Obi-Wan Kenobi writer says they would "never break canon" following Grand Inquisitor debate

The Grand Inquisitor in Obi-Wan Kenobi
(Image credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)

In the midst of a heated debate about the Grand Inquisitor's fate, Obi-Wan Kenobi writer Joby Harold has assured the masses that the show does, in fact, follow Star Wars canon.

Spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi ahead!

Fans are wondering whether the Grand Inquisitor (played by Rupert Friend), who first appeared in Star Wars: Rebels, is dead. Since Obi-Wan is a prequel series that takes place way before Rebels, his potential death would mean that he was never in the animated series at all – thus, breaking official Star Wars canon.

In an interview with Vanity Fair, Harold was directly asked if the events in episode 2 had broken canon, including the fact that Grand Inquisitor does die in Rebels –but in a completely different way.

"As you know, we would never break canon," the screenwriter responded. So that's all I'll say. Canon is everything."

When asked if fans should wait to see what happens before deciding it was either a mistake or a retcon, Harold stated that he "can't speak to it beyond that" but reassured fans that the writers "all know where we're going in the show." 

The moment even shocked Rupert Friend, who let out an "audible gasp."

"That was quite gratifying because that's the intention to show. It begins with the Grand Inquisitor, well, grandstanding and enjoying the sound of his own voice. I don't think we anticipate that voice suddenly being cut off as it was."

Episode 4 of Obi-Wan Kenobi hits Disney Plus on Wednesday, June 8. As for the fate of the Grand Inquisitor, we'll just have to wait and see.

For more, check out our guide to all of the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows.

Lauren Milici
Senior Writer, Tv & Film

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ currently based in the Midwest. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.