Summary
DespiteObi-Wan Kenobibeing one of the most prominent characters inStar Wars, these 10 things about him aren’t commonly known. Obi-Wan has been inStar Warsmovies and TV showssince the very beginning, and he played a massive role in Luke Skywalker and Anakin Skywalker’s lives, shaping the future of the galaxy. Obi-Wan is also undoubtedly one ofStar Wars’best charactersand one ofthe most powerful Jedi.
In spite of this massive influence, though, many things about Obi-Wan have been revealed outside the Skywalker Saga. Without having watched variousStar WarsTV shows and reading the canonStar Warsbooks, it’s quite easy to miss these aspects of Obi-Wan’s character. Indeed,these 10 facts about Obi-Wan Kenobi are much lesser known in the franchise.
We Think We’ve Finally Solved Star Wars' Biggest Obi-Wan Kenobi Mystery
Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the most important characters in Star Wars, yet one confusing aspect of his story has yet to be fully explained.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Although the Jedi Initiates are taken at a young age to prevent attachments from forming with their families,Obi-Wan Kenobi shockingly revealed that he had a few vague memories of having a biological brother. Adorably, Obi-Wan seemingly only ever revealed this to young Leia inObi-Wan Kenobi. This small moment has significant implications for Obi-Wan and forStar Wars, though.
Perhaps, this early separation/loss informed the attachment Obi-Wan eventually developed to Anakin.
Obi-Wan speaking of this brother almost longingly reveals the ways the Jedi forbidding attachments can continue to have an impact even when children are taken at a young age and the Jedi is committed to the Order and the Jedi way (unlike Anakin, who always struggled with this). However, this also has significance when it comes to Anakin. As Obi-Wan made clear inStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Anakin was like a brother to him, and it was brutal to let him go; perhaps, this early separation/loss informed the attachment Obi-Wan eventually developed to Anakin.
9Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Homeworld Was A Joke From George Lucas
Obi-Wan’s Home Planet ‘Stewjon’ Has Fascinating (And Hilarious) Origins
Little is known about Obi-Wan Kenobi’s origins, althoughhis home planet was revealed by George Lucas—initially, as a joke. In 2010, Lucas did an interview with Jon Stewart. When asked about the planet Obi-Wan came from, Lucas jokingly told Stewart that the planet’s name was ‘Stewjon,’ a play on the interviewer’s name. However, while that name may have just been playful at the time, Stewjon has hilariously becomeStar Warscanon.
Stewjon has hilariously becomeStar Warscanon.
For one,Obi-Wan’s officialStar WarsDatabank pagelists Stewjon as one of his home locations. Moreover, the planet was further canonized in the comicStar Wars Adventures: The Trouble at Tibrin, which revealed that a Rebel fighter, Tadd Marteens, also came from Stewjon. Given that, it’s clear that Lucas' joke did indeed turn into Obi-Wan’s canonical home planet, Stewjon, although little else is currently known about the planet.
8Obi-Wan’s Krayt Dragon Call Was Created… Using The Force
This Moment In A New Hope Finally Has A Clear Explanation
A New Hopeintroduced the Tusken Raiders, a group native to Tatooine who became increasingly prominent in the franchise (most notably inStar Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Cloneswhen they killed Anakin’s mother, and he, in turn, killed all of them). At the time, next to nothing was known about the Tusken Raiders, asStar Warswas doing a considerable amount of world-building in its first movie. This made it unclear why, early in the movie, Obi-Wan let out an unusual animal call, scaring the Tusken Raiders away and saving Luke Skywalker.
However, over time, the franchise has revealed thatthis was in fact the call of a Krayt dragon, a terrifying creature that the Tusken Raiders feared above all else. In fact,The Mandalorianrevealed just how formidable the Krayt dragon was, further clarifying precisely why the Tusken Raiders responded the way they did. Interestingly,Star Warshas since also confirmed that Obi-Wan was actually calling upon the Force at that moment, using the Force power sound mimicry to create the noise.
7Alec Guinness Is The Only Star Wars Actor To Get An Oscar Nomination For His Role
Shockingly, Star Wars' Oscar Nominations Have Been Quite Minimal
Sir Alec Guinness was undoubtedly an incredible actor, and he perfectly introduced Obi-Wan Kenobi as a character inStar Wars. Nevertheless, it’s shocking thatAlec Guinness is the onlyStar Warsactor to be nominated for an Oscar for their role in the franchise. Although theStar Warsmovies have been nominated for various Oscars, none but Guinness' has been for an actor. Moreover, whileStar Warsactors have been nominated for and won Oscars for roles in other movies, Guinness is the sole nominee for an actor in aStar Warsmovie.
Guinness won his Oscar for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in 1978, clearly based on his performance inA New Hope. Again, this was quite well-deserved; Guinness' delivery of the character was perfect, and he made theStar Warsgalaxy seem quite real. Hopefully, though, more Oscars are in the cards forStar Warsactors, as there is significant talent within the franchise.
6Ewan McGregor’s Uncle Played Wedge Antilles In The OT
This Was McGregor’s First Family Connection In Star Wars—Now He Has Another
Obi-Wan also has some interesting family ties inStar Warsthrough Ewan McGregor. Specifically,McGregor’s uncle, Denis Lawson, played Wedge Antilles in the original trilogyand reprised his role inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. As this happened before McGregor took on the role of Obi-Wan for the prequel trilogy, presumably, his uncle’s experience added to McGregor’s interest in joining the franchise.
