We still have just over three weeks until the Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series premieres on Disney+ on May 27, but the Star Wars show’s merchandise has already begun to roll out alongside the new trailer. First up, and introduced on last night’s Jimmy Kimmel Live (guest-hosted by comedian Mike Birbiglia) by Ewan McGregor himself, is the excellent, six-inch, Black Series action figure of the middle-aged Obi-Wan from the show.
Take a look — a good, long, steamy look:
A few things to note about the action figure: although it looks a lot like Ewan McGregor’s portrayal of Obi-Wan Kenobi in Revenge of the Sith, he is wearing a more sensible tunic than the more kimono-esque Jedi garment he wore in that movie, and that Alec Guinness wore in A New Hope. Also, this is an excellent likeness of McGregor, but moreover, it’s also the best cloth cloak I have ever seen accompanying a Star Wars action figure. The folds are perfect, and it even looks pretty good when the hood is pulled over its head.
But if we want to indulge in speculation, perhaps the more interesting aspect of the action figure is its name: Obi-Wan Kenobi (Wandering Jedi). We know that Obi-Wan leaves Tatooine — and his watch over the young Luke Skywalker — for some reason, but “wandering” is not a good reason. I had assumed (as per the first trailer) that he purposefully left to go stop Darth Vader from doing something, and/or to try and reconnect with his former padawan, but now I wonder if some of the Sith Inquisitors find him on Tatooine (as per the new trailer) and he has to book it off-planet to throw suspicion off his location, in which case wandering might make sense. We’ll see!
As I mentioned, McGregor debuted the action figure on last night’s Jimmy Kimmel-less episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live, where, uh, basically all he said was he didn’t care for the likeness (it’s at 7:25) which is probably not what Hasbro PR was hoping for:
Honestly, I think it’s a solid likeness at least, but since I bought these horrific Star Wars figures in 1995 my certain point of view is arguably very skewed indeed. But if you’re likewise enthused, Obi-Wan Kenobi (Wandering Jedi) will be available for pre-order at Hasbro Pulse and most major retailers on May 11.
Want more Gizmodo news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel and Star Wars releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about House of the Dragon and Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power.
Editor’s Note: Release dates within this article are based in the U.S., but will be updated with local Australian dates as soon as we know more.