Obi-Wan Kenobi is getting closer to wrapping up on Disney+. Episode 5 of the series was recently released, continuing the story of Ewan McGregor's Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi and his task of getting Vivien Lyra Blair's Princess Leia back home to Alderaan. However, his mission hasn't been easy thus far, as he and Leia have been trailed closely by Moses Ingram's Reva and Hayden Christensen's Darth Vader.
Warning - the rest of this article contains spoilers for Part V of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Part V of the series not only set up the final episode but also answered many questions that were established earlier in the show, even paying off elements from the very first scene. It picked up right where Part IV left off, with Obi-Wan, Leia, Tala, and Roken on their way back to Jabiim after their rescue mission at Fortress Inquisitorius.
At the same time, Darth Vader summoned Reva to his Star Destroyer where they discussed the tracker she had placed on Leia's droid, Lola. In this scene, Vader also rewarded Reva for her actions and named her Grand Inquisitor, a title she has been pursuing over the span of the entire series.
Vader then ordered the captain of the Star Destroyer to "set a course for Jabiim," and they were on their way to finally capture Obi-Wan once and for all. On Jabiim, Obi-Wan knew that they had little time before the Empire arrived. His main mission was to help Tala and Roken get the people on the base away safely, but Reva arrived before their transports were ready and locked down all of the systems on the base, trapping them inside.
After the siege on the base began, one of the biggest twists of the series unfolded.
Reva's Backstory and Motivation Revealed
While the Empire attempted to break through the main security wall that led into the base, Obi-Wan requested to negotiate with Reva. After she accepted, he began talking to her about Vader, specifically how she knew that he was Anakin.
Obi-Wan speculated that she was a youngling at the Jedi Temple during Order 66, and Reva was clearly affected by Obi-Wan's words. A flashback sequence then took place featuring Anakin at the Temple directly confronting Reva and the other children from the first scene of the show.
Obi-Wan then figured out her true motive for rising up the ranks of the Inquisitors, which was to kill Vader because of what he did to her and her friends all those years ago when they were training to be Jedi. Obi-Wan then pleaded with her to help him confront Vader and Reva then questioned why he wasn't there at the Temple to help her and the other younglings.
Being overwhelmed with rage and sadness, Reva used her lightsaber to cut through the door that was protecting everyone inside the base. Obi-Wan, Tala, and Roken tried to lead everyone further into the base as quickly as possible, but Reva was able to break through and Tala was then forced to sacrifice herself to buy time for everyone else and take out as many stormtroopers as possible.
Reva Vs. Darth Vader
Obi-Wan realized that the only way he could keep the people inside safe was to surrender to Reva. He was able to be taken out to her where they talked face to face and he pleaded with her to join him so they could defeat Vader together. After careful consideration, it seemed as though she took his offer. The Third Sister ordered stormtroopers to take him back inside the front portion of the base before Vader arrived.
When Lord Vader did get off his ship, Reva told him that Obi-Wan was being held captive inside. When they both went in, Obi-Wan was nowhere to be found and a ship was leaving the base. Vader used the Force to pull it down as it was flying away, and after ripping the sides off, it was revealed that it was a fake transport to divert his attention away from the real one that was able to escape.
As Vader stood in the middle of the base, Reva approached him and tried to ambush him from behind with her lightsaber. Vader sensed her incoming attack and used the Force to stop her blade each time she swung it at him. After toying with her for long enough, he took away her lightsaber and pulled the two halves apart, using one for himself and giving the other to her. After a brief fight, he stabbed her in the midsection with the lightsaber.
As Reva fell to the ground, Vader revealed that he knew she was one of the younglings at the Jedi Temple. Rupert Friend's Grand Inquisitor then walked in and stood by Vader, showing that he was alive and in good health; this also made it clear that Vader had known Reva's intentions the entire time and had used her as a pawn just to get to Obi-Wan.
After Vader and the Grand Inquisitor said a few words to Reva, they left her lying in the dirt and headed back to the Star Destroyer to follow Obi-Wan and the people that were on Jabiim.
Does Reva Die In Her Encounter with Vader?
