Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi appears to have an egregious plot hole involving the Jedi’s age, but a simple Star Wars theory fixes the situation. Obi-Wan Kenobi finally brings Ewan McGregor back to the Star Wars universe, showing the title character’s journey during his years of exile. The trailer for the Disney+ series reveals Kenobi living like a hermit in Tatooine, watching a young Luke Skywalker grow up. He’s also doing everything he can to avoid the Empire’s grasp. Showing the series will deliver a significant dose of nostalgia for the Star Wars prequel trilogy, John Williams’ “Duel of the Fates” from Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace returns as the show’s soundtrack in the trailer.
In addition to Ewan McGregor returning as Obi-Wan Kenobi, the series brings back several Star Wars stars to reprise their roles. For instance, Joel Edgerton’s Owen Lars also appears in the trailer. When he appeared in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Lars took over caring for Luke Skywalker, keeping the boy secret to save him from the Empire. However, Luke’s biggest threat also returns in the series, with Hayden Christensen’s Anakin/Darth Vader set to appear. Darth Vader also has new help on the way in the form of the Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend), a character from Star Wars Rebels.
Ewan McGregor took on the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi in 1999’s The Phantom Menace, instantly creating a plot hole with his age. After all, McGregor, who was in his 20s when taking the role, looks vastly younger than Alec Guinness, who originally played Kenobi in 1977’s Star Wars: A New Hope. And with McGregor still not looking like Guinness’s graying version of the character in Obi-Wan Kenobi, the plot hole seems to be getting worse. However, a fan theory that harkens back to the prequel trilogy could finally explain the age discrepancy. Though, upon examining the Obi-Wan Kenobi plot hole further, it may not be much of a problem after all.
The Obi-Wan Kenobi Age Plot Hole Explained
The Obi-Wan plot hole essentially comes down to Alec Guinness and Ewan McGregor’s vastly different looks. Guinness was in his early 60s when filming A New Hope, giving Obi-Wan Kenobi an aged look of someone surviving the harsh landscape on Tatooine. Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan is much younger during his portrayal of the character in the prequel series, which should’ve worked since A New Hope takes place around 19 years after Revenge of the Sith. But now it seems 19 years isn’t long enough for the character to age up into the Alec Guinness version.
Obi-Wan Kenobi makes the plot hole stand out. In the series, McGregor’s character looks much closer in appearance to his Star Wars prequel trilogy days than he does to Alec Guinness’s version of the character, leaving a graceful age-up in doubt among fans. After all, the series takes place only nine years before A New Hope. Therefore, McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi needs to age into Alec Guinness’s character in under a decade. And that timeline could be even shorter. After all, Star Wars Rebels shows Obi-Wan just a few years before the events of A New Hope, having the character look much more like Alec Guinness’s version of Kenobi. So McGregor’s Kenobi may have even less time to age up than previously thought.
Fan Theory Fixes Obi-Wan Age Problem
The Obi-Wan age dilemma is a glaring issue, but fan theories may solve it. In Star Wars, Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi needs to look like Alec Guinness’s Obi-Wan Kenobi in under a decade, and a fan theory (via Twitter) has come up with a solution. According to the theory, Obi-Wan Kenobi will encounter a life-draining Force power that subsequently ages him up rapidly. And this power may happen by a selfless act to protect Luke Skywalker, which would fit with the character’s self-sacrificing nature. Though the details of how he encounters a life-draining Force power are murky, Star Wars may have already set a precedent for it.
The Star Wars prequel trilogy may further support the rapid aging theory. Revenge of the Sith already demonstrated the effects of a life-draining Force power in the battle between Mace Windu (Samuel L. Jackson) and Palpatine (Ian McDiarmid). In the battle, Mace Windu reflects Palpatine’s own Force lightning onto him. This power instantly gives Palpatine an aged, decrepit look, shriveling him into a grotesque character. Palpatine even acknowledges his drastically different looks, saying that the attempt on his life left him “scarred and deformed.” The prequels are obviously the anchor for Obi-Wan Kenobi, with John Williams’ “Duel of the Fates” even returning for the series. With Palpatine already encountering a life-draining Force in Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi could be in line for the same fate.
The Obi-Wan Plot Hole May Not Be A Problem At All
Though the Obi-Wan Kenobi plot hole seems egregious to some, it may not be as bad as it looks. Ewan McGregor is 50 years old, which means he’s just twelve years younger than Alec Guinness during production on Star Wars. A New Hope takes place around nine years after the events of Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, and, in that timeframe, McGregor will be close to Guinness’s age when he first entered the Star Wars universe. Additionally, Obi-Wan Kenobi’s looks may not be a big issue. Though the differences between McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi and Alec Guinness’s version of the character seem staggering, the timeline works. After all, McGregor’s Obi-Wan still has around a decade to look like Guinness’s older and grayer Kenobi in A New Hope. A decade is plenty of time for someone to go gray. And the Star Wars Rebels episode “Twin Suns,” which shows Kenobi only a couple of years before A New Hope, reveals the character as a graying Jedi who still has some brown in his hair. If anything, the episode fills in the gaps in the character’s aging process, showing the Jedi aged gradually after all.
Star Wars fan theories may ultimately explain Kenobi’s aging in the franchise. After all, the upcoming Disney+ show will undoubtedly harken back to the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and Revenge of the Sith revealed that Force powers could make someone look like they’ve aged. But even if Disney doesn’t show Kenobi’s rapid aging, the timeline still works out. So when it comes to the Obi-Wan Kenobi aging plot hole, it may not be much of a plot hole at all.
Key Release Dates
- Rogue Squadron (2023)Release date: Dec 22, 2023
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