Most Things Kenobi - A Star Wars Podcast

What a great way to ring in our 150th episode! We have the pleasure of discussing the talented Matt Lanter and what he has brought to Star Wars' most pivotal character, Anakin Skywalker. He is the voice of Anakin throughout The Clone Wars and beyond, including Lego movies and an abundance of Star Wars video games, and much more. His vocal range is why we appreciate him so much; he's given Anakin Skywalker the depth and lore the character needed, and has done so incredibly graciously. Thank you, Matt Lanter, for bringing Anakin to life through animation!

This week we carry on with our series about the actors who have portrayed Anakin Skywalker. Hayden Christensen is a legend within the Star Wars fandom and in this episode we give credit where credit is due! His performance in the prequels, and his return to Anakin in shows like Ahsoka and the Kenobi Series, has given Hayden a chance to let his acting skills shine, and we are loving every second!!

The first time we ever saw Anakin Skywalker in live action, outside of Darth Vader, was through Jake Lloyd's portrayal of Anakin as a young boy in "The Phantom Menace", which was released in 1999. This young boy, who will go on to become The Chosen One, was delivered by a bright and charismatic Jake Lloyd, who was only 8 years old when George Lucas cast him as the young Anakin. IMPORTANT NOTE: in this episode, we respectfully discuss Jake Lloyd's mental health journey, while also discussing how important mental health is in everyone's life. Please understand that we are not mental health experts, though we do want to emphasize the importance of mental health. We commend Jake for getting help to address his mental health, and wish him nothing but the best going forward. Thank you, Jake, for bringing Young Anakin to life in the Star Wars Universe!

This week is Part 4 of our series "The Obi-Wan Actors" and in this episode we discuss the extremely talented Stephen Stanton. He portrayed Obi-Wan in the legendary Rebels episode "Twin Suns" and does an amazing job closing the circle on Kenobi's story.

This week is Part 3 of our series "The Obi-Wan Actors", and next in line is the voice behind the animated Obi-Wan Kenobi, and also a very dear friend of ours and of the show: James Arnold Taylor. He's the voice behind the animated Obi-Wan Kenobi that Dave Filoni and his team brought to life through The Clone Wars series, and his talent is unmatched. James has portrayed Obi-Wan the longest of all the Obi-Wan actors, and the depth of character he brings season after season, episode after episode, is why he's our favorite Obi-Wan! Thank you James for what you've brought to our favorite character, and for being a friend.

This is part 2 of our series "The Obi-Wan Actors" where we delve into the intricacies and characteristics each actor has contributed to Obi-Wan Kenobi. In this episode, we have a blast chatting about Ewan McGregor's legendary performances as Obi-Wan, spanning from the character's youth through his darkest days on Tatooine. Next week we'll be chatting about our dear friend James Arnold Taylor, so be sure to tune in!

This is part 1 of our next series, which delves into the actors who have brought the character of Obi-Wan Kenobi to life and all they bring to the table in their version of Obi-Wan. We begin first with the original Obi-Wan Kenobi: Sir Alec Guinness. Alec set the bar for all the portrayals of Obi-Wan to come, and in this episode we honor his legacy of acting, the minuscule details of his skill, and the way he really set the standard for Obi-Wan as we know it today. We salute you, Sir Alec Guinness! Next week we will explore Ewan McGregor, so be sure to tune in as we continue the series!

"Huttslayer", a relatively new but cannon title for Leia Organa Skywalker, is a title that isn't always discussed - but should be! By writing it into the novel "Bloodline", Claudia Gray effectively gave Leia a title filled with honor and respect. When Leia killed Jabba the Hutt, she not only liberated herself, but also avenged her biological father by killing his slaver. In doing so, she also liberated thousands more, even her own brother, by taking the chain Jabba used on her and killing him with her bare hands. For this reason and SO many more, Leia remains as bad ass as ever, and we honor her by calling her the "Huttslayer."

In this episode we discuss attachment and whether or not the Jedi were too extreme in their beliefs. We went deep in this one...and, by the time we were finished, we may have ended up with more questions than answers.

