Hayden Christensen on Returning to Anakin Skywalker in Ahsoka and Liking When 'Star Wars Goes Dark' - Star Wars Celebration

One of the most exciting reveals at Star Wars Celebration was the announcement that Hayden Christensen will reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker in Season 2 of *Ahsoka*. Following the big news, we had the opportunity to sit down with Christensen and discuss what it means to return to the character after nearly two decades. We also explored his thoughts on darker storytelling in Star Wars and even touched on which Anakin meme he enjoys the most.

Our conversation kicked off with a discussion about potential future stories featuring Anakin. Christensen expressed enthusiasm for revisiting the Clone Wars era, stating he would “love to get to do some more of the Clone Wars-era.” While fans have seen glimpses of live-action Anakin from that time through *Ahsoka* and select scenes in the films, much of the Clone Wars-era storytelling has been animated, with Matt Lanter voicing the character.

Christensen added, “I know my friend Ewan would be game for that as well. 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 seeing Christensen back in the Clone Wars era is exciting, he acknowledged that it would involve some visual adjustments to match the timeline. Still, that hasn’t discouraged him from wanting to continue exploring Anakin’s journey.

“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.”

When Star Wars Goes Dark

We shifted focus to *Revenge of the Sith*, which is set to celebrate its 20th anniversary on May 19, 2025. The film remains one of the darkest entries in the franchise, tackling intense themes like betrayal, loss, and moral corruption. Christensen appreciates how Star Wars doesn’t shy away from difficult subject matter.

“George Lucas made some very bold choices and I love that he did that,” Christensen noted. “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.”

Returning After Two Decades

*Revenge of the Sith* marked the last time Christensen played Anakin Skywalker on the big screen—until now. Reflecting on returning to the role after almost 20 years, he shared how his perspective has evolved over time.

“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.”

He continued, “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.”

How to Watch Star Wars: The Never-Ending Debate

As our conversation drew to a close, we asked Christensen his thoughts on the long-standing debate over the best viewing order for the Star Wars saga.

“Not really,” he replied. “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.”

Anakin Memes and the One He Likes Best

No conversation with Hayden Christensen would be complete without touching on the endless stream of Anakin memes floating across the internet. While he’s seen the “I don’t like sand” joke countless times and enjoys the iconic field scene with Padmé, his current favorite features Emperor Palpatine and a humorous twist during their duel with Mace Windu.

“My recent favorite is one of Emperor Palpatine begging Anakin to not let Mace Windu kill him, and Anakin says, ‘He’s just reflecting your lightning back you… just stop shooting lightning!’”