Amid the many, many questions Star Wars fans have following the release of the first trailer for the eighth Star Wars installment is whether or not Obi Wan Kenobi is in The Last Jedi. Fans have more of a reason to ask now than ever, particularly because the words, "Help me, Obi Wan Kenobi" are audible in the new trailer, specifically at the 48 second mark. But what exactly does that mean his involvement could be?
This is actually not the first time Obi Wan Kenobi's voice has lent itself to the newer films. When Rey experiences the visions brought on by finding Luke's lightsaber tucked away in Maz Kanata's collection, she hears his voice say, "Rey ... these are your first steps." Obi Wan Kenobi's presence, either in Force ghost form or in memory, has practically been promised to fans since the moment The Force Awakens premiered.
And truly, after a trailer like this, it seems like his guidance will be needed more than ever — because all signs point to the possibility of Rey experiencing the pull of the Dark Side in The Last Jedi, courtesy of some hints from the trailer as well as a hint from Daisy Ridley herself.
Just before the trailer dropped, Daisy Ridley discussed in a panel at Star Wars Celebration that Rey's relationship with Luke is not exactly what Rey expects; she seemed to imply that there would be tension between the two, which confirms itself in the trailer when Luke says, "It's time for the Jedi to end." While we see evidence of Luke training Rey, we also see an alarming amount of cues that Rey may be influenced both by the Light and Dark Sides of the Force — she sees both when she meditates, and all of her imagery in the trailer and the shots Lucasfilm released at the panel are fraught with conflict.
So where does Obi Wan Kenobi play into this? While many fans have theorized that Rey is, in fact, a Kenobi — explaining not just that she hears his voice, but that she has the ability to use the Force in the first place — others have less genetically-involved theories that, yet again, good ole Kenobi is going to have to nudge everyone out of the messes they've made. If the movie does, in fact, involve Kenobi in the form of a Force ghost, then perhaps it is his guiding influence that Rey follows should Luke decide not to train her.
There is also the possibility that Luke doesn't make it to the end of The Last Jedi — a grim thought that I only bring up because of the unclear imagery of what appears to be Rey falling to her knees beside R2-D2, facing the destruction of what could very well be a temple on Ach-To, and could also very well signify the death of Luke Skywalker at the hands of of the Knights of Ren.
Should Rey lose her mentor during the course of The Last Jedi, her only other available option for tutelage is, unfortunately, Kylo Ren — bringing his offer to "teach her the ways of the Force" around full circle. If she does have to resort to that in order to train herself to defeat Snoke, perhaps either toying with the idea of the Dark Side or acting as a double agent for the Light, no doubt Obi Wan Kenobi's firm and guiding influence would be crucial to making sure she stays firmly in the camp of the Resistance and the destruction of Snoke.
