Star Wars: 10 Massive Plot Holes The Prequels Stupidly Created

5. Why Did Obi-Wan Age So Rapidly In Twenty Years?

Star Wars Obi Wan Kenobi Tatooine
Lucasfilm

Finding out the Galactic Empire stood for the sum total of twenty-three years (the same amount of time since the Berlin Wall fell) is pretty disheartening - the whole thing seems a lot less menacing. But it also opens up the mind to all the timing inconsistencies the prequels introduced. Primary among them is how Obi-Wan aged at least ten years more than he conceivably should have.

Ewan McGregor was in his early thirties when he played the Clone Wars Obi-Wan, but Alec Guinness was a whopping thirty years older in Star Wars, despite only a nineteen year gap between films. When you consider Guinness was made to look a fair bit older for the role, it becomes plain ridiculous.

McGregor was clearly cast in Episode I for his youthful looks, but as his role switched and he became the master, the age problem became prominent. Now he was aged slightly by the time ROTS came around, but not to the extent where it'€™s believable he€™d be Ben old come Star Wars. Look at Ewan McGregor now - does he look ten years off Alec Guinness?

Maybe the Tatooine suns gave Ben a painful sunburn a few years into his stay and his skin never recovered.

Contributor
Contributor

Film Editor (2014-2016). Loves The Usual Suspects. Hates Transformers 2. Everything else lies somewhere in the middle. Once met the Chuckle Brothers.