Spoiler Warning: Obi-Wan Kenobi Parts I-III

Obi-Wan Kenobi had the biggest premiere of Disney+ history. The streaming channel released two episodes simultaneously, and it was the most popular show ever to open on the platform. The second episode released has our favorite Jedi (Ewan McGregor) traveling off Tatooine to a Blade Runner-looking planet called Daiyu. There he attempts to rescue a kidnapped Princess Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair). But first, he stumbles through a crowded dystopian city full of neon and lost souls. There he runs into an unfortunate soul begging for credits in the marketplace. It’s a veteran clone trooper, once useful in the war, now tossed aside by the Empire.

The clone troopers were unfortunately brainwashed into carrying out Order 66, a command which forced the soldiers to murder all the Jedi against their will. This put them momentarily under Palpatine’s control and enabled his fascist empire to take control of the galaxy. This clone on Daiyu, now free from the mind control of Order 66, only asked Obi-Wan for some credits to get a warm meal. Though Obi-Wan was hesitant, he eventually helped the veteran with some of his money. But this clone might have been more than just another homeless person on the street. Will this bit of kindness just be another case of ships passing in the night, or be the tiny pebbles that preclude the coming of a massive avalanche?

Why the Clone Could Be Captain Rex

     Disney+

The clone we saw was played by Temuera Morrison, who plays all the clone troopers and Boba Fett. So it’s likely this was just a clever little way to give Morrison a small cameo in the series. But what’s interesting is the suit of armor we see the trooper wearing. It has blue paint in the design, indicating that this clone was part of the legendary 501st Legion. The 501st began as an elite group of clone troopers but carried its designation into the Empire, becoming Darth Vader’s personal legion of stormtroopers. They often worked alongside the 212th Attack Battalion, which Kenobi was assigned to during the Clone Wars. But the 501st is likely most famous for joining Anakin Skywalker during Order 66 on his deadly march on the Jedi Temple.

As demonstrated in Star Wars: The Bad Batch, clones can independently overcome their brainwashing, or they can be aided by others. So it’s likely this clone on the street became aware of his actions and made the ethical decision to leave the Empire. However, it is also somewhat likely that the Empire simply tossed him aside after trading out clones for recruited stormtroopers, which quickly happened within the first year of the Empire. The recruited soldiers required no brainwashing, as they were volunteers, and many saw clones as simply a form of organic droids. So many clones ended up jobless and tossed aside by the Empire after Palpatine seized control.

This particular clone might be a special case, however. Because of where Obi-Wan Kenobi falls on the Star Wars timeline (nine years Before the Battle of Yavin), it’s possible that this could be Captain Rex of the 501st Legion. The bearded and beaten clone looks similar to how Rex appears in Star Wars Rebels, which takes place just four years later (5 BBY). Granted, he’s a little more cleaned up by then, but this appearance does occur at a moment in time when we’re not quite sure what has happened to Rex. Historically speaking, we most recently saw the Captain in Bad Batch (~19 BBY) as he – having recently been freed from the Empire’s mind control – attempts to skirt the orders of the newly established Empire and ensure the safety and morality of his squad.

The Bad Batch has yet to be concluded, with a second season due to premiere this year, so we aren’t sure what Captain Rex’s fate is between then and his appearance in Star Wars Rebels. So it is perfectly plausible that this homeless veteran is a beleaguered Rex who is, for the moment, terribly down on his luck.

What Could We See Next From Captain Rex?

     Lucasfilm Animation

With the iconic beard and blue captain’s pauldron, it’s quite likely that we are looking at Captain Rex. It wouldn’t be a stretch to assume he gets separated from the other clones in Bad Batch and winds up struggling through the galaxy before he sees hope in helping from the Rebellion. That few credits Obi-Wan gave him could have been just enough to help him get off-planet and try to find Ahsoka and the other Rebels. Or even sooner, we might see him later in the series helping Obi-Wan as a way of returning the favor.

If it was indeed Rex, then it’s likely we’ll see the fan-favorite clone in a live-action series again. His story and Ahsoka’s are closely tied together. Ahsoka freed the clone trooper from the Empire’s brainwashing, and they traveled together in Rebels. With Ahsoka’s own series coming to Disney+ in 2023, it’s quite possible we could see him there. Whatever the case may be, it would be exciting to see such a popular character make the jump from animation to live-action. And it would give Temuera Morrison even more work.