Whiny Anakin’s Back! Hayden Christensen Reprises His Role on ‘Ahsoka’ and Finally Finds His Way Into My Heart

The more footage they release of Disney+’s upcoming Ahsoka, starring Rosario Dawson, the more excited I get! The trailer released this week not only got me excited to see some of my favorite animated characters in live-action (so excited for Hera, Sabine, and Ezra!), but it actually got me excited to see the return of a live-action character who … let’s just say was never my favorite.

The new trailer emphasizes both Ahsoka’s past as a Padawan, and her present as someone who turned her back on the Jedi, but perhaps might be finding her way back as she connects with others along her path.

A surprisingly poignant element in the trailer is a familiar voice: Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, and then reprised his role on Obi-Wan Kenobi last year. There’s warmth in his voice as we hear him speak words that Anakin said to Ahsoka when she was a child under his tutelage during The Clone Wars:

In this war, you will face more than just droids. As your master, it’s my responsibility to prepare you. I won’t always be there to look out for you. Don’t be afraid. Trust your instincts. I know you can do this, Ahsoka.

I’m not the biggest fan of Episodes I–III, and one of the elements I’ve always liked least is their version of Anakin Skywalker. While I loved the version of Anakin performed by Matt Lanter on Clone Wars and Rebels, live-action Anakin left a lot to be desired, and a complex, compelling character became an unrecognizable whiny baby.

Christensen’s early performance was part of it, but it was the writing and direction that really led the characterization astray. Actors can only do so much and Christensen, whom I’d seen do good work in other things around that time, was doing the best he could with what he was given.

However, there’s something to be said for maturing as a performer, and bringing new life experiences to the table for a performance. Christensen is now a father in his early forties. He has the lived experience both of having been a young celebrity and currently being someone responsible for guiding a younger person to their fullest potential.

When Christensen returned for Obi-Wan Kenobi, and he appeared in those flashbacks, we got what I wished we could’ve gotten in those first prequel films: an Anakin who’s smart, charming, and playful with a simmering undercurrent of dissatisfaction eating away at him throughout.

Hearing Christensen’s voice now as an older, more grounded actor, speaking to Ahsoka as her teacher, full of genuine care for her, knowing what we know about how things turned out between them is damn near heartbreaking. It’s surprising how simply hearing him say a few words, and not seeing him on-screen at all, already evokes so much emotion.

Do I actually love Christensen’s Anakin now? I think I might.