Continuity errors -- they do exist, and cannot be ignored. As much as some fans wish to believe that the Star Wars mythos should be told without flaw, without contradiction, this is an impossible feat. One must consider the dozens of authors, the hundreds of stories and thousands of details that weave into the massive tapestry of what is perhaps the greatest saga ever told.

Do "continuity errors" within our written history of Earth make it any less fascinating? Do continuity errors in the bible make true believers question their faith? Probably not. On the contrary, errors, ambiguities and speculative theories in our existence are perhaps what make it the most interesting.

Why should the history of the Star Wars universe be any different?

Continuity errors don't deserve the negative connotations usually appended by a number of fans (admittedly including myself in the past). Rather, they can be seen as an opportunity for stimulating debate, developing new theories that often lead to the creation of retcons.

This series of blogs will identify and discuss several continuity errors -- both major and minor -- of the films and EU alike, though not for the purpose of highlighting the flaws of the saga.

Rather, fans need to know where the errors are present. Fans need to know which might be the most popular explanation for the discrepency, and the most popular alternative. And finally, fans need to know if or where such errors are resolved or explained.

Discovering the Identity of the Apprentice
Two books released both in 2005 offer a different account of how and where Obi-Wan Kenobi discovered that Anakin Skywalker had survived Mustafar and became the Emperor's right hand man.

The Last of the Jedi #1: The Desperate Mission - May 2005.
This book alludes to the time where, months after the events of Mustafar Obi-Wan sees an image of Darth Vader in a HoloNet report stored on a datarecorder he found in an alley of Mos Eisley.

Dark Lord: The Rise of Darth Vader - November 2005.
This book contains a scene with Obi-Wan Kenobi sitting in The Weary Traveller, a cantina in Anchorhead. In there on a display, Obi-Wan witnesses a HoloNet report of Darth Vader on Kashyyyk. The black-clad figure is identified as "Lord Vader" by the reporter - a name all too familiar to Obi-Wan.

Dark Lord presents perhaps the more viable of the two sitiations for a number of reasons.

For one, it provides much more detail. It presents the scene in the current tense, whereas The Desperate Mission only makes a brief mention of what had happened in the past. It also describes how he knew it was Anakin, and shows his reaction.

Two, it is a more recent piece of literature, which perhaps makes it the more accurate depiction of the event by default.

Three, fans are probably more likely to argue that a full-size novel has more clout than that of a "young reader" book.

On the other hand, The Desperate Mission provide the first look at the event, and perhaps fans might not be willing to let it go in favor of the newer explanation.

Something else to consider is which event is more likely to actually happen. Is it reasonable to believe that a working holorecorder can be found on the gritty floor of a Mos Eisley alley? Seeing a news report on a screen in a pub is probably more likely, even if it is something of a cliche.

Then there's the idea of absolute inclusion - a term I am borrowing from Abel G. Peņa. In this situation, one might choose the best version of the event to be the canon, while also offering an explanation for the existence of the alternate version. For example, it was in the Anchorhead cantina that Obi-Wan discovered that Vader was alive, and also later came across a datarecorder in Mos Eisley, which he kept as a grim reminder of the fate of the galaxy.

Others might think it is a total waste of time to ponder such a minor detail. The next blog will focus on a much more significant error.

For now, we choose our own explanation to believe; and perhaps one day a publication will officially resolve the problem... or not.