didn't quite fit the look of the character when he shows up in his animated form.
"I realize the 'Rebels' style is a cartoonified, stretched-out look. But even so, I would have preferred him look [sic] a little thinner in the face," wrote u/FiliusTExplodio on a Reddit post discussing the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" teaser trailer. Redditor u/TheGoverness1998 observed, "He definitely looks less slim than I thought he'd look in live-action lol," to which u/The49thwarrior added, "In 'Rebels,' he gives off the air of a diffident, aristocratic fencer. I'm not getting that vibe from him. He looks like a haunted house reject."
It is worth noting that the Grand Inquisitor's species, the Pau'an, are notoriously slim, and this character is no exception. In "Rebels," he is depicted as noticeably taller and thinner than the majority of characters. As u/RedRocka1 observed, previous live-action depictions of the Pau'an species (as seen on the planet Utapau in "Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith") are also extremely slim. "First thing I noticed as well," they wrote. "Aren't their heads a little longer too? He didn't look much like the Pau'ans from 'Revenge of The Sith' in my opinion. Hopefully, it doesn't turn into another Cad Bane discussion though."
This, of course, doesn't mean that Friend's portrayal should be automatically discounted. Cad Bane also managed to please at least a portion of "The Book of Boba Fett" audiences despite suffering similar issues. Nevertheless, it is something fans will have to look past if they want to enjoy this iteration of the character.
Who are the Inquisitors?
Now that we've seen what the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" version of the Grand Inquisitor will look like, it's important to go over who exactly the Inquisitors are in the world of "Star Wars." As we mentioned, they are an order of Jedi hunters trained by Darth Vader to assist him in the Jedi Purge following the events of Order 66. It's not quite certain how many Inquisitors exist. Quite a few make appearances in "Rebels" and other media. The three that we see in the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" trailer, however, just happen to be some of the most important.
Putting aside the Grand Inquisitor, one of the other Inquisitors we see rendered in live-action for the very first time is the Fifth Brother, played by Sung Kang. He is the helmet-sporting gentleman leading a squad of Stormtroopers at the 1-minute, 15-second mark in the teaser trailer. He's also one of the several Inquisitors to make multiple appearances in "Rebels." Another is Reva (Moses Ingram), a brand new Inquisitor whose story is, thus far, unknown (via Entertainment Weekly).
Then, of course, there's the Grand Inquisitor, the leader of the bunch who terrorized Kanan Jarrus and Ezra Bridger on multiple occasions in "Rebels." A former Jedi, the Grand Inquisitor is about as dangerous as the Empire gets without Vader getting involved. In other words, his involvement in the events of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" spells big trouble for both Obi-Wan and the young Luke Skywalker. Thankfully, that intimidating presence is present in the show's trailer. The only problem is that his appearance appears a bit, well, off.