Obi-Wan Kenobi is one of the most important characters in the movies of Star Wars. However, where the Jedi Master originally comes from was a secret for a long time – until George Lucas was finally asked about it.
The biographies of the various characters from Star Wars are usually well documented thanks to numerous movies, series, books, and comics. Still, there have been and still are some unanswered questions, such as the origin of Yoda. And Obi-Wan Kenobi has also left room for speculation since the release of Episode 4 in 1977.
It was simply not known from which planet Obi-Wan came. Only thanks to a question to George Lucas during an interview did Star Wars fans get an answer. Although it wasn’t meant to be serious, it still made its way into the official canon.
The first appearance of Obi-Wan Kenobi was in Episode 4 – see the trailer here:
Master George has spoken
Where does Obi-Wan come from? In 2010, talk show host Jon Stewart wanted to know just that from George Lucas. During an interview, which you can watch an excerpt of on YouTube, the creator of Star Wars hesitated for a moment. Then he said:
That was one of the first things I wrote in the first script. He (Obi-Wan) comes from the planet Stewjon.
George Lucas
“Stewjon” was a reference to the name of talk show host Jon Stewart and was probably meant as a joke. Just like the fact that the name was already in the first script.
Nevertheless, the planet Stewjon was included in the official canon of Star Wars. After all, George Lucas’s word meant a lot back then. Before the acquisition of Star Wars by Disney, he was the supreme ruler over story and lore. That changed after the purchase.
Over the years, some additional information about Obi-Wan’s home planet has accumulated.
What is there to know about Stewjon? The planet is located in the eponymous Stewjon system. The atmosphere consists of an oxygen mix that allows humans to live on Stewjon. Nature mainly consists of grass.
Obi-Wan has little memory of this place, which he also communicates to his Padawan Anakin. This is because the later master was taken for Jedi training very early in his life.
Outside of the canon, Star Wars Legends tells that Obi-Wan has only a few memories of his family. Among other things, he remembers eating fruits with his brother Owen. After completing his basic training, Obi-Wan was allowed to visit the planet and his family from time to time.
Another character from Stewjon is Tadd Marteens, a rebel who appears in the Star Wars comics.
The origin of Stewjon may stem from a joke, but it is still remarkable that the planet is now part of the canon. Obi-Wan Kenobi himself has also received his own series on Disney+: Ewan McGregor reveals the original series idea for Obi-Wan Kenobi: “He drinks too much and gets beaten up”