Obi-Wan also has some interesting family ties inStar Warsthrough Ewan McGregor.
However, that isn’t McGregor’s only family connection inStar Wars. Rather, his wife, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, played live-action Hera Syndulla inAhsoka. Although this means McGregor has yet to share the screen with either of his family connections, this nevertheless remains a fascinating fact about Obi-Wan (and, of course, McGregor). Winstead’s role is also likely not over, asthe upcomingAhsokaseason 2is already in the works. Hera was pivotal in season 1, so she will almost certainly be returning to the role next season.
Luke Skywalker
Obi-Wan was undeniably responsible for Luke Skywalker becoming the Jedi he was. Although Obi-Wan died inA New Hopeand Master Yoda completed Luke’s training, Obi-Wan was the one to introduce Luke to the notions of the Jedi and the Force and begin his training. Moreover,Obi-Wan left journals with information about his time on Tatooine and his various efforts with the Force for Luke to find.
Obi-Wan was undeniably responsible for Luke Skywalker becoming the Jedi he was.
Following Obi-Wan’s death inA New Hope, Luke evidently returned to Obi-Wan’s home on Tatooine, which is where he discovered the journals that indicated they were for him. Interestingly, these journals were not exactly instructions or further training. Rather, they documented Obi-Wan’s time on Tatooine, from protecting Luke to working on his ability to connect with his former master, Qui-Gon Jinn, through the Force. Although Luke was initially irritated that the journals did not offer insight into the Force, these journals were quite meaningful.
While George Lucas is arguably best known forStar Wars, his other major franchise,Indiana Jones, is also incredibly popular and well-known. It’s also clear that Lucas had plenty of fun connecting his two massive franchises, as he included many Easter eggs in the movies. One such Easter egg had a specific connection to Obi-Wan.
InIndiana Jones and theTemple of Doom, a nightclub carries the name Club Obi Wan, a shockingly direct Easter egg. Of course,this reference is also particularly funny given Obi-Wan’s history with bars. In addition to cutting off someone’s arm in a bar inA New Hope(setting off a trend of lost arms inStar Wars), Obi-Wan also hilariously decided to stop for a drink at a bar inAttack of the Cloneswhen he sent Anakin to try and track down Padmé’s mystery assassin.
Rey Skywalker
While Ewan McGregor remains involved in the franchise, most recently by leading his own show set during the Dark Times,Obi-Wan Kenobi, there was a surprising Alec Guinness cameo inStar Wars: The Force Awakens—at least in voice. In the movie, Rey comes in contact with Anakin’s lightsaber and, after touching it, gets thrown into a series of visions. During this disorienting scene, Alec Guinness' voice can be heard saying"Rey."
Guinness sadly passed some time ago, so it was clear thatStar Warshad used some special technique to get this to work in the movie. It turns out,The Force Awakensdid this by editing old audio of Guinness saying the word"afraid.“Star Warshas proven to be extremely creative when it comes to using de-aging and old footage to bring back previous characters, but this strategy was particularly inventive. Luckily, Rey’s name was contained within the word ‘afraid.’
2Obi-Wan Loses His Lightsaber Twice In The Movies
Obi-Wan May Have Chastised Anakin, But He Did The Same Thing
Obi-Wan made it very clear throughout the prequel trilogy andStar Wars: The Clone Warsthat he was rather annoyed with Anakin’s tendency to lose or break his lightsaber, and he famously told Anakin,“This weapon is your life.“In fact, this was such a constant issue between master and apprentice that, at one point, Anakin breaks his lightsaber and laments that Obi-Wan is going to kill him for letting it happen again. Unfortunately, it seems this rebuking was a bit hypocritical, asObi-Wan lost his lightsaber not once but twice inStar Wars.
Obi-Wan first lost his saber during his battle with Darth Maul inStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, as Maul kicked it down the reactor shaft he eventually fell down. It was only with Qui-Gon’s lightsaber that Obi-Wan was able to defeat Maul, impressively leaping up from his precarious position hanging off the side of the reactor shaft. Obi-Wan then lost his new lightsaber inAttack of the Cloneswhen he was captured by Count Dooku. Of course, Obi-Wan can likely be forgiven for this; after all, each time he lost his lightsaber, he was fighting a Sith Lord.
1Obi-Wan’s “Ben” Nickname Has A Deep Meaning
Obi-Wan Picked This Name Because Of His Surprising Love Interest
One of the most shocking revelations about Obi-Wan came inThe Clone Wars, when Satine Kryze was introduced as his love interest. Although Obi-Wan never truly acted on these feelings, this was nevertheless a genuine surprise, as Obi-Wan was always so loyal to the Jedi way and clearly disagreed with Anakin’s growing feelings for Padmé. Also, although he never acted on it, Obi-Wan did tell Satine that if she had asked him to, he would have left the Order for her.
Sadly, Satine was killed by Darth Maul right in front of Obi-Wan inThe Clone Wars. It seems Obi-Wan never truly lost his feelings for Satine, though, as his alias he used on Tatooine, Ben Kenobi, was the same name Satine had called him. Truly, of all the little-known facts aboutObi-Wan KenobiinStar Wars, this is one of the most shocking and easily one of the most touching.
