Although George Lucas likely never had any concrete plans to explore the time period between the prequel trilogy and the originals in live action, it wouldn't be totally inaccurate to say that "Obi-Wan Kenobi" has been roughly two decades in the making. Ever since "Revenge of the Sith" ended with Ewan McGregor's emotionally devastated Jedi Master dropping off baby Luke to Owen and Beru on Tatooine, fans have naturally wondered about what all those decades in exile must have been like for him and how exactly he came to terms with the destruction of the Jedi Order — not to mention his failure to prevent his apprentice Anakin Skywalker's fall to the dark side.

As of this morning, the first two episodes of Lucasfilm's newest Disney+ series have taken a giant step forward in realizing the full narrative potential of all that built-in drama. Anchored by McGregor sliding back into his famous role as if he didn't miss a beat, now a far more wizened and haunted version of the Jedi we knew and loved, "Obi-Wan-Kenobi" already benefits from a sprawling roster of characters with which to tell this particular story. It's to the credit of showrunner Joby Harold and director Deborah Chow that even the most casual fans should be able to keep up with all the planet-hopping action, but the "Previously On" montage that precedes the premiere episode makes it abundantly clear how much franchise lore is necessary to understand beforehand.

That's where this article comes in, serving as your one-stop shop for all the questions or fuzzy memories anyone may have about the main players in "Obi-Wan Kenobi."

General spoilers of each released episode will follow!

Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor)

Well, hello there. As one of the very few universally beloved elements from the prequel trilogy, Ewan McGregor's performance proved that George Lucas simply couldn't have found a better actor to embody Alec Guinness' take on old Ben Kenobi. His vital function as the mentor figure to Luke Skywalker helped spur on the young Jedi-in-the-making towards fulfilling his ultimate destiny in the originals, though that all lays ahead of him at this point in the "Star Wars" timeline.

As seen in "The Phantom Menace," a much less experienced Obi-Wan first encountered a young Anakin Skywalker by sheer happenstance on the desert planet of Tatooine, alongside Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn and Padme Amidala. Convinced by the boy's (deep sigh) Midi-chlorian count that he possessed latent Force abilities on a scale nobody had ever seen before, Qui-Gon took him in to be trained in the ways of the Jedi and ultimately charged Obi-Wan with raising him as his own apprentice. You may remember this decision leading to all sorts of broody angst, some alarmingly fascist-adjacent rhetoric, a creepily age-inappropriate romance, the slaughter of innocents on a few occasions, and eventually Anakin becoming seduced to the dark side by Chancellor Palpatine — all under Obi-Wan's watch.

Compelled to deal with the mounting threat of Anakin himself, Obi-Wan tragically duels Anakin to the death on the volcanic world of Mustafar … or so he thought. When we reacquaint ourselves with Obi-Wan in the Disney+ series, he's still reeling from the events of "Revenge of the Sith" and the magnitude of his failure — even 10 years after the fact.

Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend)

For those unfamiliar with some of the finer details of "Star Wars" lore, "Obi-Wan Kenobi" does a capable job of filling in the blanks as soon as possible. The visual shorthand of jet-black armor and a distinctly British air both signify some sort of contingent of the sinister Empire has invaded the distant backwater planet of Tatooine. Rupert Friend's Grand Inquisitor then gets right to the point, harassing an innocent barkeeper and forcing him to acknowledge his own status as one of the fabled Jedi-hunters. You see, not all Jedi perished during the execution of the horrific "Order 66," which saw the once-loyal Clone army turn on their Jedi handlers and wipe many of them out en masse. A fortunate few managed to slip through the cracks — Obi-Wan, Yoda, and Ahsoka Tano among them — and that's where the Inquisitors come in.

