In the second episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi, we see a grizzled clone veteran on Daiyu. He asks for money, and Kenobi tosses him a coin. Who is this?
During research, I found that he was played by the same actor who played Jango Fett and the clones. He could also be Rex, as he has the colors of the 501st Legion. Or Kix. I think this cameo may be important later on.
The upcoming reference book Dawn of Rebellion: The Visual Guide was previewed at SDCC 2023, including a subsection on the clone veteran seen in Obi-Wan Kenobi:
NAX
Downtrodden in the streets of Daiyu is the clone trooper Nax. A veteran of many battlefields, including Teth, Christophsis, and Umbara, he was removed from the frontlines after extensive injuries. Rapidly declining from age acceleration and neglect, Nax asks passersby for credits.
- 501st helmet now serves as a credit receptacle
- Tattered rags to keep warm
- Leg still carries battlefield shrapnel
(Dawn of Rebellion: The Visual Guide, via https://www.starwars.com/news/sdcc-2023-lucasfilm-publishing-panel)
This character hasn't been confirmed in Canon to have been previously depicted, although a clone trooper is identified as "Nax" in the Legends novelization of The Clone Wars film. This matches with the Canon character's description as having fought at Christophsis and Teth.
Rex stabbed his fingers over the edge of the droid's breastplate and held it as he drove his other fist under its jawline to send its head cracking upward vertically with its neck, ripping its control cables from their connectors. He didn't even need to give an order. Each of his five troopers sprang to their feet. Coric snatched the rifle from the crippled droid as it tottered backward; Nax grabbed a lump of masonry and battered another droid until its head caved in. Rex ejected the vibroblade from his forearm plate and jumped onto a droid, tipping it off balance and gouging out its photoreceptors. As it flailed blindly, he severed all the control cables to its head.
(The Clone Wars (novelization), page 163-164; emphasis added)
If he's the same character in Canon as he is in Legends, this would make him one of the clones seen accompanying Rex to the monastery on Teth in the film:
(The Clone Wars (film), via YouTube)
The episode merely credits him as "Veteran Clone Trooper."
I don't see any implication that it's meant to be a returning named character or a hint of something to come. Instead, the scene represents how much the galaxy has changed since the Clone Wars and also demonstrates Obi-Wan's kindness.
He's likely not Rex or any other prominent 501st member since he doesn't seem to recognize Obi-Wan. Obi-Wan interacted with the officers of the 501st regularly.
Additionally, Captain Rex being destitute and alone doesn't really match with what we know of his life before and after the events of the show.
