The Ending Of Obi-Wan Kenobi Part IV Explained
Contains spoilers for "Obi-Wan Kenobi" Part IV
"Obi-Wan Kenobi" Part IV continues the titular character's (Ewan McGregor) dual missions of getting young Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) back home and avoiding the vengeful Anakin Skywalker, who's now well into his tenure as the imposing Darth Vader (portrayed by Hayden Christensen and voiced by James Earl Jones). Apart from continuing "The Book of Boba Fett's" mission to establish that bacta tanks are the single greatest resource for any major "Star Wars" player, the episode introduces a new character in O'Shea Jackson Jr.'s Roken, contains a bunch of Easter eggs, and gives virtually all major characters ample opportunity to shine.
If the previous episode ended in flames, this one is decidedly water-themed. The tight, relatively short Episode IV revolves around a daring rescue mission Obi-Wan and his Imperial officer ally, Tala (Indira Varma), stage in order to infiltrate the Fortress Inquisitorius and save Leia from the dangerous Reva (Moses Ingram). Fittingly for a "Star Wars" show, the episode is full of references and hints at things to come, and its final moments have plenty to unpack. Let's take a closer look at the ending of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" Part IV.
Obi-Wan joins the ranks of lightsaber-wielding hallway menaces
The very first "Star Wars" film features iconic lightsaber action in a futuristic hallway, as Alec Guinness' elderly Obi-Wan clashes with Darth Vader (physically portrayed by David Prowse and voiced by Jones) for the last time. However, the franchise truly shows how terrifying a Force user can be in a confined space when Vader demolishes a squad of terrified Rebels in the end of "Star Wars: Rogue One." The powers behind the franchise clearly recognized greatness when they saw it, because "The Mandalorian" features a very similar scene starring Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), who almost casually cuts and Force shoves his way through a horde of Dark Troopers.
"Obi-Wan Kenobi" Part IV throws its hat in the ring by giving old Ben his own moment of hallway glory when the rescue mission inevitably requires a cool action scene. Though he's largely on the defense throughout the battle, Obi-Wan nevertheless makes clear that he's every bit as accomplished in corridor combat as either Skywalker. The aging Jedi handily carves a path through his Imperial adversaries, and proves that he has more than enough Force bandwidth to stop an underwater hallway from flooding.
Apart from being a great action scene, the hallway battle is a fine reminder that Obi-Wan is a very different fighter than many other force users. The episode offers a cool demonstration of his defensive and deflecting Form III lightsaber combat style, which involves a lot of parrying and counters. However, as the Jedi demonstrates to some terrified Stormtroopers when he rescues Leia from the torture chamber, he's still very much able to emerge from the shadows to deliver lethal attacks.
Reva keeps leveling up
Reva Sevander might not be a Jedi or a Sith, but "Obi-Wan Kenobi" Part IV makes clear that she's still plenty dangerous. Up to this episode, viewers have seen her parkour abilities and ruthlessness, and the other Inquisitors have hinted that she has plenty of power. However, in this episode, she adds a helping of true cunning in her arsenal, as well as demonstrates her true might in combat.
During her interrogation scenes with Leia, Reva initially shows a surprisingly charming side, and a less perceptive prisoner might very well fall to her "good cop" act. In the final moments of the episode, she reveals that she allowed Leia and Obi-Wan to escape, and her tracker plan is clever enough to impress Darth Vader himself. As for her power level, she's apparently good enough to deflect fire from two different Path ships at the same time with her lightsaber — which, since the whole escape was part of her plan, is something she absolutely wouldn't need to do. She's basically just exercising.
In all fairness, the post-escape confrontation with an angry Vader makes it extremely clear that Reva wouldn't stand a chance against the Sith lord. Even so, it's clear that Reva still has plenty of hidden depths, so it'll be interesting to see just how much more there is to the character ... especially now that she appears to have Vader's backing.
That creepy fortress has a surprising history
The vast majority of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" Part IV takes place in a single location, though admittedly a pretty massive one. Fortress Inquisitorius is an imposing Gothic monstrosity on the watery Nur, and acts as the headquarters of the Inquisitor organization — as evidenced by the torture devices and creepy mementos it contains. A relatively new addition to the "Star Wars" lore, the fortress was first seen in the 2019 video game "Star Wars Jedi: Fallen Order," in which Padawan Cal Kestis (Cameron Monaghan) infiltrates the premises in a manner not terribly unlike Obi-Wan's rescue mission. It's probably not a coincidence that many of the episode's beats are remarkably similar to the game's Fortress Inquisitorius-centric parts.
Though designed for an altogether different medium, the fortress turns out to be a highly cinematic location for classic "Star Wars" battles and corridor skulking scenes. Its vast, open flight deck is also an appropriate setting for the episode's climax. It remains to be seen whether Fortress Inquisitorius will remain a one-episode wonder or if it'll have a more significant role in the remaining "Obi-Wan Kenobi" episodes — or, perhaps, future "Star Wars" Disney+ shows. Regardless, it's nice to have this impressive and terrifying structure in the live-action "Star Wars" universe.