'Obi-Wan Kenobi' Easter egg secretly sets up a crucial new movie character

Obi-Wan Kenobi may not be the most lore-laden series in the Star Wars universe, but there’s no shortage of Easter eggs. From a throwaway line confirming the existence of the pirates featured in young Obi-Wan’s first comic book adventure, to a bunch of encoded names on the wall of the Path bunker, it’s clear the show will take any chance it can to reference the vast array of work that came before it.

However, not every Easter egg is obvious. One name drop in Episode 2 isn’t clear until you look at the credits, but it could change one of the most anticipated Star Wars projects. Here’s what you need to know.

In Episode 2, we meet Haja, a “Jedi” who helps Force-sensitive children get to safety for a hefty fee. When we first see him, he’s guaranteeing safe passage to Corellia for a mother and son, citing the child’s “abilities.” At first glance, it may seem like he’s just one more nameless youngling, like the ones we saw in the opening scene or the kid floating in the Jedi tomb in Episode 4.

But if you stick around until the credits, this character is given the name Corran. For hardcore fans, that means only one thing — Corran Horn. Corran Horn was a Rogue Squadron Ace who later became a Jedi in the non-canon Legends continuity. According to Legends, he was born on Corellia, not smuggled there, but there could be a good reason for this change in yet another Obi-Wan Kenobi Easter egg.

Lost Legends is an Inverse series about the forgotten lore of our favorite stories.

In Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 3, Obi-Wan traces his fingers along the names of Jedi smuggled through the Path, noticing Clone Wars character Quinlan Vos among them. But fans armed with an Aurebesh alphabet quickly decoded the other names seen in the background of the shots, and among them was one reading Valin Halcyon, Corran’s father.

If Corran’s dad traveled the path ahead of his family to make sure it was safe and establish a place on Corellia for them, it would explain why young Corran is traveling with only his mother, despite the fact his father is more prominent in the Star Wars narrative.

So what does this mean for the future of Star Wars? Even though Patty Jenkins’ Rogue Squadron film is delayed indefinitely, this could be our first glimpse of one of the characters who will bring it to life. Even though fans may not notice it yet, they’re already invested in Corran Horn’s character and his journey from Force-sensitive refugee to Jedi Knight.

This young kid may finally give us the “random young child to Jedi” story we never got with that mysterious Broom Boy in The Last Jedi. Unfortunately, we have that disappointing “indefinite” wait before we find out.

Obi-Wan Kenobi is now streaming on Disney+.