The Biggest Plot Hole In Star Wars Hidden In Plain Sight For Decades
These days, when Star Wars fans want to discuss plot holes, they bring up goofy stuff like Ki-Adi-Mundi’s age or exactly when the Sith were in power versus when they fell into myth and shadow. Now, I love a good lore debate as much as the next nerd, but I think fans should focus on the plot holes that have been staring us in the face for decades. For example, consider this: why the heck do all the Jedi have outfits like Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope when he was supposed to be hiding from the Empire?
Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Sense Of Style
Back when the first Star Wars movie came out, Obi-Wan Kenobi was the only Jedi we had really seen onscreen. His particular Jedi outfit, consisting mostly of a tunic, belt, and robes, was iconic in its own way, but it wasn’t really special. It was basically the same style of clothing that Luke Skywalker’s Uncle Owen wore, which is fitting…Obi-Wan needed to both survive on this harsh desert planet and fit in with the locals to hide himself from the Empire.
Yoda Is Also Sporting Robes
The next Jedi we saw in The Original Trilogy was Yoda, and while he had some visual similarities to Obi-Wan Kenobi in terms of fashion, it’s clear that he had a very distinct outfit of his own. However, the beginning of what would become Star Wars’ weirdest and most persistent plot hole happened in Return of the Jedi. Even before Hayden Christensen was digitally inserted into the Special Edition, Sebastian Shaw showed up as a Force ghost wearing a similar style to Obi-Wan, and the prequels cemented that redeemed Anakin Skywalker was just sporting the standard Jedi outfit.
A Poorly Planned Disguise
Now, what makes this a Star Wars plot hole is it makes less and less sense the more you think about it. For example, if this is some kind of standardized Jedi outfit, then it’s insane to think that Obi-Wan Kenobi did nothing to disguise his appearance while hiding out on Tattooine. That would have been bad enough in the context of the Original Trilogy, but it’s even worse now that the Disney era of Star Wars has confirmed that the Empire had powerful Inquisitors actively hunting down Force users throughout the galaxy.
The Better Jedi Outfit
While we’re on the topic of Jedi outfits, wearing several layers of clothes topped off with a giant robe never made much sense for warriors whose primary weapon is a laser sword that can cut through anything. As some fans have pointed out, Luke Skywalker’s outfit in Return of the Jedi–basically, a form-fitting black jumpsuit–would make much more sense for the Jedi to wear into battle. Nonetheless, the look of Obi-Wan had so permeated pop culture (thanks in no small part to all those toy sales) that George Lucas caved in and just made this the default look of the Jedi.
Try Not To Think About It Too Much
Since this became the default Jedi outfit, does that mean everybody on Tattooine happens to be cosplaying as Force users? Even a silly idea like that seems insane when you consider this was a time period when even experienced spacers like Han Solo didn’t think the Force was real. However, a mystical energy field may very well control one person’s destiny because nobody thought about this Jedi outfit paradox until George Lucas was richer than Jabba the Hutt.
