Will This Legendary Bounty Hunter Appear In 'Obi-Wan Kenobi'?
Rumors abound for Obi-Wan Kenobi. The much anticipated upcoming Star Wars miniseries starring Ewan McGregor and headed by Deborah Chow will see the famously handsome Jedi Master return to our screens for quite possibly the final time. Obi-Wan Kenobi has been revealed to be taking place around ten years after the end of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and will follow the titular Jedi on an epic quest that will take him beyond Tatooine and into conflict once again with his former apprentice Darth Vader.
With excitement high and speculation everywhere, the possibilities for what this series could show us are quite frankly endless. While we know that Obi-Wan will leave Tatooine and face Darth Vader again, there is still much we don't know, and we will have to wait for the marketing to show us anything that has not yet been confirmed.
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Many fans have been speculating over the inclusion of "Jedi hunters," as explained in the show's sizzle reel that was officially released back in November of last year. There have been leaks regarding the presence of Imperial Inquisitors in the series, which makes sense since they're the ones who are primarily hunting Jedi for the Emperor during this time. But aside from the Inquisitors, there could be other Jedi hunters out there in the galaxy who could make Obi-Wan's quest even harder for him.
Of course, there is no shortage of bounty hunters around amidst the reign of the Galactic Empire. Plus, we have seen Obi-Wan face many of them in the past. Famous mercenaries such as Boba Fett, Cad Bane, and Krrsantan each had their own encounters with the Jedi at various points during the Clone Wars and the age of the Empire. But there is one bounty hunter in particular who I think has a chance of appearing to face Obi-Wan again. That bounty hunter is Durge.
For those unaware, Durge is a bounty hunter originally from the Legends continuity who fought Obi-Wan during the Clone Wars micro-series from 2003. Headed by Genndy Tartakosky, this series was created to bridge the gap between the second and third films in the prequel trilogy. Among the many action-packed vignettes featured in the show, one of the most memorable was the Battle of Munnilinst, during which Obi-Wan and his clone forces faced off against an army of battle droids led by Durge.
A Gen'Dai, Durge was capable of rapidly regenerating his body, making him a formidable opponent for the Jedi and allowing him to survive being blown up before having his story concluded in the comics from Dark Horse. In addition, Durge is a powerful mercenary who mainly hunts Jedi and shares a mutual grudge with Obi-Wan. So what precedent is there for Durge appearing in Obi-Wan Kenobi? Well, in case you haven't heard, Durge was officially brought into the Star Wars canon just last year.
During the long-spanning War of the Bounty Hunters crossover event, we saw Durge cross paths with Star Wars comic staple characters Doctor Aphra and Sana Starros as they went on a mission for Domina Tagge and her wealthy family. Though the encounter ended with Durge being jettisoned off of the ship they were on and into the vacuum of space, he managed to survive and is still an active bounty hunter during the era of the Empire's rule. We also know that Lucasfilm is willing to bring more obscure comic characters onto the screen with the inclusion of Doctor Aphra's own Krrsantan in The Book of Boba Fett.
Now am I honestly expecting Durge to appear in Obi-Wan Kenobi? No. A character like Durge would be costly to bring into live-action, and ultimately, the story is genuinely about Obi-Wan fighting Darth Vader and probably a few Inquisitors along the way. But do I think Durge is entirely out of the realm of possibility? Again, no. If there's anything we've learned about Lucasfilm and its Star Wars projects over the last few years, it's that nothing is truly off the table.