Star Wars finally has a neat answer to its biggest plot hole

Being a Star Wars fan isn’t easy. With every new chapter, lore is built upon, sometimes in such a way that plot holes appear that hurt our heads to think about.

But one Star Wars plot detail that’s haunted us has finally been answered in such a perfect way.

We’re not referring to how Palpatine returned – a detail the films neglected to explain – but rather the rapid ageing of Obi-Wan.

Back into the world of Star Wars we go with the Star Wars Outlaws trailer

The boring answer is that the film actors changed over time, and thus a noticeable discrepancy between Alec Guinness and Ewan McGregor is there.

But this simple and unimaginative solution has never satisfied fans; after all, why would the creators leave such a blindingly obvious plot hole in plain sight? It makes no sense.

A fan theory seemingly has the answer: Obi-Wan's continued attempt to avoid detection by using the Force, drained him of his vitality.

“Obi-Wan has aged so badly because he's using a mass-scale Jedi illusion [...] to block Vader from sensing Luke and himself on Tatooine,” Reddit user Gonzo-ish explained. “The constant years of using the Force at a high level is literally killing him.”

Even those who aren’t inclined to agree can’t deny how sound this theory is.

Redditor ManchurianCandycane responded, “While I don't really agree, it's a very logical theory [...] So if Obi-Wan was actively using a dark side technique to obscure Luke's and his own presence, it makes sense that it would take a physical toll after 20 years.”

The OP doesn’t necessarily believe Obi-Wan went to the Dark Side to avoid detection, but rather the technique used took its toll; it’s for you to decide if Obi-Wan used questionable means.

It matters not in the grand scheme of things, though, for we now have an answer to that which has lurked in the recesses of our minds for years. Years.

All we can say is poor Obi-Wan.