Fans on Reddit made it clear that this live-action Grand Inquisitor (played by Rupert Friend) was close to the version of the character we see in "Star Wars: Rebels," but didn't quite fit the look of the character when he shows up in his animated form.
"I realize the 'Rebels' style is a cartoonified, stretched-out look. But even so, I would have preferred him look [sic] a little thinner in the face," wrote u/FiliusTExplodio on a Reddit post discussing the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" teaser trailer. Redditor u/TheGoverness1998 observed, "He definitely looks less slim than I thought he'd look in live-action lol," to which u/The49thwarrior added, "In 'Rebels,' he gives off the air of a diffident, aristocratic fencer. I'm not getting that vibe from him. He looks like a haunted house reject."
It is worth noting that the Grand Inquisitor's species, the Pau'an, are notoriously slim, and this character is no exception. In "Rebels," he is depicted as noticeably taller and thinner than the majority of characters. As u/RedRocka1 observed, previous live-action depictions of the Pau'an species (as seen on the planet Utapau in "Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith") are also extremely slim. "First thing I noticed as well," they wrote. "Aren't their heads a little longer too? He didn't look much like the Pau'ans from 'Revenge of The Sith' in my opinion. Hopefully, it doesn't turn into another Cad Bane discussion though."
This, of course, doesn't mean that Friend's portrayal should be automatically discounted. Cad Bane also managed to please at least a portion of "The Book of Boba Fett" audiences despite suffering similar issues. Nevertheless, it is something fans will have to look past if they want to enjoy this iteration of the character.
