Anakin Skywalker is pictured here sporting his Padawan braid.
A distinctive hairstyle known as a Padawan braid was common among Jedi Padawans.
For members of a species capable of growing hair, this often manifested as a slender, elongated braid situated behind either the left or right ear. The right ear placement was considered the conventional style. Some Padawans opted to incorporate decorative elements, such as ribbons or specialized beads like silka beads, into their braids. There are accounts of some species braiding their facial hair if scalp hair was not an option.
Species lacking the ability to grow hair sometimes used symbolic representations of the braid. This could involve wearing a woven braid made of canvas or cloth around the wrist, neck, ear, or horn. Alternatively, body modifications like piercings or markings were used. Over the centuries, additional alternatives emerged. For instance, Chagarians and Iktotchi would adorn their cranial horns with circlets. Sluissi Jedi displayed a straightforward tattoo on their left cheek. Swokes Swokes might have a medallion inserted beneath their foreheads. Togruta could wear chains or beads connecting their montrals, while Twi'leks used similar adornments between their lekku.
Within the Jedi Order, Padawans were generally encouraged to cultivate a braid or otherwise visually indicate their apprentice status for ease of recognition. Upon a Padawan's successful completion of the Trials and subsequent knighting as a Knight (typically around the age of twenty, though this varied), the braid would be ceremonially severed using a lightsaber. Conversely, if a Padawan was expelled from the Order, the braid would be forcibly removed, as demonstrated in the case of Ahsoka Tano.
In the era of the New Jedi Order, the tradition of Padawans wearing braids had largely faded into obscurity. However, Ben Skywalker revived this practice for himself during his unofficial apprenticeship under Jacen Solo.
Inconsistencies in the placement of Padawan braids worn by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker are noticeable across scenes in the prequel trilogy films. These inconsistencies represent continuity errors, possibly resulting from shots being flipped during post-production or the use of hair extensions for specific scenes, as genuine braids require considerable time to grow. The traditional placement of the braid is on the right side.