Obi-Wan Kenobi's Homeworld Was A Joke From George Lucas

While George Lucas' name for Obi-Wan Kenobi's homeworld is still part of Star Wars canon, it actually began as nothing more than a joke. Before Disney bought Star Wars in 2012, Star Wars canon was divided into a hierarchical system with G-Canon (George Lucas canon) outranking everything else. This meant that the Star Wars movies and TV shows Lucas was directly involved in took precedence, but it also meant that Lucas' behind-the-scenes comments were considered.

One of Lucas' remarks during an interview, originally intended to be comedic, was taken seriously and turned into Obi-Wan's homeworld. Previous Star Wars reference guides had listed Coruscant as Obi-Wan's place of birth, but once Lucas came up with a new world, future books were updated to reflect it. Even after the old Star Wars Expanded Universe was rebranded as "Legends", Lucas' name for Obi-Wan's homeworld is still official canon, despite having started as a joke.

How George Lucas Created Obi-Wan's Homeworld

Jon Stewart inspired it during an interview

George Lucas first came up with the name for Obi-Wan Kenobi's homeworld at Star Wars Celebration V during an interview with comedian and TV host Jon Stewart. When asked what world Obi-Wan came from, Lucas appeared to be thinking of something, but Stewart insisted that he not make it up on the spot. Lucas jokingly replied that it was one of the first ideas he came up with for Star Wars, stating that the name of Obi-Wan's planet was "Stewjon." Those in attendance laughed hysterically at Lucas slightly rearranging Stewart's name into a part of Star Wars history.

This wasn't the only surprise Lucas had for Stewart during the interview, which R2-D2 came on stage to reveal. Lucas was pleased to hand Stewart a custom action-figure version of himself with two heads, one matching his current appearance and the other with a goatee he had shaved recently. It may have all been good fun, but not many non-Star Wars actors walk away from a George Lucas interview with their name and likeness integrated into the franchise.

Related

10 Things You Didn't Know About Obi-Wan Kenobi

Obi-Wan Kenobi has been an important character in Star Wars from the beginning, but not everything about him is well-known, including these 10 facts.

Everything We Know About Obi-Wan's Homeworld

Little is known about Obi-Wan's planet of origin

Aside from a name inspired by a real-world comedian, not much else has been revealed about Obi-Wan Kenobi's homeworld, especially in Star Wars canon. Obi-Wan once told Anakin Skywalker that he did not remember leaving his homeworld, and he later told Princess Leia Organa that he only vaguely remembered his family. The Legends timeline painted Obi-Wan's homeworld as having a grassy terrain, but this was long before Lucas came up with a name.

George Lucas' "Stewjon" Joke Fixed A Star Wars Canon Problem

Lucas didn't even intend to accomplish this

Hilariously enough, Lucas' joke actually did end up fixing a problem that already existed in Star Wars canon at the time. Though now regarded as Legends, the description of Obi-Wan's homeworld having a grassy terrain - as mentioned above - did not fit with the homeworld assigned to him in other places: Coruscant. This was a major inconsistency, as Coruscant is clearly a metropolitan world with little grass in sight, aside from carefully created gardens such as those at the Coruscant Jedi Temple.

Related

Obi-Wan Kenobi's Complete Star Wars Timeline Explained

Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the most recognizable characters in Star Wars, meaning he also has an extensive timeline within the franchise.

By creating "Stewjon," Lucas offered Star Wars a way to correct this issue. Obi-Wan was offered a newly named homeworld that could fit with the description provided in this Legends story, and having Coruscant recorded as his birthplace could simply be a result of those who took Obi-Wan in at the Temple not knowing his point of origin. Hilariously enough, this was something Lucas needed to do for the sake of continuity.

It's unclear just how much about Stewjon will be revealed over time, though as mentioned before, Star Wars canon has taken some steps to give Obi-Wan's past some important details. While these details are few and far between, it's not out of the realm for them to develop, though that may be unlikely. Since George Lucas intended Obi-Wan Kenobi's homeworld to be a joke, only time will tell if future Star Wars stories reveal more about it.

Obi-Wan Kenobi

The Padawan of Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi became a Jedi Knight after his master's death. Obi-Wan trained Anakin Skywalker as a Jedi, with his own apprentice knighted after the Battle of Geonosis. The Jedi Master became a key player in the Jedi during the Clone Wars, and was heartbroken when Anakin turned to the dark side; Obi-Wan critically wounded Anakin before taking to the shadows, watching over the young Luke and Leia for years. He sacrificed himself for his two charges, becoming a Force Ghost and continuing to mentor them.

Died Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope

Alias Ben, Rako Hardeen

Alliance Jedi

Race Human