Like I did for Boba Fett before Book of Boba Fett debuted back in December, I thought it would be fun to put a list together of some of the best of Obi-Wan outside the Star Wars movies and animated series, focusing mostly on the books and comics that expand the universe. Obi-Wan has always been one of my favorite characters, and knowing we are getting even more of his story this week is very exciting. Here are some recommendations to check out before or after watching the Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ series.

Legends

Kenobi by John Jackson Miller

For much of what is now designated as out-of-continuity “Legends” stories, the time before A New Hope was off-limits, only offering tantalizing hints about the Republic before the Empire. It wasn’t until after George Lucas finished the prequels in 2005 that other writers were really able to start filling in the gaps between Episodes III and IV. That’s why Kenobi was one of the last projects out the door before Lucasfilm wiped the slate clean in 2014. 

I finally got to it earlier this year, and I’m glad I did. Miller leans into the idea of Tatooine as a western-frontier, with those living out in the remote wastes–like the Lars family–scratching out a life in the harsh sandy desert. It picks up with Obi-Wan arriving on the planet with baby Luke in tow and takes us through him finding his house, his first meditations with Qui-Gon Jinn, and more. Much of the novel focuses on his evolving relationships with another group of farmers and merchants, as well as the Tusken Raiders. 

The further he gets embroiled in this conflict, the more it plays out like a small-scale version of the Clone Wars that we saw in the animated series, where there are two sides to every story, and both might have valid points. The version of Obi-Wan in this story is working through his grief from the end of Revenge of the Sith, but finds himself wanting to broker peace between two factions, while not attracting too much attention to himself. This is a great standalone novel that only expects you to have seen the movies, yet it surprised me with some of its twists and turns, as well as its thoughtfully written characters both new and familiar. While it isn’t canon, I still highly recommend it. 

Star Wars: Obsession #1-5, written by Haden Blackman, drawn by Brian Ching

This caught my eye when it was originally collected as a Clone Wars comic collection titled “When They Were Brothers.” While the more recent animated Clone Wars animated series paved over these comics, any story that gives us a better view into Anakin and Obi-Wan’s relationship going into Revenge of the Sith really helps that film work, and this is no exception. It’s also a rare story of Obi-Wan going rogue, bringing Anakin along for the ride as the Jedi Master forsakes his duty for a mission to hunt the presumed-dead Dark Side user Asajj Ventress. 

The role reversal works well, and the whole story is a great showcase for why Obi-Wan called Anakin his brother. The two of them are in sync when it comes to working on the battlefield, though they squabble over pretty much everything else.

Canon

Master and Apprentice by Claudia Gray

All of Claudia Gray’s Star Wars novels have been great (seriously, read Lost Stars and Bloodline if you haven’t already). This novel is more from Qui-Gon Jinn’s perspective than it is Obi-Wan’s, but their relationship as Master and Padawan is not in a great place when this book starts. Through what might be their final mission together, they both grow their understanding of each other, while Gray also explores the ‘lineage’ of Dooku to Qui-Gon to Obi-Wan to Anakin. It makes for one of the more nuanced looks at the state of the Jedi Order before the fall of the Republic. Plus it has a ton of prophecies that may or may not come true later. Like Kenobi, it would be easy to jump right in since you only really need to have seen The Phantom Menace to follow the story.

For a bonus, also check out Gray’s short story with the same title from the A New Hppe From A Certain Point of View book!

Obi-Wan & Anakin by Charles Soule, drawn by Marco Chechetto

This is another smaller scale story that echoes some of Master and Apprentice by showing an early mission that Obi-Wan and Anakin are sent on together. Arriving on a hostile, snowbound planet, they try to forge peace between two warring factions while trying to learn to work together. The artwork by Marco Chechetto is stunning, creating a unique environment for the characters to navigate, and Charles Soule ties in some flashbacks to show how Palpatine is grooming Anakin while Obi-Wan is trying to train the boy.

Star Wars (2015) #7, 15 and 20, written by Jason Aaron, drawn by Simone Bianchi (7) and Mike Mahyhew (15 & 20)

These three issues serve as chapter breaks in the ongoing Star Wars comic written by Jason Aaron, and are Luke Skywaller reading from the Journal of Ben Kenobi, written while he was in exile on Tatooine. In the first story, Kenobi is keeping an eye on young Luke while the Lars family is threatened by some of Jabba’s henchmen about a water tax. Obi-Wan stays in the shadows and rescues Luke when his sense of justice outpaces his abilities. 

Issues 15 and 20 show Obi-Wan continuing to stay in the shadows and help Luke despite Owen’s general resistance to the idea. The third story also has Obi-Wan facing off against Krrsantan, who appeared in The Book of Boba Fett. Issue 7 also introduced the black melons we see the Sandpeople eat in BOBF, but that’s probably not as exciting. Either way, all three make up a nice mini-story and the framing device allows Luke to gain more insight into the Jedi who trained him all too briefly.

Brotherhood by Mike Chen

This just came out earlier this month, but I wanted to include it for future readers. It is set shortly after Attack of the Clones, and I am very much looking forward to diving into it this summer!