Obi Wan's age

Perinquus · Post by **Perinquus** » 2005-06-11 06:10pm

How does Obi Wan Kenobi go from this to this in a mere eighteen or nineteen years?:

Just how old is he supposed to be? I figure he's not supposed to be much over twenty in TPM. AOTC should be at most, about ten years later. I don't think ROTS is supposed to be more than ten years after AOTC either. So this should put his age at an absolute upper limit of forty five in ROTS. And to tell the truth, I get the feeling he's supposed to be a little younger than that -- around forty. Nineteen years later, he should be in his early to mid sixties, possibly even late fifties. Yet he looks much older. I realize he lives in a harsh desert climate during the last two decades of his life, but still... For that matter Owen and Beru Lars also look as though they make the jump from their early twenties to their late fifties between ROTS and ANH. Just how old are these people supposed to be?

Firefox · Post by **Firefox** » 2005-06-11 06:11pm

Just as you said, harsh living conditions are hell on a person's complexion. The jump between AotC and RotS is no more than three years, by the way.

Perinquus · Post by **Perinquus** » 2005-06-11 06:14pm

Firefox wrote:Just as you said, harsh living conditions are hell on a person's complexion. The jump between AotC and RotS is no more than three years, by the way.

If that's the case, then Obi Wan should be no older than his mid thirties by ROTS. Even allowing for harsh desert conditions, there's just no way he should look seventy or older by the time of ANH.

Phyre · Post by **Phyre** » 2005-06-11 06:15pm

Perinquus wrote:
Firefox wrote:Just as you said, harsh living conditions are hell on a person's complexion. The jump between AotC and RotS is no more than three years, by the way.
If that's the case, then Obi Wan should be no older than his mid thirties by ROTS. Even allowing for harsh desert conditions, there's just no way he should look seventy or older by the time of ANH.

About 20 years passed between ROTS and ANH... I guess he got in a few too many barfights...

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2005-06-11 06:16pm

Obiwan's Age:

TPM: 25
AOTC: 35
ROTS: 38
ANH: 57
(source: Leland Chee, of the Lucas Licensing Holocron)

Life on Tatooine just must have been very draining physically.
It does seem to be a bit of disparity though.

FedRebel · Post by **FedRebel** » 2005-06-11 06:34pm

Perhaps he altered his appearance to avoid detection by the Imperial garrison[/speculation]

ImperialBishop · Post by **ImperialBishop** » 2005-06-11 06:46pm

He also seems a bit too familiar with both the 'Sports Bar' in AoTC and the Cantina in ANH for his own good. I, for one, am not conviced Obi-Wan didn't turn to drink whilst waiting for Luke to come of age.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-06-11 06:53pm

For the record, Alec Guinness was 63 when Star Wars was filmed, only six years older than Kenobi's age of 57 at the time of ANH. Saying that Ben looked old for his age really does imply that Guinness looked old for his age, too.

Also, you're using a photo shot while they were filming RotJ in 1982, when Guinness was 68 and looked quite older than he did in ANH. False comparison. It would be better to use a photo of Guinness from ANH to do an actual comparison.

Anyway, this is far from the first time this has been brought up, and it's generally regarded that a combination of despair and nineteen years of living on a desert planet that's barely habitable were not kind to Kenobi.

Knife · Post by **Knife** » 2005-06-11 07:01pm

Perhaps it was the stress of training the guy who absolutely destroyed the very Order and everyone in it that you loved. Maybe the guilt of being friends with the dude who helped tear down the goverment and nation that you pledged yourself to and turn it into a mockery of itself. Or it could be the hardship of your best friend, the fellow who you helped raise and is like a son/brother to you, turned against you and everything you believe in and fucked it up the ass, sidewards.

Obi Wan litterly has the burden of the galaxy on his shoulders, that'll age anyone real quick.

