After 4 Years, Star Wars' Obi-Wan Kenobi Replacement Is Finally Here

Published Aug 20, 2026, 9:30 PM EDT Lewis is a Lead Writer for Screen Rant and has written for the site since 2022. This has allowed Lewis to explore a vast array of films, TV shows, books, comic books, and games from across the mainstream world of pop culture, reflecting his lifelong love of all media and typifying his experience in the world of fiction storytelling. To top this off, Lewis graduated from Northumbria University with First Class Honours in Film & TV Studies, truly exemplifying his experience in the medium. Four years after his last appearance, Star Wars' replacement for Obi-Wan Kenobi is on the horizon. While Obi-Wan Kenobi may not have been the best Star Wars TV show, many still appreciated how it handled the titular character and have longed to see him return in some capacity. There are calls for a live-action spin-off of Star Wars: The Clone Wars and, despite actor Ewan McGregor's older age since appearing in that section of the Star Wars timeline, Ahsoka season 2's trailer teased as much with more prequel-era flashbacks. As of right now, though, McGregor has yet to be confirmed for any return to the franchise, with upcoming Star Wars movies set to pivot Lucasfilm's efforts away from TV and back to the big screen. However, this does not mean that Obi-Wan Kenobi-style characters are long-lost from Star Wars. After all, the franchise's future will lead the galaxy into new territory beyond Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, with one project in particular set to introduce one of Obi-Wan Kenobi's many replacements. That project is Star Wars: Starfighter, specifically via Ryan Gosling's character, Kade Auberon. Putting aside the Jedi aspects of Obi-Wan Kenobi, he is best characterized as a mentor to the young, particularly those he has a strong personal connection with. Above all else, this seems to be what will drive Kade Auberon in Star Wars: Starfighter. The other central character of the film is a child, played by Flynn Gray, with the earliest plot details revealing that Kade will be tasked with protecting the child from evil enemies. Kade may not be a Jedi, but he is clearly shaping up to be a mentor to the young and talented, just like Obi-Wan Kenobi has been. Be it the latter's training of Luke in the original trilogy, his mentorship of Anakin in the prequels, or his connection to Leia in Obi-Wan Kenobi, Star Wars has consistently placed the character in this kind of role. Now, that mantle is being passed to Kade. Rather than another Han Solo, as the title suggests, Star Wars: Starfighter is taking the more inspired choice by making its lead a mentor Obi-Wan would be proud of. Star Wars Needs More Solid Mentorship Characters Image via MovieStillsDB If Star Wars needs anything going forward, it is better mentorship characters. Looking at the movies specifically, there have really only been three standout mentorship characters, and they weren't around for long. Yoda and Obi-Wan played smaller roles as such in the original trilogy, with the former also doing so once in the sequel trilogy. In the prequels, Qui-Gon Jinn was a perfect mentor, but he did not move beyond Star Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace in the Star Wars timeline. For the most part, the central characters of Star Wars movies have been younger, more inexperienced, or hot-headed people; Luke, Han, Rey, Finn, Anakin, Kylo Ren, and Poe all fit this archetype. Aside from the three mentioned, a lot of Star Wars' mentor characters are deeply flawed, be it the Jedi Order of the prequel trilogy or Luke Skywalker himself in the sequels. Star Wars: The Force Awakens had Han, but he was more of the same and died before getting to do any real mentoring with his son. Leia got a little more, but tragic real-life circumstances meant it wasn't long-lasting. Clearly, Star Wars: Starfighter is somewhat breaking the mold by making its protagonist a mentor. Kade could, of course, still have elements of his character that make him impulsive, humorous, cocky, or flawed like any other Star Wars main character, but his relationship with Flynn Gray's character makes him a mentor first and foremost. This is a nice change for Star Wars on the big screen, and can hopefully lead to more mentors being given a longer, more substantial role in the franchise's future. The Mandalorian & Grogu Proved How Well Starfighter's Core Character Dynamic Can Work MovieStillsDB As it turns out, 2026 has already proven how more mentor-like relationships can work at the forefront of a Star Wars movie. The Mandalorian and Grogu focused entirely on the two titular characters. The movie's core themes focused on the old protecting the young, and the young, in turn, protecting the old. In fact, the film's best sequence involved Grogu's care of Din after an injury, proving how emotionally resonant a mentor-mentee relationship can be when it is a core dynamic of a Star Wars movie. Hopefully, a year later, Star Wars: Starfighter can do exactly the same. Release Date May 28, 2027 Director Shawn Levy Writers Jonathan Tropper Producers Shawn Levy, Kathleen Kennedy Franchise(s) Star Wars