I Think Joel Edgerton As Uncle Owen Is Easily the Most Underrated in Star Wars

I’ve watched Star Wars more times than I can count, and over the years, there’s one actor who’s really stuck with me – not for flashy lightsaber fights or big speeches, but for something quieter that still hits just as hard. Joel Edgerton as Uncle Owen is, hands down, one of the most underrated performances in the entire franchise.

He didn’t get a ton of screen time, but the moments he did get? They added so much more to the story than most people give credit for. Especially in Obi-Wan Kenobi, he brought something that changed the way I see the Lars family forever.

He Made Owen Feel Like a Real Person, Not Just a Grumpy Farmer

One of the things I loved most about Edgerton’s take on Owen is how grounded and real he made him feel. He’s not just the angry uncle trying to keep Luke away from adventure. In Kenobi, you can really feel that he’s scared, protective, and tired – but also fiercely loyal to the kid he’s raising.

There’s this one moment where he stands up to Obi-Wan and says, “He is my own.” That hit me hard. It’s not just a line – it shows you that he’s taken full responsibility for Luke, even though this kid was basically dropped on his doorstep. That line alone told me everything I needed to know about who Owen is and what he’s willing to do to protect the boy.

And when Reva shows up? He doesn’t back down. He goes face-to-face with an Inquisitor. Twice. That’s not something small. He was ready to die for Luke without blinking.

He Made Me Feel Different About Owen and Beru’s Deaths

Before Kenobi, I never thought too deeply about Owen and Beru’s deaths in A New Hope. They were there, they died, and the story moved on. But now, when I watch that scene, it stings in a way it never used to.

After seeing how hard they fought to protect Luke, it just hits differently. I don’t think of them as just two people who got caught in the wrong place – I see them as protectors who stood their ground. It feels like they knew what was coming and still chose to protect that boy. That’s brave.

Someone said that stormtroopers probably brought out flamethrowers only because they had no other option. And honestly? I get it now. That whole idea makes more sense to me than anything I used to believe about that scene.

He Should’ve Had More Time in Kenobi

As good as he was, I still wish he had more to do in the show. He didn’t have a lot of scenes, but every one of them mattered. He brought this calm strength to the role, and I feel like they could’ve built more around that.

If there’s ever a second season of Kenobi, I hope they don’t just push Owen to the side again. There’s so much they could explore – how he and Beru deal with living in fear, how they raise Luke with all that pressure around them. I honestly think Edgerton could carry that kind of story without any problem.

The Fact He Was Cast So Early Is Wild

I still can’t believe George Lucas cast him way back in Attack of the Clones, way before Joel Edgerton became a big name. At the time, no one really knew who he was. And now, after seeing him in movies like Warrior, The Gift, and The Great Gatsby, it just makes that early casting choice feel even smarter.

When he came back for Kenobi, he wasn’t just some background character anymore. You could tell how much experience he’d gained, and it all came through in how he played Owen – tough, protective, and quietly emotional.