Where have you seen the T-16 Skyhopper Model from Obi-Wan Kenobi before?

Warning: This article contains spoilers from Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 1

Obi-Wan Kenobi rocketed out of the games early with more than a few unexpected cameos, references, and turns but few were more heartwarming than Obi-Wan buying the model of a T-16 skyhopper for a young Luke Skywalker.

Not only is it demonstrating a more paternal side of Obi-Wan, but this model is a prop taken directly from a prop and line of dialogue in A New Hope.

Obi-Wan T-16 Skyhopper Model Easter egg meaning

This T-16 Skyhopper model (assuming that it does eventually end up in the hands of Luke) could very well play a significant part in nurturing Luke’s love of flying.

In both a deleted scene from A New Hope and the 2015 Star Wars comic strip, we see that Luke would later actually possess a functional T-16 skyhopper that he would use to hunt womp rats in Beggar’s Canyon. The comic (whose canonical status is somewhat unknown) actually depicts an adventure that Luke goes on with Obi-Wan, which seems to suggest this connection to flying will continue past a simple model.

Whether giving Luke toys related to flying simply reminds Obi-Wan of Anakin, or even is the will of the Force to guarantee that Luke can fly an X-Wing against the Death Star, the act itself embodies the fragile nature of Luke and Ben’s relationship. The first episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi makes it clear that the relationship between the two is strained at best, with Owen Lars not even letting ‘Ben” anonymously drop off simple toys. This wanting for connection seems almost like a desperate outreach from the mental and physically worn elder Jedi.

It is good to see that the writers of the series are paying attention to the little details in the original moves and trying to keep the heart of Star Wars alive while paying homage to the material that came before them. These little connections are evidence that the writers do truly pay a great deal of attention to their craft, and is a good sign for Star Wars moving forward.