OBI-WAN KENOBI Costume Designer Reveals Big Change To Darth Vader And A Reva Easter Egg We All Missed

OBI-WAN KENOBI Costume Designer Reveals Big Change To Darth Vader And A Reva Easter Egg We All Missed

Obi-Wan Kenobi costume designer Suttirat Larlarb has revealed how Darth Vader's costume evolved for the action-heavy series, while also sharing a Reva Easter Egg it's fair to say we all missed last year.

By JoshWilding - Aug 14, 2023 09:08 AM EST
Filed Under: Star Wars
Source: Variety

While there were some complaints about Obi-Wan Kenobi, most fans seemed to agree Lucasfilm nailed Ewan McGregor's long-awaited return as the Jedi Master. His battle with Darth Vader remains a highlight, particularly as we saw the Sith Lord at full strength in a battle which still ended in the villain's defeat. 

A more capable Vader than the version seen in the original Star Wars trilogy obviously had to undergo some practical changes in terms of his suit, a responsibility which fell at the feet of costume designer Suttirat Larlarb.

"The extreme physical demands of the showdown between Obi-Wan and Darth Vader is what governed our need to re-think how to make Darth Vader for our show," she tells Variety. "We have other processes that allow for our Darth Vader, a younger one in the 'Star Wars' timeline, to be more mobile and physical, helmet-to-toe."

"The armor he wears needed to move with his body in a way that allowed the fights to happen fluidly - and not prevent him from doing anything that was dreamed up."

Slightly more divisive than Vader's previously unheard-of clash with Obi-Wan was the inclusion of Sith Inquisitor Reva. While there was some sadly inevitable racist backlash to the character, more reasonable fans simply wondered why a supporting player needed so much screentime.

Ultimately, her arc was important to the wider story being told, and Larlarb revealed an Easter Egg which teases Reva's conflicting loyalties (while she served the Empire, the villain also secretly plotted to take revenge on Vader). 

"There’s a detail on her leather cuirass which is subtle," the costume designer explains. "[Assistant costume designer] Stacia Lang took a series of sketch lines that I kept drawing over and over down the center front of the armor and developed it into a low and long and sharp ‘fin’ that looked like a front-facing external spine."

"We also had the imperial symbol bonded onto the reverse of her split cape, tone on tone, which I also saw as another way to express her conflicted allegiance."

It's always fascinating to learn how costume design informs a story and that was clearly the case with Obi-Wan Kenobi. McGregor has said he'd like a second season, though Lucasfilm President Kathleen Kennedy says there are currently no plans to make that happen. As a result, we don't know if or when Reva might return.

All episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi are now streaming on Disney+.

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