Warning: Spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 6.
The Obi-Wan Kenobi series finale includes a famous line that’s been turned into a meme in recent years, but its execution and context make it worth the wait and respectful to the Star Wars mythos. The Star Wars saga, particularly the prequel trilogy, has spawned a host of memes, sometimes used to mock the films and other times to honor them with a bit of irreverence which, for better or worse, are becoming increasingly prevalent in Star Wars properties. In a refreshing departure from what many might have expected, the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale uses the “hello there” line in a tasteful and heartfelt moment.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was introduced to the Star Wars franchise in A New Hope with the line “hello there” as he revealed himself to R2-D2 and helped revive Luke from a Tusken Raider attack. The line returned in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith as a bit of connective tissue between the prequel and original trilogy eras, but this particular instance, to which General Grievous responded with “General Kenobi,” has become a viral internet meme, not unlike Obi-Wan’s use of “the high ground” in his Mustafar duel with Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker’s infamous dislike of sand. Obi-Wan saying “hello there” in the Kenobi series isn’t surprising, but its context is far more respectful than some might have expected.
Ben Kenobi’s utterance of “hello there” in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series is inevitable, but its use towards the end of “Part VI” was surprisingly tasteful. Following Reva’s attack on the Lars homestead, Owen Lars allows Ben to finally speak to a young Luke Skywalker, and Kenobi introduces himself with the famous line (and a toy T-16 Skyhopper in hand). The context surrounding the famous line made it worth the wait and a perfect use of what could have easily been a disingenuous wink at viewers of the Disney+ series.
In the Disney era of the Star Wars franchise, memes have been acknowledged in properties with increasing frequency. In some cases, it’s subtle, like having a B1 Battle Droid in Star Wars: The Bad Batch repeat the line “I guess I’m in charge now” from Star War: The Clone Wars or having Sabine Wren complain about sand on Geonosis in Star Wars Rebels. In other cases, it’s far more overt, like the 2017’s Darth Vader comic series’ reference to the high ground or the 2020 Darth Vader comics burying the Sith Lord in sand on the cover of an upcoming issue.
In both cases, the increasing acknowledgment of memes in the Star Wars franchise resulted in a serious lack of earnestness in a franchise that once distinguished itself by being uncharacteristically sincere during a cynical time in American culture. However, the Obi-Wan series finale didn’t use “hello there” for meta-humor but instead had the line uttered as Kenobi’s introduction to Luke Skywalker, which also gave Ben and Owen a much-needed moment that lacked hostility. The Obi-Kan Kenobi series finale made the right move by using “hello there” in an earnest and heartfelt moment, making the meme worth the wait.
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