This is our third and final installment of the Asajj Ventress arc from Clone Wars season 3. "Witches of the Mist" is a delightful dish of chaos featuring Obi-Wan, Anakin, Savage, Mother Talzin, Dooku, and Ventress. Buckle up for a conversation that dives into layers of betrayal, quippy banter, and Toydarian tragedy. RIP King Katuunko!! You will be missed!

This is part two of a three part series where we dive into the Asajj Ventress and Nightsisters Clone Wars arc. In "Monster," Ventress goes to the Nightbrother's clan and selects a male to act as an assassin. We try to unpack this CW episode's less-than-pleasant themes, brutality, and tragic sacrifice.

"Nightsisters" is the beginning of a three part arc that focuses on Asajj Ventress. It takes a character that was once introduced to Star Wars as just a villain and provides depth and layers to her character - enough so that we begin to sympathize and feel for this character. We explore this arc in detail, beginning with the episode titled "Nightsisters". We discover Ventress' past, see Dathomir for the first time, and admire Count Dooku's choice of pajamas!

John Williams, Kevin Kiner, Michale Giacchino, Nicholas Britell (just to name a few)...the list of Star Wars composers is the stuff of legends. In this episode we dive into our favorite pieces of Star Wars music, discussing the scenes, the musical themes, and the emotions each piece evokes.

We always enjoy a good story, and we also love to revisit the collection of short stories in the "From A Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back" collection. This episode, we chose to review two more stories, which were much different than the others we've reviewed in the past.

In this episode, we try to see some of Obi-Wan's choices throughout his time as a Jedi from a different point of view. We're not here to trash talk him, obviously, but what if we considered some of his actions from a different angle: DID Obi-Wan make any real "mistakes" that contributed to how everything turned out in the Galaxy? Or was it all just fate; part of the "grand plan" that needed to happen for events in the Original Trilogy (and beyond) to occur? We each discuss moments where we think Obi-Wan made conscious decisions that had negative effects. But, after you dig deeper, perhaps they weren't mistakes after all? We get a little deep in this episode, so prepare yourselves!

2023 was not an easy year for most folks we know, us included. But, in this episode, we are choosing to focus on all the amazing, positive, magical things that happened in 2023. Thank you to all our listeners for your love, support, and friendship! We wish you a very happy new year!

The basic definition of a "red flag" is something that indicates or draws attention to a problem, danger, or irregularity...and yep, that essentially describes Anakin Skywalker in more than one instance before his fall! We go over several "red flag moments" where we believe Anakin's behavior was a true warning sign; a sign that many ignored or chose not to acknowledge properly throughout his time as a Jedi. Anger, impatience, obsession...these are just a few of the themes woven throughout the moments we discuss.

Neither one of us had ever watched the infamous Star Wars Holiday Special. So this holiday season we decided to give it a try. What a wild ride. After we recovered and were able to think again, we recorded this episode. You'll hear our honest opinions...

This will need to be an ongoing series of episodes in the future, because there are SO many awesome filming locations to choose from! But for this episode's purpose, we each chose two filming locations from Star Wars that we wanted to discover more deeply and discuss from a geographical (and geological!) standpoint. Of the four different locations, we discuss facts and figures about each, including why they were chosen for Star Wars and how they were integrated into the films. These locations may LOOK other-worldly, but they belong to our beautiful Planet Earth, and we hope you learn a little about our choices as much as we did researching them!

Join us for a hilarious conversation about all the times Indiana Jones referenced Star Wars and vice versa. We were familiar with a few of these already, but several really shocked us! Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. We have a good feeling about this!

What do you get when you tie a Sith Lord, a Jedi Master, and a Jedi Padawan together in a pirate's prison cell? THIS EPISODE! Yes, it may sound like the start of a bad joke, but really - this is the lovable hilarious mess that follows part 1, "Dooku Captured". The three "prisoners" attempt to work together to escape Hondo's lair, much hilarity and irritability ensue, and somehow...Jar Jar Binks saves the day (and no, that's NOT a joke!) Let's wrap up this 2-part arc with a another good laugh, shall we?

