The Story Behind Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Home Planet and Its Connection to Comedian Jon Stewart
Is there coarse sand that gets everywhere on Obi-Wan's home world?
The new Obi-Wan Kenobi series is coming soon to water my crops, clear my skin, and resurrect the beast called “monstrous Prequel Trilogy stan” that lives deep down in my belly. I already know that I will not be the same person come May 27th—my imprint with Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker is so deep, that the only way for me to handle the announcement of their return (to their iconic roles) was by screaming.
So as I not-so-patiently wait for the release date to come, I have been brushing up on my Star Wars knowledge. I have no problem admitting that I haven’t spent consistent time in the galaxy far, far away since the mess that was The Rise of Skywalker. So, here I am to share some of the tidbits I’ve gathered with you—like Obi-Wan’s home planet, for example. And it has a very quirky backstory.
What We Know From the Franchise
Some planets of the galaxy far, far away are as famous as the saga itself. Tatooine and its twin suns, Alderaan and its tragic end, Naboo and its lakeside villas (that happen to be the best locations for secret weddings)—you get the idea. But Obi-Wan has never said much about the planet he was born on during the run of the two trilogies that feature his character.
Going Back to the Source
George Lucas, however, has some ideas about it, and the story behind the name is hilarious.
So, Lucas revealed the name of the planet during the 2010 Star Wars Generation V convention. During the convention, host Jon Stewart asked Lucas what the name was of Obi-Wan’s home planet. Lucas’ answer was very sure:
“This is one of the first things I wrote in the very first script. He comes from the planet Stewjon”.
Everyone thought it was a very funny play on Jon Stewart’s name, but even if it started as a joke, planet Stewjon actually entered the Star Wars canon as the place where Obi-Wan Kenobi was born (and lived out the first years of his life before being taken to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant—when he revealed himself to be Force-sensitive).
The planet’s name appears on Wookieepedia, several guides and companion books to the series, and even on Obi-Wan Kenobi’s page on the official Star Wars website. It might have started as a riff on George Lucas’ part, but he’s the creator—and what he says sticks. And who knows, we might even see a glimpse of it in a flashback during Obi-Wan Kenobi in May. Maybe Jon Stewart will cameo as a ruler there—it seems unlikely, but anything is possible.
Meanwhile, I will have to keep praying for a flashback where we see Anakin before he became Darth Vader, so I’m using all of my Force to focus on that, but a chance to see another world of the galaxy far, far away might also be nice.
(via: CBR; image: Disney Plus)
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