Those Hating 'Obi-Wan Kenobi's Reva Won't Like This Anakin Parallel
If you don't like Reva but are a fan of Anakin Skywalker, then we have some questions for you.
Reva, one of Darth Vader's inquisitors introduced in 'Obi-Wan Kenobi ', has not been very welcome into the Star Wars universe, with fans irked by what they say is bad writing and non-charismatic character. The studio, however, has responded to criticism by urging fans not to be "racist", as the character is portrayed by a black actress.
One fan theory now suggests that those who don't like Reva have to also take issue with Anakin Skywalker, as the two are surprisingly similar.
"Reva‘a flaws are narrative parallels to Anakin, yet she’s shown to be cautious and respectful to Vader. She has chosen silence over violence multiple times in the series. Striking the GI was a moment of weakness. It’s almost like abuse and hated causes violence somehow," - @TheFirstOkiro.
Both characters seem to let their emotions control them and even push them towards questionable decisions. However, in Anakin's case, it did not cause as much of a backlash as was with Reva. The inquisitor has been hated ever since the alleged 'Obi-Wan Kenobi' plot leaks appeared online, suggesting that she is going to be the one to thank for Luke Skywalker surviving, and not Kenobi.
"Breaking news: White guy is loved for something Black woman is hated for. The internet is shocked," - @AkiraRavens.
However, many fans were quick to argue that Anakin did, in fact, also face the wave of hate back at the time when the prequel trilogy hit screens. They have a point: Hayden Christensen had to deal with a lot of criticism regarding his portrayal of Anakin, but people later agreed that the actor was not to be blamed for the screenwriting failures.
"Actually I was alive during the prequels releases and people definitely did not "love" Anakin Skywalker nor the movies themselves," - @badfurday757.
Moreover, despite the massive backlash that Reva has received, many people are still eager to know more about her.
"I care. She’s the most interesting villain we’ve had since Thrawn. Also Anakin didn’t get an arc/backstory for a whole decade since being introduced to him," - @pik_ur_poison.
Moses Ingram, the actress portraying Reva, revealed on social media that she has received "hundreds" of racist messages, thanking those who stood up for her and blasting those fueling hate as "weird".
The official Star Wars accounts and Ewan McGregor, who plays Obi-Wan Kenobi, have condemned those who send hateful messages to the actress. McGregor himself said that those who joined in on racist attacks at Ingram are not Star Wars fans for him.