One of Star Wars‘ most venerable Jedi Masters, Obi-Wan Kenobi, is still just a youthful Padawan in 1999’s Episode I: The Phantom Menace. So, how old is Obi-Wan in The Phantom Menace, exactly?
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Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Age in Star Wars: The Phantom Menace, Explained
Obi-Wan Kenobi is 25 in Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace. This is never explicitly stated on screen, as Star Wars creator George Lucas left most characters’ exact ages vague across the franchise’s first six installments. That said, The Phantom Menace‘s screenplay confirms that Lucas envisioned Obi-Wan as a 25-year-old, and the official Star Wars timeline has since made this detail canon. Interestingly, Lucas’ early scripts depicted Obi-Wan as a fully-fledged Jedi Knight in his early 30s, as Lucas hadn’t yet created Kenobi’s master, Qui-Gon Jinn. But once Qui-Gon was part of the equation, Lucas shaved a few years of Obi-Wan’s age, to fit his revised status as a Jedi learner.
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This worked in actor Ewan McGregor’s favor, as it put the Scottish star within the required age range for the Obi-Wan role. Principal photography on The Phantom Menace kicked off in June 1997, when McGregor was 26. McGregor had to play older in the two remaining entries in the Star Wars prequel trilogy, Episode II: Attack of the Clones and Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, however. While Obi-Wan is 35 in Attack of the Clones and 38 in Revenge of the Sith, McGregor was only 29 and 32 during their respective shoots. On the plus side, McGregor’s relative youth came in handy while filming both films’ various lightsaber fights, which may have proved too demanding for an older performer.
How Old Is Obi-Wan Kenobi In Other Star Wars Movies?
That’s Obi-Wan’s age in the prequels covered – but what about his other appearances on the big and small screens? Here’s how old he is in other Star Wars movies and TV shows:
- Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace – 25
- Star Wars – Episode II: Attack of the Clones – 35
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars Seasons 1-7 – 35-38
- Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith – 38
- Obi-Wan Kenobi – 48
- Star Wars Rebels Season 3, Episode 20 – 55
- Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope – 57
- Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back – 57
- Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi – 57
A few notes on the above list. First, as Force Ghosts don’t age, Obi-Wan’s spectral form manifests as a 57-year-old in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, following his death in A New Hope. By contrast, the Jedi Master’s voice-only cameos in Star Wars – Episode VII: The Force Awakens and Star Wars – Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker (not listed above) incorporate both his younger and older vocals. Even so, he’s still technically 57 on both of these occasions.
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We also haven’t listed Obi-Wan’s age in Episode 3 of the animated anthology series Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi‘s first season. That’s because Episode 3, “Practice Makes Perfect,” doesn’t have a definite date. It probably takes place between 21 BBY–19 BBY (when Obi-Wan was between 36 and 38), but we can’t say for sure.
Star Wars: The Phantom Menace is currently streaming on Disney+, as part of the platform’s Star Wars collection.
Published: May 1, 2024 09:21 am