Moses Ingram’s Reva is a big step forward for black ‘Star Wars’ characters

IT TURNS out being black a long time ago in a galaxy far, far away can be just as stressful as it is here in the Milky Way.

The return of Darth Vader and ObiWan Kenobi, a momentous occasion of geektacular anticipation for fans, has been marred by the vitriol of online racist taunts.

Moses Ingram, who stars as Reva the Third Sister in Disney Plus’s ObiWan Kenobi series, revealed through social media back in May that she received hundreds of hateful and racist messages after her ascension to the canon in one of pop culture’s biggest sci-fi playgrounds.

There were threats. She was called a diversity hire. It was ugly.

The response from Star Wars was swift. Official social media accounts posted support of Ingram and denouncement of the messages, and called for patience to let the story of Reva unfold. Titular star Ewan McGregor posted a video of support for Ingram.

Fans of colour, like me, can’t help but feel upset over the repetitiveness of such attacks. Kelly Marie Tran couldn’t escape them in the last theatrical trilogy. We can do better, people.

Black actors and other actors of colour have always been a part of the Star Wars universe. Has it been perfect? No. But after some blunders, and after the racist attacks, Ingram’s central role over the six-episode series has been the best kind of progress a fan of colour could ask for.

Star Wars has been plenty black for a minute now – from the soulful swag of Billy Dee Williams as Lando Calrissian in the original trilogy to the intimidating presence of Samuel

L Jackson’s Jedi Master Windu and his cooler-than-yours purple lightsabre in the prequels.

Are people’s ears deceiving them? Because the last time I checked, the creative nucleus of the Star Wars universe is Darth Vader. His humble beginnings. His legendary Jedi status. And his eventual fall to the Dark Side. But the man within the black machine is nothing without the black voice that gives him his true power. It could be argued that the vocal talent of James Earl Jones is the most important force in the Star Wars universe – and just as

integral in this new Obi-Wan Kenobi series as it was in the 1970s and 80s.

Puerto Ricans have made their presence known in live-action and animated Star Wars worlds. Jimmy Smits is one of the most important dads in the galaxy as Princess Leia’s adoptive father Bail Organa in the prequels and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Freddie Prinze jr voiced Jedi Kanan Jarrus on the animated Star Wars Rebels, and Rosario Dawson is playing Ahsoka Tano in The Mandalorian.

But Star Wars made some missteps when it came to black talent. John

Boyega was a stormtrooper janitor and part of a cruel play-action fake in trailers that made it seem like he was the next big Jedi in the franchise. The grace, beauty and skill of Academy Award-winning actress Lupita Nyong’o was tossed aside, and she got only a voice-over role of a CGI character.

Jackson’s cool Jedi vibes were shortlived – he was Darth Vader fodder by Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.

Now, in this Obi-Wan series, Reva has a beautifully woven origin story that appears to be trying to make up for those missteps. She was a child training to be a Jedi who witnessed Anakin Skywalker fall to the Dark Side and kill younglings like herself. She hates Anakin, but also hates Obi-Wan for not protecting everyone from the rage of his once star pupil. That’s what makes her so compelling as she's gone rogue – it’s impossible to see which side, if any, she is leaning toward.

This is the type of depth most black characters in the Star Wars universe haven’t been afforded in the past. Reva as a child is the first face we see on camera in Obi-Wan Kenobi – a hint to her relevance in a show that many thought would be just the ultimate galactic rematch between master and student. We later see her grow into a hate-filled, vengeance-hunting tool of an evil empire, and we’ve got one episode left to see whether she will seek redemption and return to the light side of the Force. The franchise’s errors of the past sting a little less when a character like Reva is allowed to live, breathe, make mistakes and atone.

The future of Star Wars, under the direction of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni, is as much about the creation of new characters as it is holding on to the past. That’s how we ended up with new icons such as the Mandalorian and Grogu. And now Reva can be added to that list. A black woman’s revenge against Darth Vader just might be my favourite Star War ever.

Reva could die the hero or the villain in the Obi-Wan Kenobi finale. Or she could live to see another day and show up in another series. If the latter happens, Lucasfilm will have to hope returning is something Ingram would consider given what she’s been through. No matter Ingram’s Star Wars future, Reva’s tale mattered. And the Star Wars universe is better because of it. |