Summary
Hayden Christensen shared painful but profound truths about whyAnakin Skywalkercouldn’t find peace inStar Warsuntil after he’d died, based on the events of theAhsokaTV show. In theAhsokashow, Christensen reprised his role as Anakin Skywalker, first inthe World Between Worldsand then as a Force ghost. This show, and Christensen’s cameo in particular, was a thrilling update toStar Warsmovies and TV shows, but it also brought to light many new questions (and some difficult answers) about Anakin Skywalker, Ahsoka Tano, and their relationship with one another.
In an interview withThe Hollywood Reporter,Hayden Christensen reflected on Anakin Skywalker’s character development in theAhsokashow beautifully, revealing why the show’s version of Anakin was so different from the character who had been in the prequel trilogy and inStar Wars: The Clone Wars. Christensen explained:
“Anakin, he goes through a lot in his life and in the prequels he’s a very emotional character, but in this, this is a post-life version of the character, so he’s aware of all of those things but he’s not emotionally beholden to those things either, so we could present just a slightly different slant on the character.”
In this quote, Christensen nodded towards the ways in whichintense emotions had always prevented Anakin from finding true peace and how, in the end, he was only able to escape those intense emotions after his death, opening up fascinating new questions about the character.
5 Times Anakin Skywalker Proved He Really Was A Great Teacher
As Ahsoka Tano’s master during the Clone Wars, Anakin Skywalker had many teachable moments that greatly impacted her, and here are some of his best.
Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader
What Hayden Christensen said about Anakin’s emotional struggles in the prequels rings true;Anakin suffered significantly because he was so emotional, and that made it impossible for him to ever truly achieve peace in life. Rather, he was driven by feelings of anger, pain, and fear. Obviously, his emotional turmoil and suffering became even worse when he fell to the dark side and became Darth Vader.
In light of that, it’s fascinating to consider that, as Christensen said, Anakin could only find true clarity post-life, when he was no longer beholden to those feelings and instead could put some distance between himself and the issues he’d had in life. Arguably, that ability to be subjective in life could have entirely changed his fate, but that wasn’t in the cards for his character. However, the idea that Anakin found true peace in his death remains somewhat debatable.
The idea that Anakin found true peace in his death remains somewhat debatable.
For one,Anakin’s appearance in the World Between Worlds isn’t only one of a wise Jedi in the afterlife; instead, the scenes of the World Between Worlds inAhsokainclude incredible moments in which Anakin flashes between Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader. At one point, Anakin also becomes fully Vader, attacking Ahsoka and kicking her out of the flashback sequence. Moreover, it isn’t entirely clear what Anakin is in the World Between Worlds. At the end ofAhsoka, Anakin appears as a Force ghost, but that seems to be a different entity entirely.
Given that, it remains to be seen exactly what Anakin’s experience was ‘post-life,’ as Christensen put it. Even so, Christensen’s comments during this interview are a beautiful reflection of the arc Anakin’s character has had inStar Warsand a reminder of how well Christensen knows Anakin. Truly, there is likely no one better to speak aboutAnakin Skywalkerthan Hayden Christensen, and it’s clear that, from his perspective, death brought Anakin a newfound perspective and perhaps even peace in theAhsokashow.
Ahsoka
Cast
Ahsoka follows the journey of former Jedi Knight Ahsoka Tano as she investigates an emerging threat to a vulnerable galaxy. Released in 2023, this series takes place within the Star Wars universe and features Ahsoka navigating through a complex political and cosmic landscape.
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