When George Lucas Almost Swapped the Names of Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon

Star Wars, as one of the biggest and most popular franchises in the history of entertainment also gave us some of the most iconic characters. Both the Jedi and Sith have names that even people not particularly well-versed in the canon recognize, as such Obi-Wan Kenobi and Qui-Gon Jinn are practically synonyms for the Jedi order and everything it represents.

Iain McCaig, a renowned concept artist, illustrator, and character designer most notable for his work on the prequel trilogy recently revealed one interesting thing about the creation of both Obi-Wan and Quin-Gon.

According to the artist, the two were supposed to have swapped names. There was an early concept that George Lucas toyed with while developing ‘The Phantom Menace.’ In this version, the older Jedi, who we know as Qui-Gon Jinn, was originally meant to be called “Obi-Wan,” while the younger Jedi, who we know as Obi-Wan Kenobi, would have been named “Qui-Gon.”

The idea was that the younger Jedi would adopt his master’s name—Obi-Wan—after his death. This detail would have deepened the moment in ‘A New Hope’ when Obi-Wan (played by Alec Guinness) says, “Obi-Wan? Now that’s a name I’ve not heard in a long time,” suggesting he wasn’t born as “Obi-Wan” but rather inherited the name from his deceased master.

If Lucas had kept this naming concept, it would have introduced an added layer of complexity to Jedi tradition and identity-shifting. This twist would make Obi-Wan’s character a fusion of his own personality and his master’s legacy, symbolized through his name.

However, Lucas ultimately decided to keep the names separate, making Obi-Wan his true, original name and leaving Qui-Gon Jinn’s death and legacy to affect him without a literal name change. This choice preserved a clearer lineage and perhaps more straightforward connections in the Star Wars canon.

For a time, the older Jedi was named Obi-Wan, and the younger Jedi was named Qui-Gon. It was very poignant that at the end, as Obi-Wan dies and Qui-Gon defeats Darth Maul and stays with his Master as he passes away, he not only takes on his Master’s quest, but he takes on his name. Qui-Gon becomes Obi-Wan. That’s why when you see Alec Guinness in A New Hope , he puts his hood down and goes, ‘Obi-Wan? Now that’s a name I’ve not heard….’ Because he’s not Obi-Wan, he’s Qui-Gon. And right at the end, George changed it

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This story was part of McCaig’s lesson on how things evolved during the process of creation, and it’s interesting to see how the relationships between the Jedi and their masters changed from the initial draft.

In any case, the relationship between Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon is one of the most popular in the franchise, and if you think about it, Qui-Gon’s final wish and Obi-Wan’ss desire to fulfill it drove most of the plot forward and led to some of the most world-changing events.

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