‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Grand Inquisitor Twist, Explained

The latest episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi surprises our antagonist, Reva, by bringing back a character she thought she killed. How is The Grand Inquisitor still alive in Obi-Wan Kenobi? Rupert Friend’s creepy character is not the first Star Wars baddie to “somehow return” from the dead (see what I did there), but there’s one reason why fans shouldn’t be all that surprised to see his chalky face again.

He died, allegedly, in Part II and returned in Part V

At the end of the second episode, Reva stabs the Grand Inquisitor through the stomach with her lightsaber. In subsequent episodes, other characters, including Reva herself, are promoted to the title of Grand Inquisitor. So, unless he was playing a long game, Darth Vader certainly believed him to be dead.

Did Reva just happen to miss his major organs? The Grand Inquisitor is a Pau’an, not a human, after all. We don’t know what’s where or what she actually stabbed. When he shows back up in Part V, the Grand Inquisitor says to Reva, “revenge does wonders for the will to live, don’t you think?” That’s the only official explanation he gives for how and why he is still alive.

Honestly, for Star Wars, that might be enough. Famously, Emperor Sheev Palpatine thrust his consciousness into a far corner of the universe to stay alive after Luke killed him. Plus, never forget how Padme died because she simply lost the will to live after giving birth to Luke and Leia—essentially dying of a broken heart. Who’s to say that another emotion, like the desire for revenge, couldn’t help someone else power through a stab wound? The character is also Force-sensitive, which may have helped. He’s got more than his own will on his side.

We knew he had to return because of Star Wars Rebels

Ultimately, well-immersed Star Wars fans should have seen this coming. The Grand Inquisitor is a recurring villain (voiced by Jason Isaacs) in the animated series that takes place approximately five years after the events of Obi-Wan Kenobi. So he couldn’t have died. Sorry, Reva!

(featured image: Disney/Lucas Films)

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Leah Marilla Thomas

Leah Marilla Thomas (she/her) is a contributor at The Mary Sue. She has been working in digital entertainment journalism since 2013, covering primarily television as well as film and live theatre. She's been on the Marvel beat professionally since Daredevil was a Netflix series. (You might recognize her voice from the Newcomers: Marvel podcast). Outside of journalism, she is 50% Southerner, 50% New Englander, and 100% fangirl over everything from Lord of the Rings to stage lighting and comics about teenagers. She lives in New York City and can often be found in a park. She used to test toys for Hasbro. True story!