120inna55

This is not an attempt to exploit a plot-hole. My wife and I are fans of all 6 films. She simply posed a legitimate question that is now plaguing me:

In ANH, it seems that Luke & Leia are about 18-20 yrs old. Why is Obi-Wan so old? To me, he doesn't appear to be older than 40 in ROTS, but appears to be in his 70's in ANH. Now, aside from explaining it away (the mental anguish, physical stress related to living on a desert planet made him look older, etc.), can someone tell me how much time is supposed to have passed between the two films? Maybe the twins were 30?

This is not an invitation for a flame. I'm not one of those that scrutinizes the plot. I've enjoyed all the films for what they are---entertainment.

Thanks.

Drop

20 years. Obi-wan is about 40 in ROTS, so he is about 60 in ANH. He looks about right to me. Alex Guiness was only 63 or 64 when he filmed ANH.

Josh-da-man

No, I think Obi Wan is only about thirty in ROTS.

In TPM -- Obi Wan is approx. 20 years old, Anakin about eight.

AOTC takes place ten years after TPM. Which would make Obi Wan about thirty and Anakin about eighteen.

ROTS takes place about three years after AOTC, which make Obi Wan about 33 and Anakin about 21.

ANH, judging by Luke's age, is about eighteen years later. So Obi Wan would have been 51.

My guess is that the two suns of Tattooine cause the planet's denizens to age more rapdily than they would on other worlds. Owen and Beru, in ANH, looked a lot more than twenty years older than they did in AOTC. (They both looked like teenagers in AOTC, and in their fifties in ANH.)

120inna55

OK, I thought he (Alec Guiness) looked older than that in ANH. Guess I'm just not that good at "age-ing" people. Thanks for clearing that up.

Drop

Obi-Wan is about 28 in TPM I believe

edit: just checked on the official site, he is 25 in TPM, so that would make him 58 in ANH.

Josh-da-man

Alec Guiness was 63 in 1977 when the first Star Wars was released; Mark Hamill would've been about 24 at the time of filming.

Luke's age is never really mentioned, but he would appear to be about eighteen at the time; he was wanting to leave the farm so that would've been about the age a young man would get restless and want to leave home. But he also acts like a bratty kid, plays with toy spaceships, etc, so at times he acts even younger.

Drop

I'm almost positive it's been confirmed ANH is twenty years later.

RoboDad

He was 61 when he began filming ANH. And, has already been pointed out, the official site lists Obi-Wan's age in TPM as 25, which means he would be about 38 in ROTS, and smewhere between 56-58 in ANH. Having a 61-62 year old actor play the part of a 56-58 year old character seems reasonable to me.

[edit]
Ironically, there is just as big an age difference between Ewan McGregor and the version of Obi-Wan he plays in ROTS, but in the opposite direction. McGregor is now 34, but he was 32 when he filmed most of ROTS, as a 38 year old character. This same same "age discrepancy" also applies to AOTC, although he was very close to the age of his character in TPM (he was 26, the character was 25).

redskull

There's also the matter that despite what they look like, these characters are NOT human. Not earth humans anyway. Who knows, maybe they have a shorter lifespan and age faster than we do.

mikehunt

sorry, but since this is at least the 3rd time I've seen this question in the past 3 days

sinister

i didn't like the fact that yoda was in great shape and fighting like he was in a great warrior in ROTS and in ROTJ he died of old age. he was 700 hundred years old. the time lapse between the two movies was what 25-30 years maybe. that's like 3 to 4 years for yoda. he shouldn't have changed much at all during that time. doesn't make sense.

paulringodaman

TIME magazine says 19 years between ROTS and ANH

calhoun07

He was 700 years old when? In the first three episodes?

Terrell

That was probably because of the white hair and beard. Perhas that is why he looked older.

Luke and Leia's timeline matches up. Obi-Wan's timeline matches up, even though Guiness looked older than he was or the character he was playing.

120inna55

uh-uh: I seem to recall in ROTJ: "...when 900 years old you reach, look as good, you will not, hmmm?"

shaggy

Everyone views it differently. I rushed home and watched new hope right after Sith and i was surprised how well they played. Ewan really did a great job as Obi Wan.

Also I never thought of Yoda dying of old age, he is still very powerful. He like Obi Wan is no longer needed and they surrender to the force and become more powerful. I love how its Qui Gon that teaches them this.

mikehunt

200 years before ROTJ

calhoun07

Yeah, but the post I was asking this of seemed to imply (to me, anyway) that Yoda was 200 in Episode 1-3. I was kind of confused on that point, and what relevance it would have to anything if that wasn't the implication.

Hollow Man

I just feel that Obi-Wan looks young for his age in the prequels, and a tad old for his age in Star Wars. It's pretty darn close no matter how you slice it.

Besides, talking to dead people for 20 years can probably make you loopy and age you prematurely. Look at how nutty Yoda is at the beginning of Empire!

-HM

Quake1028

* Episode I: The Phantom Menace: 32 BBY
* Episode II: Attack of the Clones: 22 BBY
* Episode III: Revenge of the Sith: 19 BBY
* Episode IV: A New Hope: 0 BBY
* Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back: 3 ABY
* Episode VI: Return of the Jedi: 4 ABY

H@mmer

Dark Lightning tends to accelerate the aging process

caligulathegod

My dog got cancer last year at the age of 12. We were told he would have a month left to live. He lived three months. Anyway, he was spry and puppylike right up to the last 2 weeks, then he degenerated rapidly. If Yoda was at the end of his life span, it would not be unusual for him to take a turn for the worse over a year period. Doesn't matter how long the life was. When it is time to go, it's time to go.