"Dooku Captured" is one of our favorite Clone Wars arcs from season one. In this episode, we dive into the hilarity and, of course, the sass that unfolds between Obi-Wan, Anakin, Dooku, and Hondo. It is a pure delight :)

Every now and then, we do a deep dive and discuss our favorite Star Wars actors and actresses, and we're ashamed and horrified it took us THIS LONG to celebrate our absolute FAVORITE: Mark Hamill! He's not just our favorite hero of Star Wars, but he's so much more: he's also a voice actor, stage/theater actor, claymation and comic book savant, in addition to just being a wonderful human being with one of the greatest smiles of all time. Join us as we celebrate Hamill Himself!

We appologize for missing last week's Halloween episode. LeeAnn was sick and had lost her voice. But we loved the subject we were supposed to talk about so much that we're going ahead with it anyways. In this episode we keep the spooky season going with our list of the creepiest moments from The Clone Wars.

This week we take a step back from our neck-deep-obsession with Star Wars and look at it with fresh eyes. LeeAnn's mom, Gina, joins us to talk about what it's like being a new fan navigating the enormity of the Star Wars galaxy. Is it overwhelming? Yes. Has that discouraged her? No.

Jedi Master. Sass Master. Snark Master. Obi-Wan Kenobi is a man of great intellect and sensitivity, but no one doles out one-liners like he does! Join us for a lighthearted episode full of laughs as we list our favorite snarky Obi-Wan moments from the Clone Wars.

As the "Ahsoka" series wraps up with a big season 1 finale, we give our collective thoughts and opinions (and ask many questions) regarding the last three episodes of the series, which includes the finale. Did the first season stick the landing? Find out what we think in this episode as we discuss everything from episodes 6, 7, and 8 of "Ahsoka"!

We all know Force Lightning as the ultimate physical corruption of the Force; forbidden to be used by the Jedi but still used throughout the Star Wars galaxy in both Canon and Legends. But we want to know more: how many types are there (in Legends, there are MANY), what happens to those who use it and those who deflect it, and why don't individuals like Luke Skywalker have any scarring from it? LeeAnn also lends her expertise on how Force Lightning vastly differs from real lightning, and explains the science behind it all. Beware: there are MANY hilarious side-discussions in this episode - some that may cause you to rethink Luke and the Force Lightning scene in Return of the Jedi forever!

LeeAnn screamed. Lauren fainted. We scraped ourselves up off the floor and then recorded our thoughts, emotions, questions, theories, and everything in between about the brilliant and beautiful Episode 5 of the "Ahsoka" series. Hayden is BACK and better than ever, and seeing Clone Wars era Anakin with younger Ahsoka blew us away. The symbolic imagery and cinematography is divine in this episode; the flashes of Anakin with Vader, the lesson Anakin teaches Ahsoka, the way she is "reborn" as Ahsoka the White (similar to Gandalf the White in Lord of the Rings) - there are so many layers to this episode that we may need to revisit it when the season has finished. Our excitement and joy is palpable in this episode, so buckle up and enjoy the ride!

It's a Klaxon alert kind of episode!!!!! This week we do a bit of spazzing out over the big Ahsoka reveal!!!! We talk about all kinds of other goodies from the show, and even discuss a few things that are giving us "meh" feelings. Join us for some laughs and some analytics!

Everyone loved our 7 Deadly Sins episode, so we decided to flip it and do the opposite to the 7 Deadly Sins, which are the 7 Capital Virtues: chastity, temperance, charity, diligence, patience, kindness, and humility. For this episode, we chose one male character and one female character for each of the virtues, and found that this was a lot more difficult than we expected. One thing is certain: the Star Wars Galaxy is full of virtuous characters!

