Editor’s Note: The following contains spoilers for Episode 3 of the Disney + series, Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Obi-Wan Kenobi has continued to excel with a terrific third episode, which finally saw Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) facing off against his former apprentice. At the end of the second episode, Obi-Wan learns that he failed to kill Anakin Skywalker (Hayden Christensen) on Mustafar at the end of Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge of the Sith. The third episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi saw them duking it out once again when Vader tracks Obi-Wan down to the planet Mapuzo.
The lightsaber duel is one for the ages. Unlike the epic Revenge of the Sith battle, Obi-Wan and Vader’s duel is intimate and intense. Vader toys with his former master. He pulls him through a fire to make Obi-Wan feel the same pain that he felt when he was left to burn to his death. “I am what you made me,” Vader says with vengeance.
The third episode certainly left off on another cliffhanger, and fans are eager to see where the story will go next week. Although the duel has dominated the discourse surrounding the episode, there are also some hidden references to other moments in the Star Wars universe. Here are some Easter Eggs from Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 3 that you may have missed.
Quinlan Vos
When Obi-Wan, Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair), and their new ally Tala (Indira Varma) travel through a secret underground passage, Obi-Wan learns that a secret network of spies has been helping to smuggle Jedi to safety in the wake of Order 66. When looking at the writing that lines the halls, Obi-Wan notices that “Quinlan was here. ” Quinlan Vos is a Jedi ally of Obi-Wan’s within both the Expanded Universe and The Clone Wars.
Vos first appeared in the Star Wars: Republic comic book series from Dark Horse. Vos had struggled with his dark side, and as a result, often fell under the influence of the Sith. In RepublicVos goes on secret missions during the Clone Wars, and is able to survive Order 66. The Clone Wars brought back the character in the episode “Crisis Ziro,” where he helps Obi-Wan track down the escaped Hutt criminal Ziro.
Vos was originally intended to have a larger role in the rest of The Clone Wars before the series was canceled. The 2015 novel Dark Disciple adapted a planned storyline for the series, where Quinlan teams up with Asajj Ventress at the Jedi Council’s request. Vos and Ventress plan to assassinate Count Dooku, but Ventress perishes during the mission.
Obi-Wan’s Family
Obi-Wan’s family and planet of origin has been one of the biggest mysteries of the Star Wars franchise. However, Obi-Wan shares a few insights about his life before joining the Jedi Order with Leia when they travel on the transport. Obi-Wan mentions having a brother, and wishes that he remembered more. However, he considers the Jedi Order to be his true family.
Obi-Wan’s brother was at one point a discrepancy within the Star Wars canon. In the original novelization for Return of the Jedi Released in 1983, Obi-Wan mentions that his brother is Owen Lars. This is even referenced in the young adult novel, Jedi Apprentice: The Hidden Past. Obviously, Attack of the Clones revealed a different lineage for the Lars family, and Obi-Wan’s vision of his brother and family was retconned as a “vision.” Although The Hidden Past is now non-canon, Obi-Wan Kenobi essentially reutilizes the same memories.
Obi-Wan’s actual planet of origin is another fun point of confusion within the Star Wars canon. During an interview with Jon Stewart at Star Wars Celebration V in 2010, George Lucas jokingly answered a fan question, and said that Obi-Wan comes from the planet “Stewjon.” This was initially considered to be a joke, but “Stewjon” has been cited as Obi-Wan’s official home world in the Star Wars Databank and subsequent reference materials.
Darth Vader’s Castle
Before he tracks down his master, Vader is seen in a towering castle on the planet Mustafar. “Fortress Vader” is where the Dark Lord lives in seclusion. Although the fortress first appeared in Rogue One: A Star Wars Storyit’s inspired by a concept that’s been circulated for a long time by Star Wars writers.
A design for a fiery volcanic castle was originally developed by screenwriter Leigh Brackett for an early draft of The Empire Strikes Back. It was also considered as a potential spot for Luke and Vader’s climactic duel in front of the Emperor in Return of the Jediand was even brought back again during the development of The Force Awakens. The idea of Vader living on a Mordor-like volcanic planet had previously been established in the Expanded Universe material that is now considered part of “Legends.”
In the 1997 young adult novel Junior Jedi Knights: Vader’s Fortress, Vader’s grandson, Anakin Solo, explores his grandfather’s castle on the planet Vjun. If you’re looking for a more comedic spin on Fortress Vader, Poe Dameron visits the former Sith lair in the Disney + special LEGO Star Wars: Terrifying Tales.
The Jedi Order Logo
When she travels through the underground lair, the Inquisitor Reva Sevander (Moses Ingram) is alerted to Obi-Wan’s presence when she sees the Jedi Order logo etched on the side of the wall. The crest was included on the Jedi’s armor in The Clone Warsand Luke looks over a similar symbol in The Last Jedi.
In the wake of Order 66, the Jedi crest has become both a symbol of hope and a secret to be guarded. The few Jedi that were able to escape execution have learned to conceal their connection to the force.
Zach Braff’s Cameo
Scrubs star Zach Braff has an amusing cameo as the driver Freck, an alien who transports Obi-Wan and Leia throughout Mapuzo. Freck ends up betraying his passengers, and reveals their location to the Stormtroopers. Braff took to Instagram to confirm that he had in fact worn the prosthetic alien suit during filming. It’s hardly the first time we’ve seen a celebrity cameo in a recent Star Wars project; Daniel Craig, Tom Hardy, Simon Pegg, and Joseph Gordon-Levitt all had cameos in the sequel trilogy.
Braff had previously worked with Obi-Wan Kenobi director Deborah Chow on the 2010 independent film The Higher Cost of Living. Currently, Braff co-hosts the Scrubs recap show Fake Doctors, Real Friends with his former co-star Donald Faison. Faison has provided his voice for Star Wars: Robot Chicken and the unreleased Star Wars: Detours series.
Jabiim
When they escape, Tala tells Obi-Wan that she will take Leia to safety on the planet Jabiim. Jabiim is a terrestrial planet within the Outer Rim, and was the site of a major storyline within the Republic comics. Obi-Wan and Anakin lead a battalion against Asajj Ventress on the rain-soaked planet. It’s one of the bloodiest conflicts in the war; issues # 55-58 of Republic detail the conflict.
Republic is now part of Legends, but Jabiim was referenced as a canonical planet within an issue of Disney’s Star Wars Adventures comics. Perhaps we will learn more about the planet’s history if Obi-Wan, Leia, and Tala manage to stop by Jabiim in the next episode.
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