Obi-Wan Kenobi’s look has remained relatively unchanged across the decades. He’s always donned in flowing robes of earth tones, from his years as a padawan to his final duel with Darth Vader. Because of this, it’s easy to miss when he does a costume change, but Ben’s outfits have a lot more than what’s available in the Tatooine markets.
In Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 6, Kenobi picks an outfit that is not only a reference to the comics but also provides a key insight into the inspiration for the series as a whole.
An Obi-Wan Kenobi Easter egg from the comics
In the finale’s final moments, we follow Obi-Wan as he wraps up his adventures. He visits Alderaan to say a final goodbye to young Leia and return her droid. Then he ends his journey by packing up his cave and telling Owen he was right — Luke should just be a boy for as long as he can. He doesn’t need to be trained as a Jedi, that could only cause problems similar to his father Anakin.
In this scene, Obi-Wan is wearing a white robe with a brown leather vest over it, a refreshingly functional and almost youthful costume. It’s no wonder this is the outfit he’s wearing when he reconnects with his old master Qui-Gon, it’s the one that looks most similar to his Phantom Menace padawan uniform.
But this is actually the outfit worn by Obi-Wan in the 2015 comic Star Wars #15. It follows Obi-Wan in his years in exile, acting as a guardian angel by protecting the Lars moisture farm from raids by the Tuskens and Jabba’s goons. In the story, Luke crashes his speeder, and Obi-Wan arranges for the local tribe of Jawas to provide him with parts for free.
“Haven’t you murdered enough Skywalkers?”
Later that night, Owen Lars visits Obi-Wan’s cave, where he returns the parts and warns Obi-Wan about the dangers of interfering with Luke’s life. “I’m not gonna let you warp the boy like you did his father,” Owen says. “Haven’t you murdered enough Skywalkers?”
It may be difficult to see how this conversation, which is basically a rehash of the one Obi-Wan has with Owen in Obi-Wan Kenobi, slots in with the events of the series. A close look at the timeline of the comic reveals the answer — the issue takes place in 10 BBY, a full year before the events of Obi-Wan Kenobi.
This proves the conversation Owen has with Obi-Wan is a sore subject. Owen has long had an issue with Obi-Wan’s interference in young Luke’s life. So the fact he wears a reference to this comic in the scene where he concedes Owen was right is a huge deal.
Obi-Wan Kenobi was always purported to be a standalone, individual story, but it’s still part of Star Wars canon — just like these relatively recent comics. So while there may not be as many direct references, there are plenty of Easter eggs for the eagle-eyed viewer.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming on Disney+.
