Of all the characters in Star Wars, Obi-Wan Kenobi might be simultaneously the most loved and the most hated. His sarcasm, quick wit and tendency to say, “Hello there” are definite positives for his character, while his choosing to let led Anakin live on Mustafar allowed the galaxy to be plagued by Darth Vader for nearly two decades. That’s not even getting into the whole lying to Luke about his father conversation.

With a character that warrants so much discussion -- both positive and negative -- it’s a given that all sorts of theories and speculation about him have developed over the years. One particular mystery about Obi-Wan that has attracted a lot of attention is why he looks so much older in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope than he does in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith and Obi-Wan Kenobi. However, the answer might be much more obvious than anyone realized.

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Why Obi-Wan Kenobi Ages So Drastically

Alec Guiness as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: A New Hope

The main out-of-universe reason is that Obi-Wan is played by different actors in those films: Alec Guiness in A New Hope and Ewan McGregor in the prequel series and the Disney+ series. That notwithstanding, George Lucas chose to make Ewan McGregor look exactly like he did, so there must have been an in-universe reason as well. The common belief is that the harsh weather on Tatooine combined with the emotional turmoil he experienced during and after the Great Jedi Purge simply took a toll on his body. While that would be enough to age anyone, there may be a more viable answer.

It’s kind of odd that Darth Vader never came looking for Obi-Wan and Luke on Tatooine. However, it’s possible that Obi-Wan was somehow using the Force to dissuade the dark lord and hide himself and Luke. According to a Reddit fan theory, that also offers the perfect explanation as to why Obi-Wan aged so drastically. He could've been using a mind trick or illusion of such magnitude and for so long that it was literally draining Obi-Wan of his vitality.

Another theory suggests that Obi-Wan began aging quickly because of a fight between him and Darth Vader in the Disney+ series. Vader used the Force on Obi-Wan and dragged him through a burning field. It's possible that the Dark Side of the Force being used against him or the burns could've aged Obi-Wan, but the series didn't address the matter.

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Did Healing End Up Aging Obi-Wan Kenobi?

Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith.

While that theory is perfectly viable on its own, there is another theory that, when combined with the first one, might make everything add up. With the canon confirmation of the Force healing ability in the Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker and The Mandalorian, the old debate about Obi-Wan using the same ability in A New Hope was reignited. The moment in question is when Luke is knocked out by a Tusken Raider. Following that, Obi-Wan places his hand on Luke’s head, and very well could be using the Force to save his life.

As was confirmed by Grogu and Ben Solo’s use of the power, Force healing is a very taxing ability. So, if Obi-Wan used it, it obviously would have taken a lot of his power to do so. Then, by taking into account that he might have been passively focusing his power on concealing himself and Luke for 19 years, everything starts to make sense. Such a massive expenditure of power on an already taxed Force user took a great physical tole and sapped him of his age. After all, if the theory is correct, he was draining some of his own life Force and giving it to save an injured Luke.

While these theories were probably not part of George Lucas’ original plan for Star Wars, they do make sense as a reasonable explanation for Obi-Wan's rapid aging, and they do not upset anything in canon. After all, Obi-Wan remains hidden under a cloak until after the alleged healing incident. So, he could've looked young all the way up to the moment that he healed Luke. Either way, it stands to reason that a possible second season of Obi-Wan Kenobi could try and explain Obi-Wan’s rapid aging to some extent. It could, however, be funny if it all happened right there on-screen, with the audience watching but also being oblivious as to what was really happening under that hood.