Ranking Ewan McGregor’s Kenobi performances worst to best

Now that Disney+ seems to have wrapped the Obi-Wan Kenobi series on their platform, it seems only fair to rank the actor’s portrayals of the character. Ewan McGregor has been in a variety of films, but he is often remembered as the Jedi Master in the Star Wars saga.

Chronologically, Kenobi was first featured in The Phantom Menace, and since then, the audience has been encapsulated by his charm and tenacity throughout the series. The character finds a young Anakin Skywalker and trains the boy as this was the last wish from his master Qui-Gon Jinn. Years later, both Anakin and Kenobi would duke it out after Skywalker turned to the dark side.

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With so much Star Wars content already available to the fans out and more yet to be released, Kenobi has been a standout among the cast. The character has been a staple of the series since 1977, and the hype for the character has not waned since.

Here are McGregor’s performances as the Jedi Master ranked.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the views of the author. (Spoilers Ahead)

McGregor’s Kenobi performances ranked worst to best

Attack of the Clones

To be fair, Attack of the Clones is a subpar Star Wars film, but not necessarily because of McGregor’s performance. He tried his best, but a clumsy script was something that even McGregor couldn’t save.

In the film, the Jedi uncovers a large group of clones that have been created on the planet Kamino and becomes entangled in the plot of Count Dooku (played by Christopher Lee). Dooku offers the Jedi Master an alliance, but Obi-Wan declines.

McGregor does his best with the character, but it seems that the rest of the film bogged him down. Obi-Wan does have more screen time than The Phantom Menace, but the filmmakers should have focused on quality over quantity.

The Phantom Menace

The first chronological Star Wars film saw McGregor’s character as a young Jedi Padawan under Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn. The two stumbled upon a young slave, Anakin Skywalker, and his mother. After losing Jinn in a battle with Darth Maul, the Padawan Kenobi agreed to train Skywalker.

McGregor’s original appearance as the character might have been somewhat overshadowed by Neeson’s Jinn, but it was a gift to the audience nonetheless. His presence is always grounded in youthful whimsy and always a pleasure to enjoy. The film itself also got mixed reviews, but McGregor’s performance did not disappoint.

Revenge of the Sith

The Jedi as he appears in the film (Image via Lucasfilm)

This was a darker and more mature chapter in the Skywalker saga. Kenobi and Skywalker are seen working more closely together. However, the latter becomes corrupted by Emperor Palpatine and his Sith Lord history. In an attempt to save his wife, Padme, Skywalker assisted Palpatine in the genocide of the Jedi. As a result, Kenobi and Skywalker battled, which resulted in the former's victory, leaving Skywalker burned and scarred.

McGregor stretched his acting muscles with charm as sadness and tragedy rolled into one. The performance culminates once the Jedi Master has bested Skywalker. Even knowing that his friend has turned to the dark side, he bellows out nearly in tears at his friend's disappointment. The poignant and stirring moment proves that McGregor’s acting chops could easily be placed among the giants in his field.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

McGregor as the titular character (Image via Lucasfilm)

With the latest Disney+ venture, the series sees the character ten years after the events of Revenge of the Sith. He lives a reclusive life in Tatooine and looks after a young Luke Skywalker. However, the waters become murky when Princess Leia is captured and Obi-Wan must do everything in his power to save her.

Not only did Hayden Christiansen return as Anakin Skywalker-turned-Darth Vader, but both Kenobi and Vader fought each other once more in an epic battle. The defining component that makes this series so great is McGregor’s powerful performance. While his earlier depictions lacked the emotional parts, this time, the audience discovered him in a vulnerable state which was not explored in the earlier films. The vulnerability that the actor possessed bests that of Alec Guinness from the original trilogy.

Because his character is so loved and ubiquitous in every galaxy, fans can only hope that this will not be the last time they hear of Kenobi.