Star Wars has surprisingly revealed quite a bit more about Obi-Wan Kenobi’s family in recent years, and, as it happens, they’ve proven rather important. The biological families of Jedi have scarcely been shown in Star Wars movies and TV shows, particularly in the Old Republic, as Jedi were typically taken from their families quite young to avoid potentially dangerous attachments. Anakin Skywalker (and the Skywalker family tree more broadly) has been an obvious exception to this.
However, Star Wars’ TV shows have begun to show more about certain Jedi’s origins, such as the episode of Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi that followed a storyline between Ahsoka Tano and her biological mother when Ahsoka was an infant. While Obi-Wan’s biological family hasn’t been shown to nearly that degree on screen, Star Wars has dropped a number of hints about what Obi-Wan’s family may have looked like. In particular, one fact revealed about Obi-Wan’s family in Obi-Wan Kenobi connected to a surprising George Lucas idea in a brilliant way.
George Lucas Originally Intended Owen Lars To Be Obi-Wan’s Brother
Shockingly, George Lucas originally intended Owen Lars to be Obi-Wan Kenobi’s brother. In a screenplay of Return of the Jedi, Obi-Wan explained to Luke that he had brought him as an infant to live with his brother, Owen, who became Luke’s adoptive father and ‘Uncle Owen.’ However, that ultimately did not appear in Return of the Jedi, and, instead, the prequels revealed that Uncle Owen was (technically) Luke’s uncle after all.
Specifically, Owen was the stepson of Anakin Skywalker’s mother, Shmi. Although Owen and Anakin never grew up together and only met once, that did make Owen Luke’s uncle. Interestingly, however, the idea that Owen was really Obi-Wan’s brother still appeared in certain sources, such as the novelization of Return of the Jedi. There was also a 1995 Star Wars card game that referenced Owen Lars being the brother of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
How Star Wars Legends Honored Lucas’ Original Plans For Owen Lars
Interestingly, Legends fleshed out this idea considerably. In Legends, Obi-Wan dreamed about his parents and a brother named Owen when he was a Padawan, believing the dreams to really be memories of his home life. In fact, it wasn’t until he learned of Anakin meeting his stepbrother, Owen Lars, on Tatooine that he began to question whether that was really true.
In the end, Obi-Wan came to realize that, rather than memories of his own brother, he had been experiencing Force visions showing Owen Lars. Although a bit obscure, this story worked to explain away the discontinuities when it came to Owen and Obi-Wan’s relationship. In fact, because Owen ultimately adopted Luke, there was almost something like a familial bond between the two of them. Moreover, Owen would become absolutely critical to the future of the Jedi, making Obi-Wan’s visions all the more reasonable.
Obi-Wan’s Brother Became Star Wars Canon In His TV Show
Although Owen wasn’t canonized as Obi-Wan’s brother, the Obi-Wan Kenobi show did shockingly reveal that Obi-Wan had a brother. In the show, Obi-Wan tells Leia that he believes he had a brother, as he remembers him very vaguely. Interestingly, this lines up quite well with the Legends story of Obi-Wan believing he was seeing his own brother in his dreams.
However, this time, the story seems here to stay, meaning that somewhere out there Obi-Wan does indeed have a brother. This is particularly curious, as it’s unclear whether that story will ever be developed. It seems an odd hint to drop if there’s no further exploration of whom that brother was, although that’s certainly not out of the question. Nevertheless, it’s thrilling to imagine that, at some point down the line, Obi-Wan’s true brother could make an appearance.
Obi-Wan’s Memories Of His Family Explain His Relationship With Anakin
This revelation in Obi-Wan Kenobi elucidated so much more about Obi-Wan’s relationship with Anakin Skywalker and, sadly, where that relationship went wrong. In Obi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan spoke with clear fondness about the brother he remembered. In fact, there was something almost sad about Obi-Wan recounting this memory, which is particularly telling.
There was something almost sad about Obi-Wan recounting this memory.
The Jedi were frequently taken as infants or toddlers to be Jedi Initiates because the Jedi had concerns about younglings forming attachments to their families. Anakin ended up being a perfect example of how much damage such attachment can do. However, this moment between Obi-Wan and Leia revealed that, in a sense, this is a real loss, too. Obi-Wan lived knowing he had a family he could barely remember, and even with ample Jedi training, there’s something sad about that.
This history and Obi-Wan’s sentiments about it help to explain Obi-Wan’s very complex relationship with Anakin as well, as it seems he was almost filling in that gap from his brother via Anakin. In fact, Obi-Wan’s already devastating statement on Mustafar in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith takes on a whole new meaning in this context. “You were my brother, Anakin; I loved you” conveys a whole new level of heartbreak in light of the knowledge that Anakin was not the first brother Obi-Wan said goodbye to and missed.
This could in turn explain Obi-Wan’s willingness to overlook Anakin consistently undermining the Jedi way, especially in his relationship with Padmé. Obi-Wan was certainly not solely to blame for Anakin’s fall; there were many moments leading to Anakin Skywalker’s downfall, most of them out of Obi-Wan’s control. However, it’s unfortunately true that he enabled or at least turned a blind eye to Anakin’s troubling behaviors.
It may very well be that Obi-Wan’s fond but distant memories of his brother clouded his judgment when it came to Anakin. Intriguingly, this would again be a reflection of the trouble attachment can cause, although it would effectively be the reverse of what the Jedi would expect. In Obi-Wan’s case, being removed from his family home may have caused him to experience these very feelings.
The true identity of Obi-Wan’s brother may never be revealed, nor may Obi-Wan’s feelings about his long-lost brother and his removal from his family. Nevertheless, it’s fascinating to know that the original idea for Owen Lars to be Obi-Wan’s brother generated so many different storylines, including the canonization of Obi-Wan having a brother in Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan Kenobi’s family, his brother included, may never be revealed on-screen, but it’s clear that his family did have a significant influence on Star Wars.