Is James Earl Jones the Voice of Darth Vader on ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’?
The following post contains minor spoilers for Episode 3 of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Honestly, it’s fine. Just keep reading.
After a few brief teases in the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, Darth Vader makes his triumphant return in Episode 3. This is no surprise. Vader’s role on the show was announced years ago, as was the fact that Hayden Christensen, who played the young Anakin Skywalker in the Star Wars prequels, would portray him on Obi-Wan. What wasn’t really discussed was who would voice Vader on the show.
Obviously, James Earl Jones is the man who gave Vader his ominous and unforgettable voice in the original Star Wars, and then again in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi. Jones has continued to make sporadic vocal appearances as the evil Sith Lord through the years, most recently in a supporting turn in Rogue One as well as a brief cameo in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. And when Vader speaks for the first time in Obi-Wan Kenobi, it’s pretty unmistakable. That’s not Hayden Christensen’s voice, and it’s not a soundalike; it’s the distinctive bass of James Earl Jones
Jones is indeed listed in the episode’s closing credits.
This is not even the first time Jones has portrayed Vader on television. Vader had a recurring role in the recent animated series Star Wars Rebels, and Jones returned to play his signature character there as well — where he was also involved with the Inquisitors, the same sinister Jedi hunters featured extensively in Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Gotta love those ominous breathing noises.
New episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi premiere weekly on Wednesdays on Disney+.
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