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‘Star Wars’ Publicly Defends ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Star From Racists

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Posted on by Thomas Hitchen 5 Comments
Moses Ingram as Inquisitor Reva

Credit: Lucasfilm

While many of the Star Wars fandom has celebrated the iconic return of Ewan McGregor as the former Jedi Master, Obi-Wan Kenobi, in the new series from Lucasfilm, some have tarnished the anticipated release with a slew of racist comments directed at Moses Ingram — Star Wars‘ newest villain.

obi-wan kenobi on daiyu
Credit: Lucasfilm

Obi-Wan Kenobi debuted with a two-hour special on May 27, 2022, finally bringing back McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi into the Star Wars universe. Set 10 years after the tragic events of Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith (2005), which saw the Jedi Order decimated by Emperor Palpatine’s (Ian McDiarmid) Order 66, Obi-Wan finds himself in hiding on the Outer Rim planet of Tatooine.

Watching over a young Luke Skywalker (Grant Feely), despite being unwanted by Owen Lars (Joel Edgerton) and his wife, Beru Lars (Bonnie Piesse), Luke’s Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, Ben Kenobi is brought back into the action when the Inquisitorius — led by Rupert Friend’s Grand Inquisitor — begin hunting him down at the request of his former Jedi apprentice, the dark side’s Anakin Skywalker AKA Darth Vader (Hayden Christensen).

Sung Kang as the Fifth Brother Grand Inquisitor
Credit: Lucafilm

The new series from director Deborah Chow and writer Joby Harold offers a glimpse at the dark times between the prequel and original trilogies, taking the Star Wars characters made famous by George Lucas, and broadening the timeline of the ever-expanding Star Wars story. However, with new entries into the canon comes new villains, and Obi-Wan Kenobi plays into the desperation and fear of Jedi hunting.

Enter Moses Ingram.

The actress plays the Third Sister of the Inquisitorius. Also going by the name Inquisitor Reva, Ingram’s Jedi hunter is a ruthless, power-hungry villain, wielding a lightsaber, and the Force, with deathly precision. Seemingly wanting to earn favor with Darth Vader, Reva begins a ruthless quest for Obi-Wan Kenobi, going so far as to use little Princess Leia Organa (Vivien Lyra Blair) to draw him to the planet Daiyu.

Inquisitor and Stormtroopers on Daiyu in 'Obi-Wan Kenobi'
Credit: Lucasfilm

Related: Kathleen Kennedy Backtracks, Reopens the Door For Replacing ‘Star Wars’ Actors

And while many fans have been drawn in by Ingram’s measured and sharp performance as this new era of Star Wars villain, others have issued racist remarks to the actress, leading Lucasfilm’s Star Wars to publicly stand up and speak out in defense of Ingram. They shared the message to millions of followers across their social media platforms.

We are proud to welcome Moses Ingram to the Star Wars family and excited for Reva’s story to unfold. If anyone intends to make her feel in any way unwelcome, we have only one thing to say: we resist.

The account went on to state:

There are more than 20 million sentient species in the Star Wars galaxy, don’t choose to be a racist.

Ingram has also spoken out on her Instagram stories regarding the disgusting comments she has received. Including them in a long video on her social media account, some comments read:

“You’re days are numbered”

“You suck loser. You’re a diversity hire and you won’t be loved or remembered for this acting role.”

More comments using derogatory, vile language were included. Ingram voiced her thoughts, stating that she will not “grin and bear it”, thanking fans who have defended her online, before ending by saying to those sending harmful messages — “Y’all weird.”

Moses Ingram as Inquisitor Reva
Credit: Lucasfilm

Related: There May Have Been More to Boyega’s Abrupt Netflix Exit

Unfortunately, this isn’t the first time Star Wars has been involved in racist discourse. The sequel trilogy saw Black actor John Boyega bring Finn to the galaxy far, far away, as well as Kelly Marie Tran’s Rose Tico. Both were victims of verbal racist attacks, leading to the latter leaving social media altogether. Some fans have questioned Star Wars‘ response surrounding Ingram, asking why the franchise did not show the same level of support for Boyega during the sequel trilogy.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is the latest in Star Wars‘ run of live-action television shows on Disney+. The miniseries follows in the footsteps of The Mandalorian, The Mandalorian Season 2, and The Book of Boba Fett. Post-Obi-Wan, Lucasfilm will release Andor, Ahsoka featuring Rosario Dawson’s Ahsoka Tano, and The Mandalorian Season 3.

Deborah Chow in behind the scenes of 'The Mandalorian'
Credit: Lucasfilm

Chow’s series also stars Kumail Nanjiani, Indira Varma, Rupert Friend, O’Shea Jackson Jr., Sung Kang, Simone Kessell, Benny Safdie, Maya Erskine, Jimmy Smits, and Rory Ross. Liam Neeson’s Qui-Gon Jinn is rumored to appear, potentially as a Force ghost in the new Star Wars story, reprising his role from the Star Wars prequels.

Are you watching Obi-Wan Kenobi on Disney+? Let us know in the comments down below!

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Thomas Hitchen

When he’s not thinking about the Magic Kingdom, Thomas is usually reading a book, becoming desperately obsessed with fictional characters, or baking something delicious (his favorite is chocolate cake -- to bake and to eat). He's a dreamer and grew up on Mulan saving the world, Jim Hawkins soaring through the stars, and Padmé Amidala fighting a Nexu. At the Parks, he loves to ride Everest, stroll down Main Street with an overstuffed pin lanyard around his neck, and eat as many Mickey-shaped ice creams as possible. His favorite character is Han Solo (yes, he did shoot first), and his favorite TV show is Buffy the Vampire Slayer except when it's One Tree Hill. He loves sandy beach walks, forest hikes, and foodie days out in the Big City. Thomas lives in England, UK, with his fiancée, baby, and their dog, a Border Collie called Luna.

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