Summary

• Obi-Wan Kenobi's Hidden Path provides a refuge for Jedi who survived Order 66 and are being hunted by the Empire.
• The Hidden Path is connected to the High Republic era.
• The Hidden Path shares similarities with the ancient Path of the Open Hand, a Force cult that aimed to reform Jedi by urging them to abandon their practices.

Star Wars has subtly linked Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Hidden Path to the High Republic era’s storytelling. Obi-Wan Kenobi depicted how hard it was for Jedi and other Force-sensitives who endured Order 66 to survive in the galaxy. They couldn’t use their abilities for fear of someone finding out, they were being hunted ruthlessly by Darth Vader’s Inquisitors, and they were forced to fight through their grief and trauma alone. Obi-Wan himself was in the same boat until a young Leia Organa went missing, and he traversed the galaxy in search of her. During their journey home, Obi-Wan stumbles upon the Hidden Path, a secret network dedicated to bringing those hunted by the Empire – Jedi, more specifically – to safety.

The Hidden Path has since become even more important to Star Wars storytelling. Star Wars Jedi: Survivor’s narrative is built around it, with the game’s main characters helping people on the planet Jedha until their base there is destroyed. Eventually, protagonist and Order 66 survivor Cal Kestis locates a hidden planet that would work perfectly as a refuge. It’s clear that the Hidden Path was created in response to the horrific events of Order 66, but the overall concept is eerily reminiscent of another, more sinister society that existed over 300 years before the events of Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Obi-Wan Kenobi's Hidden Path Is Far Older Than It Seems

The High Republic is set centuries before the events of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace. It is split into three phases of storytelling. Phases I and III take place around 200 years before the Star Wars prequel trilogy, and Phase II takes place even earlier than that, around 350 years before Anakin Skywalker is found on Tatooine. In The High Republic’s second phase, the Jedi are at the height of their power, exploring the galaxy and brokering peace wherever they are needed. Given so much time has lapsed between The High Republic Phase II and Obi-Wan Kenobi, one might wonder how the two projects are connected. Per Dawn of Rebellion: The Visual Guide by Pablo Hidalgo and Emily Shkoukani:

“Although the Hidden Path is born in reaction to the Great Jedi Purge and the creation of the Empire, some of its operation echoes a long-ago society that sought to reform Jedi and Force-s into 'regular' citizens by encouraging them to abandon their practices.”

This excerpt clearly refers to the Path of the Open Hand, a Force cult introduced in Justina Ireland’s Phase II novel Path of Deceit. The Path of the Open Hand revered the Force but believed that to wield it is to steal from its power. If a Jedi uses their abilities to save one life, someone else dies. To deal with this perceived threat, the Path of the Open Hand, and more specifically their leader, the Mother, decided that the only way to keep the Force safe is to kill all Force-wielders. The Path of the Open Hand recruited by offering sanctuary to refugees, orphans, and those who had been exiled – much like the Hidden Path.

How Did The Path Of The Open Hand Become The Hidden Path?

Ultimately, both the Path of the Open Hand and the Hidden Path promised safety and security to those who were disadvantaged or left to fend for themselves. The Path of the Open Hand was entirely self-sufficient, having built an entire compound on the planet Dalna, and they constructed a ship, the Gaze Electric, with their own hands. Their influence eventually spread, even toward Jedha. Though the Hidden Path was supposedly founded by a man named Kawlan Roken, whose wife was murdered by the Inquisitors, the Jedha connection is significant.

In Jedi: Survivor, Cere Junda and Eno Cordova, Jedi who worked for the Hidden Path, created an archive on Jedha. It’s possible they discovered references to the Path of the Open Hand and were inspired by the cult’s surface-level goals and tactics without knowing its true history. The Hidden Path isn’t necessarily the successor of the Path of the Open Hand, but their basic practices are certainly similar. The Path of the Open Hand, just like the Hidden Path, went out of its way to spread its influence and secrets to distant worlds, hoping to recruit new and bring others to safety. Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Hidden Path is similar, certainly – but its core beliefs are much less dangerous.