“Obi-Wan Kenobi” is the latest Star Wars live-action series to hit Disney+.
Taking place ten years after the events of “Revenge of the Sith,” Obi-Wan Kenobi learns in the second episode of the sixth-episode limited series that Anakin Skywalker is alive. Although it seems Obi-Wan assumed his padawan passed away on Mustafar, many fans called out the “plot hole.”
One writer for the series, Joby Harold, explained to The Wrap how, exactly, Obi-Wan didn’t know that Anakin was alive.
‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Breaks Down ‘Plot Hole’ In New Star Wars Series
Joby Harold admitted that it was “actually not something I pitched originally.” It was something he had to check with Lucasfilm creative executive Pablo Hidalgo, to make sure they weren’t breaking canon.
“That was something I discovered along the way, and sort of had to confirm with Pablo [Hidalgo] and really think, ‘Hold on a second, what does he actually know?” Harold asked. “Does he know the moniker Vader? What would that mean? Can he associate the two? What was he cognizant of? How isolated is he? Where’s Vader at that time? Where’s his reputation and how well known is he?’ and all those pieces of the puzzle.”
Harold felt it was a “great piece of storytelling” for Kenobi, especially when they used it to get star Ewan McGregor to “play the moment of realization that that which haunts him is still alive.”
“And what does that mean for him?” Harold asked. “There were many avenues that I could take him down, all of which hopefully are good opportunities to tease out the story as we continue. But it all comes down to, is it viable within canon to play that card? Which it was.”
“Which is great, because that allows you, at the end of Episode 2 and the beginning of Episode 3, it gets you so much that feels essential to the fundamental story, which is Obi-Wan, Vader, that which haunts you, facing the past, everything that comes to fruition in 3 and beyond,” he continued.
Harold added, “It was a good day when we realized we could use it and do it. It made the story active, especially for the viewer that isn’t as familiar with canon as we all are.”
Pablo Hidalgo Is ‘This Sort Of Mad Genius’
There are many different canon elements to the franchise, including movies, TV shows, novels, comic books, and many other projects.
“The spectacular thing about ‘Star Wars’ versus some of the other big franchise-y IP stuff I’ve been lucky enough to work on is everything’s so buttoned-up,” Harold explained. “In regards to canon and the things you can do and the things you can’t do, very, very quickly you find out what’s on the table and what isn’t.”
“Everything’s an email or a phone call away,” he added. “You sort of have a big idea and you say, ‘Hey, can I do this?’ And someone goes, ‘No’ and you go, ‘Okay fine’ (laughs). Or they say, ‘Yeah, you’re allowed to do that,’ and then we canoodle and see if it bears fruit.”
“Pablo is this sort of mad genius, and he was incredibly helpful, and always available,” Harold continued. “And I’ll be forever grateful for his help because you can hunt any idea if he can say, ‘Yeah, if you want. You’re OK there.’”
New episodes of “Obi-Wan Kenobi” are available every Wednesday on Disney+ up until the final episode on June 22.