The first 2 episodes of the Ahsoka series has premiered and we are sharing our thoughts. Overall, we really enjoyed it and are looking forward to what's coming next. Join us as we dive into all the strengths (and weaknesses) we spotted, and don't forget to share your opinion with us over on social media! https://mostthingskenobi.com/link-tree/

This week we had a great time diving into something a little different. We discussed the seven deadly sins, also known as the seven capital vices or seven cardinal sins, and assigned a Star Wars character (or characters) to each one. The seven deadly sins are as follows: pride, greed, wrath, envy, lust, gluttony and sloth. Can you guess who we picked for each one? Does it match the character you would have chosen? Be sure to join in the conversation on our social media! (Special note: this episode is in no way intended as promotion of any religious ideology; we are simply examining this subject through an objective lens as it pertains to Star Wars.)

In the Clone Wars "Mortis" arc, both Anakin and Ahsoka turned Sith, but Obi-Wan did not. If Obi-Wan ever had the chance to go to the Dark Side, this arc would have been it! In this week's episode, we play around with the idea that IF Obi-Wan had also turned Sith, what would have caused him to do so? Now we all know that Obi-Wan is the pillar of goodness; a shining example of what a Jedi is and should be...But how fun would it have been to see him with the orange eyes, the angry edge of the Dark Side, and then see how Anakin and Ahsoka deal with that? How would he have come "out" of the Dark Side? We debate it all in this episode!

From his tragic origin story, to the moment he made the decision to turn Sith, to his death at the hands of Anakin Skywalker: there's something tragic about the way Count Dooku's life played out. We wanted to investigate his turn to the Dark Side and what could have been, had he not turned down the path of the Sith. There's a LOT to unpack with this one individual, so we may revisit this topic in the future!

A few episodes before this, we focused on the tried and true leaders in Star Wars and all the redeeming qualities they shared as great leaders. This week? We're flipping the switch and going straight into Middle and Upper Management across the galaxy. Who do we think reigns supreme as Upper Management? And who we do think juuuuuust can't quite cut it and thus, remains in Middle Management? There's a lot of laughter in this episode, but we think we did a fairly good job labeling the bad bosses of Star Wars!

This is the second part in our series where we feature listener stories about how Star Wars helped them through something difficult (listen to episode 108 for Part 1). From the loss of a parent, to managing anxiety, to recovering from illness, to supportive communities and devoted friendships, Star Wars has an uncanny ability to heal and uplift. It's our hope that these amazing stories of endurance, hope, and love will give our listeners some much-needed comfort. Thank you again to everyone who submitted an anecdote. We appreciate your trust.

This episode is a part 2, of sorts, to the episode we did last week analyzing the Mustafar duel from Revenge of the Sith. This week we deep dive into the duel on the barren moon, where Obi-Wan and Vader finally face their demons. We discuss the beautiful parallels to ROTS (and even Phantom Menace), the deeply meaningful location, the exceptional cinematography, and so much more!

The battle of the heroes, brother against brother, Jedi against Sith, Obi-Wan against Anakin! In this week's episode we do a deep dive into the Revenge of the Sith duel on Mustafar. We use several avenues of analysis, including cinematography, HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) aka sword fighting, and Matthew Stover's ROTS novelization. Next week we'll do a complimentary episode where we dig into the Kenobi Series duel.

When you think of the term "leader", what characters come to mind within the world of Star Wars? When you think of them, do you also think of them as inspiring, driven, good-hearted, and empathetic? We bet you did, because those are just a few of the reasons why you thought of them! In this episode, we look at some of the characters WE would follow into battle within Star Wars; the characters we would trust with our lives, that we would choose to follow not out of fear, but out of admiration, love, and trust - all of which exemplify qualities of some of the best leaders in the world (be it the real world or the galactic universe.) We hope what we discuss inspires others just as we've been inspired by the leaders within the world of Star Wars, so that we can take those qualities and use them to be better versions of ourselves, no matter who we are.

