Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan Almost Had Their Names Swapped in The Phantom Menace, but George Lucas Changed It

A Star Wars artist revealed a last-minute change George Lucas made to The Phantom Menace that would have pretty significant implications for the Obi-Wan Kenobi we know today.Concept and storyboard artist Iain McCaig gave a wide-ranging interview to StarWars.com in honor of The Phantom Menace's 25th anniversary and in it, he revealed that Qui-Gon and Obi-Wan originally had their names swapped — but there's a reason for it. He explains:“For a time, the older Jedi was named Obi-Wan and the younger Jedi was named Qui-Gon. It was very poignant that at the end, as Obi-Wan dies and Qui-Gon defeats Darth Maul and stays with his Master as he passes away, he not only takes on his Master’s quest, but he takes on his name. Qui-Gon becomes Obi-Wan. That’s why when you see Alec Guinnes…

The Catholic Church Just Rolled Out an Official Anime-Inspired Mascot

The Catholic Church is preparing to celebrate what it refers to as a "Jubilee" year in 2025. And as a part of its preparations, the Vatican has rolled out a brand new anime-inspired mascot: Luce.Luce (pictured in the yellow jacket above) and her friends are designed by tokidoki, a Japanese-inspired lifestyle brand created and led by Italian artist Simone Legno, who personally designed Luce and friends himself. Per an announcement from the Vatican, Luce is a "pilgrim" wearing traditional pilgrim garb such as a windbreaker to protect from the elements, muddy boots, a staff, a missionary cross, and "above all, shining eyes, symbol of the hope of the heart."Meet the Catholic Church's brand-new mascot.The statement says that Luce was "created from the des…

Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom Interview Reveals Host of New Details, Including Confirmation of Series' First Woman Director

Nintendo is continuing its Ask the Developer series of published interviews with game development leads, this time on The Legend of Zelda: Echoes of Wisdom. In parts 1 and 2 of this interview, the company reveals a number of tidbits about Echoes of Wisdom, including Grezzo as the elusive co-development studio behind the project and Tomomi Sano as the game's director, and first-ever female director on The Legend of Zelda series.You can read the full interviews yourself, but here are some highlights. First off, Sano has a rich history in the industry, earning her first credit in 1998 for editing stage textures on Tekken 3. She began working with Nintendo in 2004 as a coordinator on Mario Party 6, and over time was involved in a number of Nintendo-published and supported projects. Her fi…