Cal Wright · Post by **Cal Wright** » 2005-06-11 09:17pm

Roughly 60 which was Alec Guiness' age in ANH. I believe sources including the TPM novel stated Obi Wan to be 27. Assuming I am correct, it's 10yrs to AotC which makes him 37. Then RotS at an upper limit of 3 yrs, and saying it takes place over the course of 6mo, has him at 40.

Star Wars Trilogy paperback
ANH novelisation.
pg 14
Ch II
Luke Skywalker was twice the age of the ten-year-old vaporator, but much less secure.

It's 20yrs between RotS and ANH, meaning Obi Wan by my estimates is roughly 60yrs.

ANGELUS · Post by **ANGELUS** » 2005-06-12 01:15pm

Pure Sabacc wrote:Life on Tatooine just must have been very draining physically.
It does seem to be a bit of disparity though.

Well just look at uncle Owen and Aunt Beru, they must have been about 25 or so in ROTS, now look at htem in ANH 20 years latter. Tatooine mus be a really hard to live in planet. I mean, they really got older.

Post by **Vympel** » 2005-06-12 01:26pm

You don't need to go to Mr Chee for Obi-Wan's age, that's in the RotS novelization- it is correct though. Obi-Wan was 57-58.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-06-12 01:31pm

Cal Wright wrote:Roughly 60 which was Alec Guiness' age in ANH. I believe sources including the TPM novel stated Obi Wan to be 27. Assuming I am correct, it's 10yrs to AotC which makes him 37. Then RotS at an upper limit of 3 yrs, and saying it takes place over the course of 6mo, has him at 40.

Star Wars Trilogy paperback
ANH novelisation.
pg 14
Ch II
Luke Skywalker was twice the age of the ten-year-old vaporator, but much less secure.

It's 20yrs between RotS and ANH, meaning Obi Wan by my estimates is roughly 60yrs.

That's some pretty clunky math there with some inaccuracies and suppositions.

RotS doesn't span six months, and it's only 19 years between RotS and ANH.

Cal Wright · Post by **Cal Wright** » 2005-06-12 04:15pm

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:
Cal Wright wrote:Roughly 60 which was Alec Guiness' age in ANH. I believe sources including the TPM novel stated Obi Wan to be 27. Assuming I am correct, it's 10yrs to AotC which makes him 37. Then RotS at an upper limit of 3 yrs, and saying it takes place over the course of 6mo, has him at 40.

Star Wars Trilogy paperback
ANH novelisation.
pg 14
Ch II
Luke Skywalker was twice the age of the ten-year-old vaporator, but much less secure.

It's 20yrs between RotS and ANH, meaning Obi Wan by my estimates is roughly 60yrs.
That's some pretty clunky math there with some inaccuracies and suppositions.

RotS doesn't span six months, and it's only 19 years between RotS and ANH.

I'm taking into account the timeframe for Padme' pregnancy. 9 mo to birth a child, unless they were premature, say 7mo. I'm just saying that as a high, since I don't actually know the time between Anakin fucking her, and his return from the Outer Rim sieges.

And it's 20 years. I just posted the quote from ANH novelisation. Luke is 20 yrs at the time of ANH. RotS ends at his birth. Therefore, it's 20 years between the two movies.

Even with the unknown pregnancy timeframe it's still close to 60. If someone has the Ep I novel and can see if they mention his age in that, or the RotS (which I can skim through too) and see Obi Wan's age.

Lord Revan · Post by **Lord Revan** » 2005-06-12 04:24pm

IIRC Luke's age during ANH is never said in any other way then he is twice as old as a ten year old vaporator, 19 years old would fit this (19/2=9.5 and I think that line was never meant to be that precise).

Kurgan · Post by **Kurgan** » 2005-06-12 04:49pm

I can see it now...

"Obi-Wan's heavy concentration of the Force to mask his Jedi signature on Tatooine for all those years had taken its toll, causing his body to physically age a half a dozen years."

Are you listening to me, KJA/Stackpole?

