Hayden Christensen Discusses Anakin Skywalker's Return in Ahsoka at Star Wars Celebration

One of the most exciting announcements from Star Wars Celebration is that Hayden Christensen will reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker in Season 2 of Ahsoka. Following this revelation, we had the opportunity to sit down with Christensen to discuss his return to the character after nearly two decades, his appreciation for the darker elements of Star Wars, and even his favorite Anakin meme.

Our conversation began with Christensen expressing his interest in exploring more Anakin stories, particularly from the Clone Wars era. He mentioned how much he would "love to get to do some more of the Clone Wars-era," a period mostly covered in animation by Matt Lanter, except for a notable scene in Ahsoka and brief moments in the films.

Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker in Ahsoka. Image Credit: Lucasfilm

"I know my friend Ewan would be game for that as well," Christensen added. "It's a cool look. It's a cool sort of period in Star Wars and I think there are great stories that we could tell there. So who knows, maybe one day."

While the idea of revisiting the Clone Wars era would require some "aging" magic, Christensen remains enthusiastic about continuing to explore Anakin's story, including further delving into the Darth Vader timeline.

"I love this character," Christensen said. "I would love the chance to continue to explore Anakin's story some more and hopefully do the Darth Vader timeline a little bit more too. I think there are more stories there to be told."

Our discussion then shifted to "Revenge of the Sith," which will celebrate its 20th anniversary on May 19, 2025. Known for being one of the darkest films in the franchise, Christensen appreciates when Star Wars tackles challenging themes.

"George Lucas made some very bold choices and I love that he did that," Christensen said. "However, he did it in a way that we could still digest everything. For example, Anakin is killing younglings, but we don't actually see it. But yeah, I like it when Star Wars goes dark. That works for me."

Reflecting on his return to the role after nearly 20 years, Christensen noted the personal growth and deeper connection he feels to Anakin.

"Of course it feels different. I'm different," Christensen said. "I've had 20 years of life that I didn't have before, and that just sort of changes your perspective on things. But in a lot of ways, I feel even more connected to Anakin now than I ever have because I've had more time to think about him and sort of try to understand him."

"It's a very unique thing coming back to a role after all of these years and an interesting sort of exercise in the craft of acting, having to sort of account for that passage of time. But I feel very fortunate that I have the opportunity to do it."

To wrap up our conversation, we discussed the ongoing debate about the best order to watch the Star Wars films. Christensen doesn't have a strong opinion on the matter.

"Not really," Christensen said. "I don't know that there is a right way or a wrong way, and I think there's merit to both. I think George Lucas would like you to start with episode one and experience the story in a linear fashion, but there's definitely something to be said for starting with episode four. I've thought about it myself as I have yet to show my daughter the films... I mean she is going to see her dad do some sort of gnarly stuff."

Finally, we asked Christensen about his thoughts on the numerous Anakin memes and if he has a favorite. While he's seen the infamous sand meme countless times and enjoys the one with him and Padmé in the field, his current favorite is a meme featuring Emperor Palpatine begging Anakin to not let Mace Windu kill him, and Anakin replies, "He's just reflecting your lightning back you... just stop shooting lightning!"