James Earl Jones Is Back as Darth Vader in "Obi-Wan Kenobi"

The Disney+ series "Obi-Wan Kenobi" is bringing back a few of the most iconic Star Wars characters for a brand-new adventure. It's also marking the return of some actors we didn't expect to ever see in the Star Wars universe again, like Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen. While we already knew before the show aired that Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader (as played by Christensen) would be back, the big question remained whether the other Vader would return in any way. Does James Earl Jones, who famously voiced Darth Vader in the original trilogy, appear in the new series?

Before the series premiere, no one let any details slip about Jones's involvement. Christensen had just one response when Total Film asked him about Jones's presence (or lack thereof): "No comment."

But the third episode, titled "Part III," confirmed that Jones is once again voicing the iconic character. It was a major — and delightful — surprise to hear the 91-year-old's voice again. The actor, who most recently appeared in 2021's "Coming 2 America," hasn't commented on his involvement.

Meanwhile, Christensen is participating more in the Darth Vader side of the character than he ever has before. "When George [Lucas] had brought me onto the prequels, it was to play Anakin," Christensen told Total Film. "He gets knighted as Darth Vader towards the end [of 'Episode III'], and for a couple of scenes I get to put the suit on. But my journey with the character was with Anakin Skywalker. But the character? He's such a complex character. And now, getting to explore the mindset and the emotional state of Darth Vader, has been a lot of fun."

Jones has reprised the voice of Vader in other Star Wars projects since the original trilogy, including in the animated series "Star Wars Rebels," which is set just a few years after the Disney+ "Obi-Wan Kenobi" show takes place. He's also voiced Vader in other Skywalker Saga movies. In "Revenge of the Sith," Jones has an uncredited voice cameo, voicing Vader just after his transformation, and he has a similarly brief voice cameo in "The Rise of Skywalker." In the anthology film "Rogue One," Jones also reprises his voice role as Vader, with the story taking place immediately before "A New Hope."