So what about Owen & Beru? Silence!

Noble Ire · Post by **Noble Ire** » 2005-06-12 05:02pm

I'm taking into account the timeframe for Padme' pregnancy. 9 mo to birth a child, unless they were premature, say 7mo. I'm just saying that as a high, since I don't actually know the time between Anakin fucking her, and his return from the Outer Rim sieges.

They've been apart for three-four months, and it is possible she became pregnant even before that.

Cal Wright · Post by **Cal Wright** » 2005-06-12 06:41pm

Lord Revan wrote:IIRC Luke's age during ANH is never said in any other way then he is twice as old as a ten year old vaporator, 19 years old would fit this (19/2=9.5 and I think that line was never meant to be that precise).

Twice, eh? 2x10=20. My math may be clunky, but it's correct. It's also stated in ESB that he is 23.

Stormbringer · Post by **Stormbringer** » 2005-06-12 07:06pm

The one thing no one seems to have bothered considering is that Tatooine has two suns and thus a significantly higher than Earth-standard dose of stellar radiation. Twenty years of exposure to that on a very regular basis, the Lars being farmers and Obi-wan apparently being a wandering nut-job, is probably going to take one heck of a toll. Ever look at some one that's tanned too much over there life, they look prematurely aged; no doubt living under a binary sun did similar things to them.

And that's assuming that one Tatooine that they're getting proper nutrition. In most cases that doesn't seem likely; the shortage of moisture implied by moisture farming, means that the local diet is no doubt rather far from ideal. Again both the Lars and Kenobi are in a position among the rural class which probably makes any dietary deficiencies worse because of the problem of offworld imports.

So there doesn't really need to be that much more than acknowledging they live in crappy conditions on a nasty little planet.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-06-12 07:23pm

Cal Wright wrote:
Lord Revan wrote:IIRC Luke's age during ANH is never said in any other way then he is twice as old as a ten year old vaporator, 19 years old would fit this (19/2=9.5 and I think that line was never meant to be that precise).
Twice, eh? 2x10=20. My math may be clunky, but it's correct. It's also stated in ESB that he is 23.

That's because ESB takes place four years after ANH. 19+4=23.

And you are aware of retconning and overriding information, right? ANH officially takes place 19 years after RotS, while ESB officially takes place four years after ANH. RotJ is also one year after ESB. It doesn't matter what the novelisations say when they're overridden by the official timeline.

Cal Wright · Post by **Cal Wright** » 2005-06-13 03:00am

What official timeline? Only the movies overtake the novels. Nothing in the movies say shit about thier age. Move to the novels. Novels state Luke as 20, and then again as 23.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-06-13 03:15am

But that's overidden by the timeline used everywhere.

HemlockGrey · Post by **HemlockGrey** » 2005-06-13 03:27am

Says who? Lucas?

Although, you would think Obi would be able to eat a little better than some shitty assbackwards farmers, considering his extensive knowledge of the Force.

At the Chez Tatooine...
"I don't need a reservation."
"You don't need a reservation."
"You will take me to my table."
"I will take you to your table."
"You will bring me the wine list."
"I will bring you the wine list."

Post by **Vympel** » 2005-06-13 11:21am

Spanky The Dolphin wrote:But that's overidden by the timeline used everywhere.

What timelines? Thye novels are more accurate than some vague timeline. Luke is 23 in ESB, indisputably.

Spanky The Dolphin · Post by **Spanky The Dolphin** » 2005-06-13 11:25am

Vympel wrote:
Spanky The Dolphin wrote:But that's overidden by the timeline used everywhere.
What timelines? Thye novels are more accurate than some vague timeline. Luke is 23 in ESB, indisputably.

I'm not arguing that he wasn't 23 in ESB, what I'm arguing is that he wasn't 20 in ANH, because RotS is set 19 years before ANH, which would make him 19 in ANH, and then four years later, 23 in ESB.