Did the Grand Inquisitor Really Die in Obi-Wan Kenobi?

So far, Obi-Wan Kenobi has proven to be an intriguing series that has mostly avoided the pitfalls of the prequel trilogy, even though the series events completely rely on the prequels' plot. But there was one scene that particularly perplexed fans. Did the Grand Inquisitor really die in Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 2, and what does it mean for the Star Wars continuity?

Is the Grand Inquisitor Really Dead in Obi-Wan Kenobi?

Credit: Lucasfilms

The Grand Inquisitor in Obi-Wan Kenobi appears to be dead but this doesn't add up as he appears in other Star Wars media that take place at a later time chronologically, causing fans to think he isn't really dead. Let's break this down a bit.

The first and second episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi take place ten years after the events of Star Wars Episode III, Revenge of the Sith.

This is a tough time for Jedi, as the order has been demolished. The young Jedi who survived have been turned into Inquisitors who hunt their own kind.

One of the Inquisitors, Reva, also known as "Third Sister," is obsessed with locating and capturing Obi-Wan even though her superiors order her to give up.

Reva remains intent to find Kenobi, to the point that she organizes the abduction of Princess Leia, knowing that the former Jedi master won't refuse to aid her.

In the inevitable conflict that follows, Reva manages to corner Obi-Wan, but the Grand Inquisitor appears and orders her to step down, intending to receive the credit for Obi-Wan's capture.

But Reva is not prepared to give up so easily, so she responds by stabbing the Inquisitor in the chest. The blow seems fatal, but devoted Star Wars fans are skeptical.

After all, this isn't our first encounter with the Grand Inquisitor; he's a character in the 2014 animated show Star Wars: Rebels which takes place after the events of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

While other Star-Wars media such as books, video games, and so on, no longer enjoy canon status in the franchise from 2014 onwards, this isn't the case with Rebels, which is part of the new acceptable canon.

Related: Why Does Obi-Wan Not Remember R2-D2 in Star Wars?

So, what does this mean for the canon? Not much, until we see which direction Obi-Wan Kenobi will take. The event does raise the question of why the creators didn't make a new inquisitor character; as we know that the Grand Inquisitor is still alive at a later time, the stakes feel pretty low.

Watching episode 2 of Kenobi might give fans the impression that the only purpose of the event was to demonstrate Reva's ruthlessness and eventual conflict with even scarier villains like Darth Vader.

Episode 5, however, confirmed what some fans already knew through other Star Wars media; that the Grand Inquisitor is still alive and in contact with Darth Vader.

The latter had anticipated Reva's betrayal, as she was the only survivor amongst the children apprentices he tried to kill. Darth Vader thus collaborated with the Grand Inquisitor, who feigned his death until Reva's plan to attack Vader would be revealed.

Those fans who already knew that the Grand Inquisitor had survived might have been annoyed that Obi-Wan Kenobi would even suggest that he was dead. But most would agree that the plot twist paid off in the end.