Expectations are through the roof for the upcoming Disney+ six part event series Obi-Wan Kenobi. The show marks Ewan McGregor’s return to the role for the first time since Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith hit theaters in 2005. Although there are fans that admire what George Lucas did in the prequel trilogy and those that despised the three films, everyone seems to agree that McGregor was perfect in the part. Ever since Lucasfilm announced that Star Wars spinoff projects were in development, fans have been asking for McGregor to be given another shot.

Obi-Wan Kenobi follows the titular character’s adventures in the period between the end of Revenge of the Sith and the beginning of the 1977 original film. After the Galactic Empire takes over the galaxy and executes a majority of the Jedi Order, Obi-Wan goes into hiding on Tatooine to watch over Luke Skywalker. Although it will be very exciting to see McGregor return to the character, he’s not the only talented actor to breathe new life into the role. For the past two decades, James Arnold Taylor has voiced Obi-Wan on the Star Wars animated shows.

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Image via LucasFilms

Taylor first appeared as the veteran Jedi Knight in 2003 in Genndy Tartakovsky’s animated microseries Star Wars: Clone Wars, which sadly is no longer part of the official Star Wars canon. Taylor returned to voice Obi-Wan in many video games before he took on the role full time for Dave Filoni’s animated shows Star Wars: The Clone Wars and its follow up Star Wars: Rebels. Obi-Wan developed significantly throughout Taylor’s appearances, and fans learned new insights about his backstory. Here is everything you need to know from the animated shows before you watch Obi-Wan Kenobi.

The 2008 theatrical feature film The Clone Wars, which led into the animated series, began once Anakin Skywalker (Matt Lanter) was promoted to Jedi Knighthood after passing the trials. Anakin and Obi-Wan have become closer as brothers and fight alongside each other in the war against the Separatists. Their relationship gets a new wrinkle when Anakin begins training his own padawan, the teenage girl Ashoka Tano (Ashley Eckstein). Obi-Wan enjoys watching his apprentice deal with a lot of the same struggles that he experienced as a master. The three generations of Jedi work together on missions throughout the series.

During The Clone Wars, the Jedi are forced to become generals in the Grand Army of the Republic. Each Jedi General is assigned a specific legion of clone troopers (Dee Bradley Baker) to lead. Obi-Wan commanded the 212th Battalion and developed a close relationship with its leader, Commander Cody. Like Obi-Wan, Cody is a strict rule follower. Despite their friendship, Cody would go on to follow his Order 66 commands and shoot down Obi-Wan in Revenge of the Sith.

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Image via LucasFilms

The second season of The Clone Wars revealed that like his apprentice, Obi-Wan had struggled to uphold the Jedi Order’s rule about not forming romantic relationships. The episode “The Mandalore Plot” introduced the character of Satine Kryze (Anna Graves), a Mandalorian Duchess who Obi-Wan had been assigned to protect when he was training as Qui-Gon Jinn’s (Liam Neeson) apprentice. As they were hunted by bounty hunters, Obi-Wan and Satine formed a tight bond. He nearly left the Jedi Order.

Obi-Wan and Satine work together on many missions as the extremist group Death Watch threatens to disrupt the peaceful civilization of Mandalore. Although they both agree to uphold their duties, Obi-Wan can’t help but feel protective of his former flame. When Mandalore is invaded in Season Five, the Jedi Council dispatches Obi-Wan to defend the planet and work alongside Satine’s sister Bo-Katan (Katie Sackoff). Sadly, Satine is killed during the battle, forcing Obi-Wan to bear the weight of another tragic loss.

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Image via LucasFilms

Satine isn’t the only ghost from Obi-Wan’s past that resurfaces. In the Season Three episode “Witches of the Mist,” it is revealed that the Sith Lord Darth Maul (Sam Witwir) survived his presumed death at Obi-Wan’s hands in Star Wars: Episode I- The Phantom Menace. Obi-Wan had cut Maul in half after the Sith killed his master Qui-Gon Jinn. Maul has lived in exile, but the mystical Nightsisters nurse him back to health. Maul teams up with his brother Savage Opress (Clancy Brown) to form a new criminal empire.

Maul wants to get revenge on his master Darth Sidious for abandoning him, but his main goal is to track down Obi-Wan. Maul’s return forces Obi-Wan to relive the trauma of losing his mentor. In the Season Four episode “Revenge,” Maul and Savage capture Obi-Wan, but he’s saved by the former Sith acolyte Asajj Ventress (Nika Futterman). Ventress has been betrayed by her master Count Dooku (Corey Burton), and Obi-Wan tries to turn her to the light side.

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Image via LucasFilms

Maul crafts a meticulous plan to torment Obi-Wan and leads the combined forces of Death Watch, the Black Sun organization, and other criminal groups on Mandalore during an arc in Season Five. While Obi-Wan duels with his adversary, Maul’s plot is thwarted by the unexpected appearance of his former master. Chancellor Palpatine leaves Coruscant and comes to Mandalore; he kills Savage and maims Maul, forcing him to flee once more.

Both Maul and Obi-Wan go into hiding after the events of Revenge of the Sith. Maul became a prominent character on Rebels and tries to turn the young Jedi Ezra Bridger (Taylor Gray) as his new apprentice, but Ezra rejects his influence and seeks out Obi-Wan’s help. Maul travels to Tatooine to kill Ezra, Obi-Wan, and Luke in the Season Three episode “Twin Suns.” Obi-Wan finally kills Maul permanently in another intense battle.

Obi-Wan’s relationship with his apprentice is tested throughout The Clone Wars as Anakin begins to fall towards the dark side. Anakin feels particularly betrayed in Season Four when Obi-Wan briefly fakes his own death to go undercover as a bounty hunter to unravel a plot by Count Dooku and Cade Bane. Obi-Wan is unable to connect with Anakin after his apprentice Ashoka decides to leave the Jedi Order; Anakin feels that he’s failed to live up to Obi-Wan’s training, and becomes more resistant towards his master’s advice.

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