Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan Almost Had Their Names Swapped in The Phantom Menace, but George Lucas Changed It

A Star Wars artist revealed a last-minute change George Lucas made to The Phantom Menace that would have pretty significant implications for the Obi-Wan Kenobi we know today.

Concept and storyboard artist Iain McCaig gave a wide-ranging interview to StarWars.com in honor of The Phantom Menace’s 25th anniversary and in it, he revealed that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan originally had their names swapped — but there’s a reason for it. He explains:

“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.”

That tidbit is mostly interesting for how I’ll view that Alec Guinness scene in A New Hope a little differently now, but it’s also fun to think about what that would’ve meant for Obi-Wan’s character for the entirety of the series. Qui-Gon’s death at the hands of Darth Maul was already a massive character-shaping moment for Obi-Wan, but having the impact of that event even extend to how Obi-Wan identifies himself? Ouch.

The rest of the interview is packed with other little interesting details, also touching on the creation of Darth Maul and Lucas’ somewhat hilariously casual way of introducing him to McCaig. “George just came up and said, ‘Darth Maul, he’s our new Sith Lord,’ and he walked away,” he recalled. “I didn’t know if Maul was male or female, an alien, anything. It freaked me out at the beginning that I didn’t get much direction.” Luckily, he eventually figured it out.

There’s been plenty of look-backs at The Phantom Menace as it turned 25 this year, with Disney bringing the prequel back to theaters this past May. For our own thoughts on it, check out our column on why you can thank (and blame) The Phantom Menace for the modern blockbuster.

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor with IGN, overseeing entertainment reporting. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.