Characters in Star Wars have had a good track record when it comes to surviving what appears to be fatal encounters with a lightsaber. Just recently, the Grand Inquisitor was stabbed almost identically to how Reva was, and he is now back and in perfectly good health. Darth Maul is known as the most famous survivor in the entire franchise, as he was completely cut in half by Obi-Wan and then made his return in The Clone Wars.
When looking at a list of people who have survived a blow from a lightsaber, particularly Dark Side users, there is always one common denominator - their lust for revenge against the person that injured them. Darth Maul revealed that he used his hatred for Obi-Wan to craft a will so strong that he was able to live through his injuries long enough to repair himself and fully heal. At the end of Episode 5 of Obi-Wan Kenobi, when the Grand Inquisitor makes his appearance, he talks to Reva about the same kind of revenge.
The Grand Inquisitor says to Reva, "Revenge does wonders for the will to live, don't you think?" This not only implies that he used that specific method to live through what she did to him, but it also foreshadows that her return will be cut from the same cloth. Reva is a character that has had to live through some unspeakable tragedies. She has had to fight her entire life, and after knowing her full backstory, she has one of the more tragic arcs in the entire franchise.
After the fear that she felt during the events of Order 66 and the horror of watching her friends be killed by someone they thought would help them, she undoubtedly developed a deep hatred for Darth Vader. This feeling was her main motivation to pull herself up and join the Inquisitors so she could ultimately take out Vader when she got the chance. Now that she has been wronged by Vader for the second time in her life, and also humiliated by him knowing that she was one of the younglings at the Temple, her rage and want for revenge against him will be greater than ever.
The episode didn't explicitly state whether or not she would survive, but it is safe to assume that she will be seen again. That being said, what will the character's future look like in Star Wars?
Reva's Role in the Finale of Obi-Wan Kenobi
As Obi-Wan and the rest of the people were leaving Jabiim, Obi-Wan's comlink that he used to talk to Bail Organa was dropped. The latest message that Bail sent Obi-Wan featured him talking about Luke Skywalker and revealed that he was with Owen on Tatooine. In Episode 1, Reva actually had an encounter with Owen in the street, so she definitely remembers who he is and now knows that he is housing somewhere important.
It's almost impossible for her to know how important Luke is. She only knows that Obi-Wan is trying to protect a child from Vader. Due to her experience during Order 66, she probably thinks that they are just talking about a Force-sensitive child that they are trying to keep off of Vader's radar.
The final shot of Episode 5 features Luke lying in his bed on Tatooine. This teases that Reva will now venture there in search of Luke, but her intentions are unclear. She obviously has a deep hatred for Vader, so it is possible that she will want to do anything she can to not get him what he wants. If true, then she may turn completely away from the Dark Side and do something to help keep Luke's identity safe, but that means she would be siding with Obi-Wan, who she also deeply hates.
On the other hand, Reva may try to prove her worth to Vader by bringing him Luke. If she somehow learns that he is Vader's son, she may think that she can right all of her wrongs by bringing him to Vader. Since she hates both Obi-Wan and Vader, she definitely has a difficult decision to make. Ultimately, fans know that Luke doesn't actually get captured and brought to Vader because of what happens in the original trilogy, and if she does end up going to Tatooine, Obi-Wan will be forced to confront her once again, and possibly even kill her if she goes too far.
Will Reva Appear in Season 2?
Recently, a report surfaced that stated Season 2 of Obi-Wan Kenobi is currently in the works at Disney and Lucasfilm. This is due to the high volume of viewers that have tuned in to the show each week, and the companies feel like there are more stories to tell about Obi-Wan during the rise of the Empire time period between Revenge of the Sith and A New Hope.
Many fans speculated that Reva would be killed by Vader or the Grand Inquisitor at the end of the series due to her absence from other Star Wars media. However, if the rumors of a Season 2 coming are true, she could definitely play a role in it without breaking canon. There is a good chance that she will make some sort of appearance in the finale just to give an update on her status, and whatever her fate is will more than likely confirm if there actually will be another installment.
Part V of Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming on Disney+.