We've all got a story about how Star Wars has helped us through hard times. We wanted to share these stories so our listeners know they are not alone in their struggles. We opened up our inbox and asked people to submit examples of how Star Wars has helped them--and boy did you all deliver!!! We got so many submissions that we will have to do a part 2 sometime in the near future. It's our hope that by sharing these amazing stories of hope, compassion, and companionship, the world might feel a little less lonesome for our listeners. Thank you to everyone who submitted an anecdote. We appreciate your trust.

We all know Anakin was a huge influence on Ahsoka, but Obi-Wan was a major influence on how she "grew up" throughout the Clone Wars as well. In this episode, we discuss the types of interactions Ahsoka and Obi-Wan share throughout the series and how we think Obi-Wan impacted the person Ahsoka became. She is, above all, the perfect balance between the strengths of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi, but we highlight all the ways Obi-Wan contributed to the kick ass woman we all know and love to this day.

We're happy for any excuse to dive back into Andor!!! This week, we revisit a Star Wars masterpiece by talking about our favorite quotes from the show. But we don't just focus on the written word. We dig into the performances, the circumstances, and the larger implications of this INCREDIBLE script. Tony Gilroy, please be our friend!!! We love you! Talking about Cassian Andor, Mon Mothma, and Kino Loy (among others) has reminded us just how brilliant this production was. Kudos to Diego Luna, Genevieve O'Reilly, and Andy Serkis, as well as the rest of the cast, for bringing these characters to life in a way we'll never forget.

Similar to how we did back in Episode 34, we're taking another trip into the brilliant short story collection within "From a Certain Point of View: The Empire Strikes Back" and reviewing two more stories. First, we'll dive into Yoda's point of view in a story titled "The First Lesson", in which he sees Luke for the first time on Dagobah, and so begins their lessons together. Second, things get a little darker with Admiral Piett's point of view when he witnesses Vader without his helmet in a story titled "For The Last Time." Two totally different stories, two totally different points of view, and two amazingly-written tales we absolutely *loved* dissecting together. We'll pull quotes from our favorite moments in both stories and investigate the feelings and emotions behind the characters and what they're experiencing within the story itself. We love this collection and look forward to doing more story break-downs in the future!

This past May the 4th, Carrie Fisher received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. We felt it was the perfect time to reflect on her performance as Leia Organa and to honor the woman who became an icon, inspiring people from all walks. She's strong yet vulnerable, brazen yet truthful. Are we talking about Leia or Carrie? The answer is both!

Whether you believe in them or not, the topic of the Gray Jedi is a talking point across the Star Wars galactic universe. Many find this topic to be "controversial," which we try to examine as best we can within this episode. We discuss what a Gray Jedi is (through its various definitions), where the term originated, the Gray Jedi code, as well as which Jedi within canon that could be classified as gray. AND! Lo' and behold: whatever we believe, and whatever YOU believe, we're ALL still Star Wars fans at the end of the day! So let's dive in to the world of gray, because not all things in the world - including the world of Star Wars - can be so easily classified as just black and white.

That's right, it's THE James Arnold Taylor!!!! Legendary voice actor who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi in the Clone Wars!!!!! We are thrilled to bring you an interview full of joy, laughter, and yes, plenty of Obi-Wan :) James has been the voice of Kenobi for over 20 years, which gives him unique insight into the character's motivations and internal landscape. In this episode we discuss everything from JAT's ability to change his voice (think Rako Hardeen) to his thoughts on Satine to behind-the-scenes stories about recording Clone Wars. We even get an inside scoop on an upcoming live-action project he's working on. Many thanks, once again, to James for spending so much time with us and for the exclusive giveaway items he provided (listen to the full episode for the details). Now, sit back, relax, and enjoy the show!

You know, we thought to ourselves - was there one particular moment where we both thought our love for Obi-Wan Kenobi jumped to a whole new level? And if so, what was that moment(s)? You may or may not be surprised at our answers! We knew we always loved Obi-Wan from the start, but there was just something about the moment(s) we discuss in this episode that elevated him in our eyes from being a "great" character to an absolutely "amazing" character. You'll find out where and when that moment happened for us in this episode!