The third and latest episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi is out today, and by the end of the episode, it is revealed that James Earl Jones has returned to voice Darth Vader. What makes it so surprising is that while the show has had major stars announced to make appearances, it was not known that Jones was cast.
Spoilers ahead
In the episode, Vader is seen in his meditation chamber, where he learns of his old mentor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, who is on a mining planet. He comes with the Inquisitors to hunt him down and capture Leia. After a battle, the villains take the girl, leaving Ewan McGregor in the dust.
David Prowse was the body and voice of the iconic villain in the original trilogy. In post-production, George Lucas replaced his voice with James Earl Jones, thus delivering the Darth Vader voice that we all know today. Jones has voiced the character across the original trilogy, Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Rebels, Rogue One, and The Rise of Skywalker. Hayden Christensen takes place as the embodiment of the character, making his return since the prequel trilogy with McGregor.
Obi-Wan Kenobi fills in some of the gaps between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope. The show follows the character living an isolated life while keeping an eye on Luke Skywalker. His quiet life is disrupted when Leia is kidnapped, and he is tasked with saving her.
Starring with Christensen and McGregor is Moses Ingram (The Queen’s Gambit), Vivien Lyra Blair (We Can Be Heroes), Rupert Friend (Homeland), Sung Kang (F9: The Fast Saga), and Kumail Nanjiani (The Big Sick).
Deborah Chow, who directed episodes of The Mandalorian, directed all six episodes of the series. She also has directing credits for shows like Better Call Saul, Fear the Walking Dead, and Jessica Jones.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is streaming on Disney Plus.