Star Wars Unveils a New Tale of Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi
A surprising new chapter in the Star Wars saga has arrived, focusing on the iconic characters Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi. This narrative, set in the timeline between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones, explores a period when Anakin is still a Jedi Padawan under the tutelage of his Jedi Master, Obi-Wan. While many stories in the Star Wars canon delve into the events between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith—such as The Clone Wars animated series and Mike Chen’s novel Brotherhood—relatively few explore the decade between The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones.
The story, “Padawan’s Pride,” penned by Bryan Q. Miller and narrated by Kevin Kemp, is now available on Audible. It follows Anakin and Obi-Wan as they infiltrate an underground podracing circuit to locate a Republic spy believed to be held captive by a crime boss. In this mission, Anakin assumes the role of a podracer, with Obi-Wan as his attendant, testing their relationship in ways unseen before. This thrilling adventure unfolds three years after the events of The Phantom Menace.
What Does “Padawan’s Pride” Mean for Star Wars?
Unearthing Anakin’s Formative Jedi Years
“Padawan’s Pride” delves into a pivotal yet under-explored period in Anakin Skywalker’s life within the Star Wars canon. The cover art, depicting Anakin wielding a blue lightsaber, suggests he has completed constructing his own lightsaber, a milestone in his Jedi training, and has undergone the Gathering ritual. These developments highlight his growth over the past three years, although he continues to grapple with personal challenges.
The Gathering ritual, a key Jedi tradition, was first depicted in The Clone Wars Season 5.
Anakin still longs for his mother, Shmi Skywalker, whom he has not seen for three years and will not reunite with for another seven. At the age of 12, he is beginning to test the limits of his bond with Obi-Wan, pushing these boundaries further during their mission, which requires Obi-Wan to masquerade as his attendant. This dynamic creates additional tension as they navigate their covert mission to rescue the captive Republic spy from the criminal underworld, offering deeper insight into the early years of their relationship.
Will Star Wars Release More Surprise Audiobooks?
Potential for Future Short Stories
“Padawan’s Pride” is an unexpected delight that opens the door to the possibility of more surprise Star Wars audiobooks in the future. With a runtime of three hours and 57 minutes, it is shorter than a typical Star Wars novel. Future surprise audiobook releases may also be shorter in length, while full-length stories like the upcoming High Republic novels and the Reign of the Empire trilogy will continue to receive traditional announcements and marketing.
Source: Audible
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
