'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Just Introduced an Animated Fan Favorite
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The following story contains spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi Part IV.
Perhaps even more than its Disney counterpart Marvel Cinematic Universe, Star Wars loves to keep things connected. The difference, of course, is that while the superheroes of the Marvel world are almost constantly pushing that story forward toward the end of time, we already know the key points in the beginning, middle, and end of the Star Wars story (or, at least, the one revolving around the Skywalker family). Obi-Wan Kenobi is just the latest piece of storytelling to attempt to fill in some of the gaps that we may not have even realized were there. In this case, we get the ending to the story of a character—Tera Sinube, best known from The Clone Wars animated series—that had previously been left open-ended.
As always, the more of an investment you make in the franchise, the more easter eggs—and, in this case, the more emotional payoff—you'll get. In Kenobi's Part IV, we follow Ben/Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) as he infiltrates the Inquisitor headquarters in an attempt to rescue young Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) from the captivity she's being held in by Reva/Third Sister (Moses Ingram). On his way there, he discovers something he never wanted to find: remnants of the deadly Order 66, which we saw Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid) initiate in Revenge of the Sith, calling for the execution of all Jedi.
While the assumption has always been that Order 66 wiped out the vast majority of the Jedi—including most of those we meet in both the prequel trilogy and the animated shows—there's always remained the possibility that some avoided the space genocide. After all, just last week we learned that Quinlan Vos made it through.
But in Part IV of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan finds that the basement of the Inquisitor HQ is essentially a tomb, keeping the bodies of many killed during Order 66—including both a youngling and an old friend. That old friend is Tera Sinube, who we learn did not make it through Order 66 and is instead being displayed, along with a number of others, as some kind of sick trophy.
Who is Tera Sinube in Star Wars and Obi-Wan Kenobi?
Tera Sinube is best known for his appearance in The Clone Wars animated series, which places him in the later years of his life (even without being murdered by Palpatine's thugs). Sinube was around in the much earlier Star Wars era known as The High Republic, and has also been featured in the books set in that time.
Perhaps his most memorable Clone Wars moment was in a Season 2 episode, titled "Lightsaber Lost." In this episode he helped Ahsoka Tano—remember her?—find her lost lightsaber.
Stream The Clone Wars Episode "Lightsaber Lost" Here
He also sat on the Jedi High Council (like the ones we saw in the prequels with Mace Windu and Yoda), and trained younglings, one of whom went on to be the villainous Count Dooku (played by the late Christopher Lee in the prequels).
Knowing that Tera largely operated in the deep past High Republic, it's clear that Obi-Wan only ever knew him as the old, wise Jedi that we saw in the animated series. Seeing him murdered and displayed serves as a reminder to our hero that Order 66—and everyone who helped carry it out—is responsible for even slaughtering those who aren't exactly at their top strength (the dead youngling also beats it over the head a bit).
And while his old friend Anakin is now a major part of these terrors, he refuses to let young Leia get lost in this horrific system.
Could Tera Sinube show up again?
There's good news on that front. The upcoming Star Wars series The Acolyte, which will reportedly star Amandla Stenberg, takes place during The High Republic era. So we could see Tera Sinube as he's meant to be seen: in full badass Jedi form, and not frozen in some sort of weird ember. Long live Tera.
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