As part of the Pau'an species from the planet Utapau, the Grand Inquisitor poses a unique threat and is seemingly set up to be the chief antagonist of "Obi-Wan Kenobi." Described as former Jedi themselves who turned on their own and embraced the dark side, few are as driven or as feared in their ceaseless search to eradicate the galaxy of any surviving reminders of the pre-Empire Republic. Yet like certain other aspects of the first two episodes that were kept completely under wraps, the Grand Inquisitor himself turns out to be a neat little example of misdirection. Perhaps we should've been paying closer attention to his insubordinate Inquisitor Reva, who finally puts an end to his arrogance and superiority with a lightsaber to the gut. Then again, this is "Star Wars" we're talking about. Characters have survived worse injuries than that before…

Fifth Brother (Sung Kang)

You stood up and cheered the moment it was announced that Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen would be reprising their classic roles for "Obi-Wan Kenobi." I did so when actor Sung Kang was cast to play the role of the Inquisitor known only as Fifth Brother. We are not the same.

In all seriousness, I was pleasantly surprised to see just how much Kang appeared in the opening pair of episodes in this series. Although little more than a lackey thus far, Fifth Brother rounds out the trio of main Inquisitors hunting for surviving Jedi on Tatooine. Unfailingly loyal to his boss and more than capable of handling himself in a fight, Fifth Brother surprisingly acts as a voice of reason in pulling back the unhinged Reva from some of her more … extreme … methods. Similarly to the Grand Inquisitor, this character traces his roots back to the animated series, "Star Wars Rebels." Although fans of that show know exactly what end that fate has in store for him (which I won't spoil here!), "Obi-Wan Kenobi" still provides plenty of room to use the character as a secondary threat and potentially as a growing rival to Reva, as well.

After all, when you have an actor like Sung Kang on board, you best not waste him.

Reva/Third Sister (Moses Ingram)

Meet the new boss, very different from the old boss.

Somewhat surprisingly, "Obi-Wan Kenobi" doesn't open on the familiar sand dunes of Tatooine, but on the highly urbanized planet of Coruscant during one of the most traumatic events depicted in "Revenge of the Sith." Before the mayhem starts, we begin with a specific focus on a young Black girl peacefully training under a Jedi Master alongside her fellow younglings. After Clone troopers burst in and start firing, sending the class into a harrowing and disturbingly too-real panic to escape certain death, we flash forward a decade and pick up on Tatooine. But while never made explicit in the first two episodes, it's heavily implied that this young girl would grow up to become the villainous and utterly cold-hearted Reva.

Played by Moses Ingram in the current-day storyline, Reva bears a hefty chip on her shoulder and a particularly reckless streak that puts her at odds with her fellow Inquisitors. As capable as she is with handling a red lightsaber, she can't quite manage to bring the same professionalism to her work relationships. Her overwhelming need to track down Obi-Wan above all else leads to her bumping heads with the Grand Inquisitor, who recognizes her obsession and power-hungry ambition all too well. Episodes 1 and 2 steadily build up this mounting frustration within her until she finally snaps, dramatically dispatching with the Grand Inquisitor while Obi-Wan almost lays within her grasp, freeing her to serve as the immediate big bad of the series … for now, at least.

Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen)

Oh, right, who could forget that the biggest bad of them all in "Star Wars" would likely show up sooner rather than later? Much has been made of Hayden Christensen reprising his original role as the fallen Jedi, whom Obi-Wan assumes to have been killed (understandably so!) in their heartrending duel all those years ago. But perhaps most impressively, our initial look at a horrifically disfigured Anakin in his regenerative Bacta tank during the concluding moments of episode 2 almost makes fans want to regret his inclusion in the first place. Unlike Christensen and McGregor being able to act on the same set once again, this won't be a nostalgic reunion.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi" makes it terribly plain just how much the exiled Jedi suffers from his past failure to save Anakin. His worst nightmare comes true when, during his escape from Reva on the planet Daiyu, she reveals to him that Anakin survived and has gone on to become the immensely powerful Darth Vader. Reaching out with the Force in complete and utter shock at this turn of events, the match-cut editing in the final scene implies that Anakin has felt Obi-Wan as he awakens from inside his Bacta tank … with eyes full of nothing less than malice and hatred. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy initially teased the impending showdown between (former) master and apprentice as "the rematch of the century," setting the bar incredibly high for whatever role he ends up playing here. Based on that potent ending, however, there's still plenty of juice to be wrung out of the sweeping tragedy at the heart of Obi-Wan and Anakin's fractured relationship.

