What Does 'Hello There' Mean? Everything You Need To Know About Obi-Wan Kenobi's Iconic Meme

The year is 2005. George W. Bush is President and "Hollaback Girl" is at the top of the charts. You’re watching a Star Wars prequel movie, and Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ewan McGregor, jumps into frame and says "Hello there" to General Grievous, who replies in a funny voice, "General Kenobi!"

Fast-forward to 2022 — you’re on TikTok or watching the Kenobi TV series and you see that moment again 17 years later, resuscitated by the death-defying witchcraft that is internet humor. It's clear Gen Z is having a lot of fun reenacting that scene, but you don't know where the entire reference begins.

Here's a quick history and explanation of everything you could ever want to know about this storied prequel meme.

Where Does "Hello There" Come From?

“Hello, there” is a line said in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith by the character Obi-Wan Kenobi (portrayed by Ewan McGregor). In the scene, Kenobi surprises the film's antagonists by jumping down from a ceiling vent and saying the catchphrase. The film’s main antagonist, General Grievous, then replies bemusedly “General Kenobi” as weapons are drawn by guards and Kenobi crouches into a fighting position.

Two years later, on August 21st, 2007, YouTuber Thereisnospoon303 posted a rather horrifying remix of the scene with the title "OBI-WAN SAYS HELLO WHILE I PLAY UNFITTING MUSIC." The post received more than 8,000 views in 12 years. Over the next few years, Hello There became a frequent trope in prequel memes. Fans of the often-derided second Star Wars trilogy are one of the most active and committed meme communities on Reddit, congregating around the subreddit /r/PrequelMemes.

The meme’s standard and consistent use on /r/PrequelMemes brought it into broader notoriety, with a variety of remixes, riffs and repetitions of the phrase worming their way into public awareness.

In late 2019, TikTokers then began reenacting the scene live with one person portraying Kenobi and two people – one standing behind the other to create a four-armed creature – portraying General Grievous. In these TikToks, the humor and meme seems to center on the villain of the film rather than on Kenobi like the /r/PrequelMemes versions of the meme did. The TikToks became increasingly abstract after user @chuggernuts originated the format, with the four-arm antagonist toting odd items as weapons.

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6631051198302522629

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6772341357366365445

https://www.tiktok.com/embed/v2/6776411105242778885

"Hello There" Usage In Memes

“Hello there” has become an iconic catchphrase frequently used when surprising somebody. It is also something of a litmus test for fans of the prequel memes and Star Wars memes in general. People really "in the know" (that is, true Star Wars fans) will typically reply “General Kenobi!” when somebody says “Hello there” to them.

Why did Obi-Wan say "Hello there?"

It’s actually a reference to the first film in the series when Obi-wan greets R2-D2 with the same phrase.

How do you respond to "Hello there?"

GeNeRaL KeNoBi!!!!!!!

What does Obi-wan say after "Hello there?"

This is an excerpt from the screenplay:

Obi-Wan Kenobi: Hello there.
General Grievous: General Kenobi. You are a bold one. Kill him!
General Grievous: Back away! I will deal with this Jedi slime myself.
Obi-Wan Kenobi: Your move.
General Grievous: You fool. I've been trained in your Jedi arts by Count Dooku.
General Grievous: Attack, Kenobi!

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For the full history of "Hello There," be sure to check out our entry on the meme here for even more information.