Who is Flea in Obi-Wan? How his character reveals one way Kenobi has changed

If the Red Hot Chili Peppers existed in Star Wars, would they sing about Coruscant-ication? We may never know because the bounty hunter played by RHCP bassist Flea seems to have finished his Obi-Wan Kenobi arc by the end of Episode 2. But if you’re wondering who Flea plays in Kenobi\ or why his character matters, here’s what you need to know.

Warning! Spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi Episodes 1 and 2 ahead.

Who is Flea in Obi-Wan Kenobi?

Michael Peter Balzary (aka, Flea) plays the leader of a gang of criminals who get hired to kidnap a young Leia Organa. Orchestrated by Reva (one of the Jedi-hunting Inquisitors played by Moses Ingram), the plan here is to use Leia to lure Obi-Wan Kenobi out of hiding.

It works, and even though Obi-Wan is able to escape from Flea and his compatriots (more on that shortly), Reva manages to track him down. However, Kenobi manages to escape once again thanks to some Inquisitor infighting — but not before he finds out that his old student Anakin Skywalker (aka, Darth Vader) is still alive and looking for Obi-Wan.

We really don’t learn more about Flea’s character. He seems like a jerk and he’s evil (or at least, he’ll do evil things for money. But what we do see could have bigger implications.

What Flea reveals about Obi-Wan Kenobi

For one thing, Flea’s character reveals just how far a mercenary will sink in this era of the Star Wars timeline. The show takes place 10 years after Revenge of the Sith, at a time when the Empire rules and the Jedi are almost wiped out. It’s dark times, and this bounty hunter is doing whatever it takes to get by.

More interesting, perhaps, is what Obi-Wan does to survive. After being handed some “spice” on the street earlier in Episode 2, he uses this fictional substance as a hallucinogenic smoke bomb, throwing it at the ground to distract and intoxicate Flea and his compatriots.

In the moment, this seems pretty normal, but Kenobi is fighting dirty. Considering that he was once one of the most memorable people in Star Wars, it’s interesting to see how Obi-Wan has already changed — and not necessarily for the better.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is streaming now on Disney+.