The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi have officially been released on Disney+, kicking off the journey of Ewan McGregor’s titular character. The series is set near the midway point between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope, with Obi-Wan currently residing on Tatooine to protect Luke Skywalker from any outside threats. Aside from McGregor, the other major actors that have been confirmed for the series are Hayden Christensen as Darth Vader, Moses Ingram as Reva, the Third Sister, and Rupert Friend as the Grand Inquisitor.
Warning - the rest of this article contains spoilers for Episodes 1 & 2 of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
The first episode wasted no time when it came to the introduction of the Grand Inquisitor. He, along with the Third Sister, the Fourth Sister, and the Fifth Brother arrived on Tatooine in search of a Jedi hiding out in a local cantina. His rage began bubbling higher and higher when he found out that Reva was more interested in finding Obi-Wan than she was in their current mission.
After the opening scene, Friend's screentime in the first episode dropped dramatically, establishing that his character may not be as crucial to the story as viewers previously thought. However, in Episode 2, he made another appearance, this time on the planet Daiyu, once again upset at Reva for her obsession with Obi-Wan. Reva had hired a group of bounty hunters to capture Vivien Lyra Blair's Princess Leia on Alderaan and then ordered them to bring her to Daiyu because she knew it would lure Obi-Wan to the planet as well.
After some dramatic events throughout the planet's lower levels, Reva finally caught up to Kenobi and Leia. She stalked Obi-Wan until the Grand Inquisitor came up behind her and arrogantly told her to step aside so that he could show her how to properly catch a Jedi Master. However, in a shocking turn of events, Reva turned toward the Grand Inquisitor and ran her lightsaber through his torso. The life left the leader of Vader's Inquisitors and he dropped to the floor motionless, leading the viewer to assume that he had perished.
However, many fans of the galaxy far, far away will know that his death would be impossible due to the antagonistic role he plays in Season 1 of Star Wars Rebels, which takes place roughly five years after Obi-Wan Kenobi. The remaining moments of the episode didn't linger on him at all, but since Rebels confirms that there is no way he died, the question now is: how will he survive?
How Will the Grand Inquisitor Survive Reva's Wrath?
After Reva stabbed the Grand Inquisitor with her lightsaber, it was fairly clear that he had actually perished. After he dropped to the ground, a quick shot focused in on his face, which featured his eyes wide open as he lay on the ground not breathing. The most likely scenario to explain his survival is actually something that fans have seen before in The Book of Boba Fett.
In Season 1 of The Mandalorian, Fennec Shand was shot in the torso and left for dead on the sands of Tatooine. That was until The Book of Boba Fett revealed that Boba actually saved her by taking her to a mod parlor and getting her entire midsection replaced with cybernetics.
The Grand Inquisitor's stab wound happened in roughly the same place as where Fennec was shot. Just like a blaster, a lightsaber is so hot that when it cuts into the skin, it cauterizes the wound making it nearly impossible for the victim to bleed out. However, there is no debate that a lightsaber wound would be more fatal than a blaster, so the other key to his survival is the burning rage that he now has for Reva.
Darth Maul was cut completely in half by Obi-Wan in The Phantom Menace and was so fueled by anger that he was able to suffer through it and live. After Reva stabbed the Grand Inquisitor, he would most definitely develop an even stronger hatred for Reva than he previously had. This would allow him to stay alive long enough for one of the other Inquisitors to find him and take him back to somewhere like Fortress Inquisitorius so that he could be repaired.
Would Cybernetics Affect the Grand Inquisitor's Role in Rebels?
The short answer would be no. The only time he is seen in Rebels, he is in full armor and none of his actual body is exposed aside from his face. If he does happen to have a regular, unwounded midsection in the animated series, there would be no way to prove it, so that wouldn't affect the Star Wars canon in any way.
The bigger problem would come if they actually left him dead in Obi-Wan Kenobi, because it would completely retcon at least Season 1 of Rebels. Seeing as how that show aired during the early days of the Disney era too, it is highly unlikely that Lucasfilm would do that.
The only other possible problem that having him survive would create would have to do with his role as the leader of Vader's Inquisitors. If he were to live by way of cybernetics, Vader would undoubtedly question his ability to lead a highly-skilled group of Force users. In Rebels, he directly communes with Vader and takes orders from him, and none of the other Inquisitors oppose him in any way. It would hurt his reputation as the lead Jedi hunter if he was fatally wounded by one of the members of his team that is supposed to be below him in rank.
Will the Grand Inquisitor Return in Obi-Wan Kenobi?
There will almost definitely be at least one or two more scenes featuring the Grand Inquisitor in Obi-Wan Kenobi. It doesn't matter if he ends up living or dying, there will have to be some sort of explanation given either way. Perhaps a visit to Kamino is in need.
However, it would be safe to assume that he won't be making any major appearances over the final four episodes. One of the main plot points established in Episodes 1 and 2 was the rift between the Grand Inquisitor and Reva. Now that she has nearly killed him, his disdain for her will only grow more; if he were to return in full force later in the series though, their rivalry would take away from the show's main conflict.
This could be Reva's way to take charge of the Inquisitors, as a promo image shows the Third Sister with her colleagues with the Grand Inquisitor nowhere in sight.
If, for some reason, he isn't shown at any other point in the series, a plot hole the size of Coruscant will be right in the middle of the Star Wars canon. In short, there is no way that the Grand Inquisitor is dead. Just like Darth Maul, his rage will likely keep him alive just long enough for him to get the cybernetic repairs he needs to come back better than ever. However, it can't be denied that Reva's sudden attack on him was shocking, to say the least.
The first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi are available to stream on Disney+.
