How ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Could Close a Well-Known ‘Star Wars’ Plot Hole

[WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi Episodes 2-3.]

There’s plenty to love about Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi, especially if you enjoyed the trio of prequel films. And as an added plus for fans of the original trilogy, the show just might offer an explanation for one of the most awkward plot holes in the saga: the fact that one of the Skywalker siblings remembers their mother, while the other doesn’t. Here’s why that doesn’t make sense… and what Obi-Wan Kenobi might do to fix it.

(Credit: Courtesy of the Everett Collection)

The Plot Hole

At the end of Return of the Jedi, Luke (Mark Hamill) and Leia (Carrie Fisher), now realizing they’re brother and sister, have a chat about their family. Luke asks Leia if she remembers their mother, and she says that she only has images and feelings of her. “She was very beautiful,” Leia says. “Kind, but sad.” Luke then responds that he has no memories of their mother.

It’s a sweet moment between the brother-sister duo, but there’s a problem with it. Padme Amidala (Natalie Portman) only lived a minute at most after giving birth to Leia and Luke — just long enough to tell Obi-Wan that despite her husband’s recent turn to the Dark Side, she believed there was still good in Anakin (Hayden Christensen). Leia’s memories of Padme make it seem like she was much older than a newborn when Padme died. Sure, you might be able to explain it as Leia having Force sensitivity and recalling her mother that way. But if that’s the case, why can’t Luke do the same?

Lucasfilm/Disney+

The Potential ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Solution

Luke and Leia’s conversation has been a Star Wars plot hole ever since Revenge of the Sith. But Obi-Wan Kenobi has dropped a few hints that it might offer more logical reasons for why Leia remembers Padme but Luke does not. In the new series’ “Part II” and “Part III,” Padme comes up in conversation between Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair) and Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) not once, but twice. The first time, Obi-Wan tells Leia she reminds him of someone “fearless and stubborn,” a “leader who died a long time ago.” While it’s possible he was referring to Satine Kryze (voiced by Anna Graves in the Clone Wars animated show), it seems more likely he was talking about Padme. In “Part III,” they discuss Leia’s mom again when the child correctly guesses that Obi-Wan knew her.

Why all the talk about Leia’s mother? It seems to point directly back to that plot hole… and the fact that Obi-Wan still vividly remembers Padme after all those years. We — and plenty of fans — think Obi-Wan might end up using the Force to share a few memories of Padme with Leia. That would explain why Leia has some “recollections,” but Luke doesn’t. And since Leia is still very young in Obi-Wan Kenobi, nine years later, she might only have images and feelings left from what Obi-Wan shows her. While nothing’s guaranteed, we’re hoping the show does go this route; it’s an excellent answer to a question that’s left the franchise’s fans scratching their heads for years.

Obi-Wan Kenobi, Wednesdays, Disney+

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