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What Star Wars movies and shows should you watch before Obi-Wan Kenobi? It’s a tough question, because the titular Jedi master makes a lot of appearances throughout the stories that make up the galaxy far, far away.
We’ve put together a guide to all the movies and TV shows you should check out before the Disney Plus show arrives. While you don’t need to watch every single film in the Star Wars saga to prepare, our choices below should be considered essential viewing.
So, scroll on for everything to watch before Obi-Wan Kenobi – and don’t worry, there are no spoilers in anything below.
The Star Wars prequels
The best place to start before Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives is the Star Wars prequels. The Phantom Menace is the first time Ewan McGregor’s version of the character appears in the saga, and the film sees his fateful clash with Darth Maul, as well as his first meeting with one Anakin Skywalker. You’ll also be introduced to Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn, who is Obi-Wan’s teacher.
Next up is Attack of the Clones, which follows Obi-Wan and Anakin in the days before the Clone Wars begin, and delves into Anakin’s relationship with Padme while Obi-Wan investigates the creation of a clone army and goes up against Jango Fett.
Finally, Revenge of the Sith is probably the most significant of all. It’s in this film that Obi-Wan must battle his former Padawan after Anakin falls to the dark side, and you’ll also see how the Empire seizes control of the galaxy – and how Obi-Wan ends up on Tatooine with Luke Skywalker, which is where we’ll find the Jedi Master when the Disney Plus series begins 10 years after the events of the movie.
Star Wars: The Clone Wars
This animated series follows Obi-Wan, Anakin, and Ahsoka Tano through the Clone Wars. Lately, the live-action Star Wars shows have been drawing more and more from the animated shows, which means you should consider diving into The Clone Wars before starting on Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Now, you probably don’t have time to watch all seven seasons before the Disney Plus show arrives. Luckily, the streamer has put together its own watchlist (opens in new tab) for the series, and recommends visiting The Clone Wars movie, then season 2 episodes 12-16, season 4 episodes 15-18, and season 5 episodes 14-16.
The movie sees Obi-Wan face off with Asajj Ventress, while Anakin and Ahsoka attempt to return Jabba the Hutt’s son to the gangster.
Then, the season 2 episodes introduce Duchess Satine Kryze of Mandalore – she and Obi-Wan are in love, though they can’t be together. The season 4 storyline, meanwhile, sees Obi-Wan fake his death to go undercover as a bounty hunter, and the season 5 episodes involve the Jedi’s enemies – including Maul – teaming up against him.
If you want to catch up on the show, check out our guide on how to watch The Clone Wars in order.
The Star Wars original trilogy
These films take place after Obi-Wan Kenobi on the Star Wars timeline, but are still worth a watch before the series arrives to get fully up to speed on the Jedi Master’s life. Much like the prequels contain parallels with the original trilogy, it’s possible the Disney Plus show will play off events to come, too, so for the full experience, you can’t go wrong with checking out A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, and Return of the Jedi.
Obi-Wan Kenobi arrives this May 27. For more on the show, check out our interviews with Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen on their favorite memories from filming the series, what’s changed in Anakin and Obi-Wan’s relationship, and Christensen on why he didn’t speak to George Lucas before his Darth Vader return.