Princess Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair)

What is it with "Star Wars" shows on Disney+ managing to completely hide major supporting characters from the public until the episode actually airs? "The Mandalorian" famously dropped the Baby Yoda bombshell on unsuspecting viewers in the concluding moments of its premiere episode, and now "Obi-Wan Kenobi" has pulled off a similar trick with the inclusion of a 10-year-old Leia Organa. Played by Vivien Lyra Blair with a delightful amount of spunk and carefree attitude, young Leia bursts onto the scene with every ounce of spirit, tenacity, and a hilarious penchant for acid-tongued insults (her poor, insufferable cousin may never fully recover) that we remember from the late Carrie Fisher's unforgettable role.

In a neat twist, Leia proves to be the inciting element to coax Obi-Wan out of the desert and into the action again. We get to see a few sadly brief moments of Leia ensconced in the innocence of childhood on her adopted home world of Alderaan, until a gang of ruthless bounty hunters put an end to that and kidnap her for their own nefarious reasons. Do they know that she's the daughter of none other than Anakin Skywalker himself, or is there something more going on here than first meets the eye?

It turns out to be the latter, though the end result makes little difference to the kidnapped Leia. Upon rescue by Obi-Wan, however, the rightfully suspicious child handles herself capably before finally learning to trust this mysterious Jedi "Ben" once he proves that he's able to use his Force powers to save her from a nasty fall. (Unless she did so herself, unknowingly? Food for thought!)

Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 1 Supporting Cast

• Jedi Master Minas Velti (Ming Qui): "Star Wars" is littered with the sacrifices and triumphs of countless characters, from that poor Ewok in "Return of the Jedi" that launched a thousand tears, to Paige Tico (Veronica Ngo) in the opening sequence of "The Last Jedi." We can now add Minas Velti to that list, who gave her own life in the opening moments of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" to buy time for her class of Jedi younglings to escape the destruction of the Jedi Temple.
• Nari (Benny Safdie): Another surprising name officially announced to have been cast in "Obi-Wan Kenobi," director and actor Benny Safdie immediately stood out as potentially a great fit for the "Star Wars" universe. Few could've expected that he'd turn out to be another Jedi who escaped the great purge, trying to eke out an existence on Tatooine … or that his presence would be so short-lived. The episode ups the stakes dramatically by having Obi-Wan run into the Jedi out in the desert, only to refuse to help him. This ends in Nari's brutal death, hung out to display as a public warning to those who cross the Inquisitors. Chalk this up as yet another profound regret weighing on Obi-Wan's conscience.
• Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton) and Beru Whitesun Lars (Bonnie Piesse): Originally cast as Owen in 2002's "Attack of the Clones," Edgerton is just one of many recognizable actors who found himself playing a small but crucial role in a galaxy far, far away. We would eventually see Uncle Owen take young Luke under his wing in 1977's "Star Wars," but here we see him holding a deep-seated grudge against Obi-Wan for his failure to prevent the fall of Anakin and his insistence on training Luke anyway. While the fate of Owen and his dear wife Beru are already sadly written in stone, it's nice to have an opportunity to see them receive some added depth and dimension.
• Luke Skywalker (Grant Feely): What "Obi-Wan Kenobi" show would be complete without at least a brief appearance by Luke himself? Still just a child, we see Obi-Wan quietly observing his charge from a safe distance as he's already shirking his responsibilities on Owen's farm and dreaming of escaping to more exciting places. The child actor already has Mark Hamill's blessing, though it remains to be seen if his role will come anywhere close to that of young Leia's.
• Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits) and Breha Organa (Simone Kessell): A surprising amount of time in "Obi-Wan Kenobi" is devoted to Leia's royal family, allowing an increased focus on her kindhearted parents and their amusing struggles to corral their willful adopted child. Smits' Senator Bail first appeared in "Attack of the Clones" and reprised his role for "Revenge of the Sith" and even "Rogue One: A Star Wars Story" before gaining more of a spotlight here. Both of their exasperated attempts to convey the importance of Leia's responsibilities provide plenty of humor, balancing out their desperation once their precious daughter is kidnapped and they beg their old friend Obi-Wan to intervene.
• Vect Nokru (Flea): Nope, your eyes weren't deceiving you. One of the more entertaining episode 1 Easter eggs has to be the casting of Red Hot Chili Peppers front man Michael Peter Balzary as the bounty hunter who tracks down and kidnaps Princess Leia. He and his crew of mercenaries aren't particularly great at their job, managing to make off with the child but only after embarrassing themselves in the effort and getting put down rather easily by Obi-Wan later on during what should've been their moment of triumph. Here's hoping we haven't seen the last of him quite yet.
• Teeka (Leilani Shiu): Show of hands: who wouldn't watch an entire "Odd Couple"-like series where Obi-Wan and his endearingly deceptive Jawa friend Teeka attempt to get along together in the deserts of Tatooine? The Jawa only appears in the one scene early on, attempting to sell Obi-Wan various parts (that she stole from him in the first place) and frankly commenting on how badly the old Jedi smells these days. Personally, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship!

Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 2 Supporting Cast

• Haja Estree (Kumail Nanjiani): Here's a "Star Wars" character we haven't seen before. We knew that Nanjiani's character in "Obi-Wan Kenobi" would be a unscrupulous con man, but did anyone expect him to impersonate a Jedi? Episode 2 introduces us to Haja, just one criminal among many on the planet of Daiyu who happens to make his living by fooling innocents into thinking that he's an actual Force-user. Underneath his cheap magnets and remotes, however, maybe this man happens to possess a good heart. He helps Obi-Wan and Leia find a transport ship off-planet when the Inquisitors draw their nets tight around them and even attempts to stave off Reva's rampage, though she quite easily gets the information she needs out of him. It's the thought that counts, I guess?
• Jayco (Jecobi Swain): They run a pretty tight ship over at Daiyu, don't they? While Haja has spent his days developing a reputation as a hidden Jedi who's available to help those in need on the crime-ridden planet, his young associate Jayco is the one who actually steps out onto the streets and brings those dupes directly to him. The kid brings Obi-Wan to Haja, though he also later bemoans the fact that they let the Jedi slip through their hands before Reva sets the pricey bounty on his head. They had a solid little system going over there for a little while, but who knows if we'll see more of that in future episodes.
• Nyche Horn (Marisé Álvarez) and Corran Horn (Indie Desroches): Every con needs to have its marks. When we first meet Haja, he's in the middle of pulling the wool over the eyes of a mother and her young child. Identified as Corellians, they're desperately seeking to escape the planet for the sake of her boy — one who apparently boasts Force sensitivities. Recent expanded material explain how the young Corran grows up to become a Jedi himself, making it a neat crossover that Haja helps that happen. It seems safe to consider this as a mere Easter egg, not an ongoing plot thread.
• Fourth Sister (Rya Kihlstedt): You know what they say: more Inquisitors, more problems. The Fourth Sister makes her brief debut in episode 2, accompanying the Grand Inquisitor and her other Dark Side peers while searching for Obi-Wan on Daiyu. The character originated in various comic book series released in the last few years, but one would safely presume that the show has plenty of leeway to define their own path for the character moving forward.

Read this next: The 15 Best Star Wars Side Characters

The post Obi-Wan Kenobi: Complete Cast & Character Guide for the Disney+ Series appeared first on /Film.