Reva 4 Ever | Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi Fanfiction

Author's Note

I don't generally write author's notes to my stories.

I don't generally write Star Wars fanfiction, for that matter.

I am not a die-hard Star Wars fan, but I appreciate the lore and the fantasy of the world.

I went into watching Obi-Wan Kenobi with not much expectations.

Therefore, I was taken aback by the amount of hate and vitriol directed at Moses Ingram and the character she portrays in the series, Reva Sevander.

I'll get this out of the way now: do I think Reva is a perfect character? No. She's quite flawed.

Does she deserve to be the pariah and whipping girl for all of the fans' grievances towards the shortcomings of Star Wars? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

There's a lot to like about the character Reva. I like the idea of a tragic figure picking herself up after near death and climbing through the ranks to achieve the singular goal of exacting  revenge.

(Also...not gonna lie, her all-black outfit is sharp.)

Could the character have been written better? I think so.

Her motivations, when finally revealed, seem rather flimsy, and her heel turn at the very end of Obi-Wan felt not only predictable, but rushed and unearned.

It's implied she's killed and tortured many (including younglings!) to achieve her current station, but when presented with the opportunity to kill one more small child, THAT is where she has a change of heart? Make it make sense.

All in all, I'm conflicted.

And as a Black female watcher who APPRECIATES Star Wars but doesn't consider herself a loyal disciple at its altar, I come at the Reva-bashing from a different perspective.

It's hard to not view this dislike of Reva, a Black antagonist, as a reflection on society's lack of empathy and care for its own Black women.

I cringed when Beru and Owen pulled some 'Stand Your Ground' moves on Reva in the final episode.

I was saddened that Reva's silent fury and torment was not acknowledged or handled particularly well by Obi-wan's script, instead dismissed by fans as Disney shoehorning in their message that all female characters must be strong and infalliable.

People are so quick to empathize with The Deep in The Boys after the things he did in Season 1, but are happy to pinpoint Reva as the worst thing ever to Star Wars. I don't think that's fair.

I wrote 'Reva 4 Ever' not for shock value, but to point a mirror at the reader to consider if they would have felt the same way about Reva if she wasn't this fearless Inquisitor for the Empire, but a vulnerable African-American girl who endured a contemporary traumatic event, yet still had to face a world rife with microaggressions and gatekeeping.

I hope with this fanfic, I am able to shine a light on these same issues present within the Star Wars community.