Star Wars fans are familiar with the story of Obi-Wan Kenobi. After the devastating slaughter of the Jedi during Order 66, Obi-Wan was forced to go into hiding on Tatooine, so as to protect both himself and Luke Skywalker. He changed his first name from Obi-Wan to Ben but kept his last name.

Living as a desert hermit, remained in hiding for years, unnoticed by Imperial forces that targeted the remaining Jedi. Some fans might argue this is a huge plot hole. After all, as the former Jedi Master of Darth Vader, it seems Obi-Wan would want to change his name completely so as to keep anonymity -- but it may have been genius that he didn't. Let's consider Obi-Wan's journey, and the possible reason why he chose to keep his Kenobi surname.

RELATED: Star Wars: Luke Skywalker Threw Shade at Midi-Chlorians 

Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker sits next to Alec Guiness as Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine in Star Wars a New Hope

Following the events of Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan went into exile on Tatooine, a backwater planet, seemingly of little importance, so hiding there would appear to be a strategic idea. Well, except for the fact that it was once the home of Anakin Skywalker. Fans know from supplemental material that Darth Vader did return to Tatooine, bringing along his Imperial forces to scour the planet for any Jedi who survived Order 66. But "Ben" Kenobi somehow remained undetected. To fans, it seems obvious that Obi-Wan would have eventually been discovered. That Obi-Wan's idea of a pseudonym is simply to change only his first name seems to be sloppiness on the part of the writers. Certainly "Kenobi" would be a dead giveaway, considering Obi-Wan's galaxy-spanning exploits as a Jedi Knight and as a Republic general during the Clone Wars.

In most fictional works, characters who share the same last name are usually related in order to keep continuity through the story and avoid audience confusion. By these standards, it would seem ridiculous that Obi-Wan was able to retain his last name for all those years and never get caught.

RELATED: Star Wars: Why Darth Vader Fan Designs Are Always Cooler Than the Original

There is a potential answer to this conundrum, however. In reality, it is common to share a last name with someone and not be related to them. Just think of how many Smiths and Johnsons there are in the world that aren't related. It's possible that, in the Star Wars universe, Kenobi is a popular last name, like many are in the real world.

By keeping his last name but changing his first, it's likely that Obi-Wan was doing so strategically and hiding in plain sight. It's possible that, if Vader or the Imperial troops were to stumble upon the name "Ben Kenobi," they would simply brush right past it, believing it to be just another commoner. In this way, keeping his last name was a genius move on Obi-Wan's part to continue to operate under the nose of the Empire.

KEEP READING: Star Wars: The Mandalorian's Baby Yoda Is Now a Breakfast Cereal