Rey Skywalker’s next movie,Star Wars: New Jedi Orderwill give her plenty of problems to deal with, but it will also make one of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s long-running issues even worse.New Jedi Orderis one of severalupcomingStar Warsmovies. Daisy Ridley’s return toStar Warswill likely be released shortly afterThe Mandalorian & Grogu, which is set to hit theaters on July 13, 2025.New Jedi Orderwill likely be a treasure trove of new information and lore about Rey, but it could also cause problems for an entirely different character who likely won’t be in the film.
New Jedi Orderpresents a problem with theStar Warstimeline, specifically as it relates to Obi-Wan Kenobi. Obi-Wan was present for most of the Skywalker saga. He was an active Jedi for years prior toStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace, and he was also one of theJedi voice cameos inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, over 30 years after he died. The problemNew Jedi Orderpresents for Obi-Wan’s story isn’t so much about when his story took place, but rather his appearance and age through it all.
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New Jedi Order Will See Rey Barely Age In 15 Years
New Jedi Orderis set to take place about 15 years after the events ofThe Rise of Skywalker. At that point in theStar Warstimeline, Rey will be about 35 years old, given she was born in 15 ABY (After the Battle of Yavin). The problem is,Rey won’t look much older inNew Jedi Orderthan she did inThe Rise of Skywalker. The new movie is set to release in 2026, meaning it will likely be filmed in 2025 at the latest, and Daisy Ridley will be 33 years old at the latest.
How Old Was Daisy Ridley In Every Star Wars Sequel Trilogy Movie?
Star Wars has been a massive part of Daisy Ridley’s career, partly because she’s played Rey Skywalker for such a large portion of her life.
While Ridley’s real-life age fits with Rey’s age inNew Jedi Order, Ridley will only be seven years older than Rey was inThe Rise of Skywalker. She’s also aged remarkably well, and she doesn’t look significantly older than she did during her lastStar Warsouting.Even though 15 years will have passed in-universe, Rey will look almost indistinguishable from her 20-year-old self. That in and of itself isn’t a problem for Rey, but it is a problem for Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Obi-Wan Kenobi Aged So Much More In A Much Shorter Time
In stark contrast to Rey Skywalker’s graceful maturation, Obi-Wan Kenobi had a much rougher time entering old age.There were 19 years in-universe betweenStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sithand the originalStar Wars, yet Obi-Wan appeared to age twice as fast in that time. The real-world explanation is, of course, that Alec Guinness originally portrayed Obi-Wan, and Ewan McGregor replaced him in the prequels. However, theObi-Wan Kenobishow only made the Jedi Master’s aging problem worse. ThoughMcGregor was the same ageas Guinness, he still looked significantly younger, and the show took place just nine years prior to the originalStar Wars.
How Old Obi-Wan Kenobi Is Throughout The Star Wars Franchise
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There have been theories that tried to address the mystery of Obi-Wan Kenobi’s quick aging. Some have suggested that life on the harsh desert planet of Tatooine, with its twin suns, high temperatures, and sandstorms, simply wore people down quicker.Others have suggested that the stress of the Empire and watching over Luke Skywalker wore Obi-Wan down specifically. Rey’s aging (or lack thereof), however, creates a problem with those explanations. Rey had just as much stress and anxiety while fighting the First Order and reestablishing the Jedi Order as Obi-Wan did, yet she didn’t age nearly as fast.
Rey Has One Advantage Over Obi-Wan: The State Of The Galaxy
Luckily, there’s one key difference in Rey Skywalker’s and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s respective stories that explains their wildly different aging. When Obi-Wan seemingly aged twice as fast as he should have, he was living under the shroud of the dark side.Obi-Wan’s aging mystery may have been solvedby the simple fact that the dark side was so strong, and it may have been taking a toll on him both spiritually and physically.Even if it wasn’t the Force itself wearing Obi-Wan down, then trying to hide both himself and Luke from the ever-present threat of the Empire would have been a huge source of stress.
Rey Skywalker
Daughter of a “failed” Palpatine clone, Rey became part of a mysterious phenomenon known as the Force Dyad - a vergence in the Force that bound her to Kylo Ren. Trained by both Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, Rey fought against the First Order as an ally of the Resistance. She ultimately triumphed against Palpatine himself, channelling the full power of all Jedi.
Obi-Wan Kenobi
The Padawan of Qui-Gon Jinn, Obi-Wan Kenobi became a Jedi Knight after his master’s death. Obi-Wan trained Anakin Skywalker as a Jedi, with his own apprentice knighted after the Battle of Geonosis. The Jedi Master became a key player in the Jedi during the Clone Wars, and was heartbroken when Anakin turned to the dark side; Obi-Wan critically wounded Anakin before taking to the shadows, watching over the young Luke and Leia for years. He sacrificed himself for his two charges, becoming a Force Ghost and continuing to mentor them.
Conversely, Rey defeated Palpatine and the dark side inThe Rise of Skywalker, so she wouldn’t have had such a negative influence.Rey’s work in the following years would have been stressful and difficult, but without the dark side eating away at her spirit, she wouldn’t have faced nearly the same negative effects Obi-Wan did, either from the Force or from regular stress. Rey’s graceful aging makes sense given the galaxy at large was at peace, whereas Obi-Wan’s less than graceful aging makes sense because he was hiding from a totalitarian regime and a Sith Lord who wanted him dead.
Why Star Wars' Obi-Wan Kenobi Age Plot Hole Isn’t A Problem
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While the state of the galaxy does go a long way in explaining why Rey would age so differently from Obi-Wan, it still doesn’t solve the whole mystery. Rey will likely have her fair share of stress in the years leading up toNew Jedi Order, from trying to rebuild the Jedi to trying to wrangle a batch of younglings by herself. Additionally, Obi-Wan’s change in appearance will likely always be a bit jarring, no matter what explanation the franchise comes up with. Obi-Wan Kenobi’s aging, however, will likely be the least of Rey Skywalker’s worries inNew Jedi Order.
Star Wars: New Jedi Order
Cast
The tenth mainline installment in the Star Wars franchise is the first movie to follow the sequel trilogy, where Mark Hamill’s Luke, Carrie Fisher’s Leia, and Harrison Ford’s Han Solo gave their final farewell. After the release of The Rise of Skywalker, development on a direct sequel had become dormant as Disney shifted focus on other parts of the galaxy, namely, Disney+ shows such as The Mandalorian, Andor, and Ahsoka. However, a movie starring Daisy Ridley as Rey Skywalker was officially announced at Star Wars Celebration 2023.
