The final episode of Star Wars: Obi-Wan Kenobi is out now on Disney+, bringing the limited series to its epic conclusion. Over the course of six episodes, Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) has gone to distant planets, infiltrated Imperial fortresses, and crossed paths with many a familiar face from the Star Wars movies. More than any other Star Wars project that Disney has released, Obi-Wan Kenobi is absolutely stocked with fan service and cameos.
Episode 6 featured two exceptionally important ones in its closing minutes. One came when Obi-Wan Kenobi met the Force ghost of his old mentor Qui-Gon Jinn, with Liam Neeson reprising the role he played so well in The Phantom Menace.
The other huge cameo was when Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen) had a holo call with none other than Emperor Palpatine, the ruler of the Galactic Empire and the Sith Lord who started it all. Palpatine is a huge figure in the Star Wars mythos, and his presence in Obi-Wan Kenobi was a treat for fans.
Cast of Obi-Wan Kenobi Palpatine
Sheev Palpatine is one of the most prominent recurring characters in the Star Wars universe, appearing in many of the movies and shows. In live-action, Palpatine has been played by Scottish actor Ian McDiarmid in the prequel trilogy, Return of the Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker. The original cut of The Empire Strikes back, which formally introduced the Emperor through a similar hologram call with Vader, initially used a combination of actors and effects to create a hauntingly inhuman aspect to the Emperor, per Screen Rant. But when Empire was re-released by George Lucas in 2004, it included an updated hologram scene with McDiarmid instead. For all intents and purposes, Ian McDiarmid is Emperor Palpatine.
This carries over to Obi-Wan Kenobi, where the actor reprised the role yet again in the closing minutes of the limited series finale. McDiarmid had previously hinted at this during an appearance at ICCCon in Nashville, where he said, “There’s a certain show coming soon set right around the time I may have considered to be very active. Whether or not you will see my physical body, I cannot comment on. But you will certainly feel my presence.”
After speaking with Palpatine, Vader recommits himself to the Dark Side and the Empire’s galaxy-conquering goals after his failed vendetta against Obi-Wan Kenobi. Felt, his presence certainly was.
All six episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi are available now on Disney+.
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