When the Star Wars prequels first came out, Hayden Christensen’s Anakin Skywalker was torn apart by critics and fans alike. Critics labeled his acting as wooden, lacking emotion, and overly melodramatic. Meanwhile, fans of the original trilogy deemed him unconvincing as the man was destined to become the menacing Darth Vader, the ultimate big bad of Star Wars.
And given that the prequels were, for many years, the final movies in the Star Wars saga, fans weren’t willing to forgive and forget. For years, Christensen bore the brunt of the hate and even took a step back from acting. But now, with Christensen’s return to the Star Wars universe in the Disney+ series Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka, it’s time for a re-evaluation. Let’s talk about why all that negativity towards Christensen was unfair and unwarranted.
Blame the Writing and Direction, Not Hayden Christensen’s Acting
An actor can only do so much with the material they’re given. And while George Lucas, the mastermind behind Star Wars, is a creative genius, his writing can sometimes come off as clunky and awkward. Imagine being handed lines like “I don’t like sand. It’s coarse and rough and irritating, and it gets everywhere,” and having to make it sound natural. Even Natalie Portman and Ewan McGregor, two of the greatest actors of their generation, felt amateurish with the script they were given.
Fans also criticized how abruptly Anakin turned to the Dark Side. One minute he was declaring “It’s not the Jedi way,” and the next he was slaughtering children. And sure, Attack of the Clones planted seeds of his inner rage with the Tusken Raider massacre, but the overall arc still felt rushed. Lucas himself has acknowledged this misstep. In The Making of Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith, he admitted, “Showing how much Anakin and Padmé care for each other is one of my weak points. It’s really hard, in the end, to express the idea… and make that real — make that stick — and say it in two minutes, which is all the time this film has for it.”
Christensen’s portrayal of Anakin also leaned heavily on whining and pouting, which, while understandable with his backstory, wasn’t the stoic, intimidating Darth Vader fans had envisioned. And these outbursts of misplaced melodrama and childish whining were exactly what Lucas directed Christensen to do. Instead of letting Anakin’s angst and inner conflict speak for itself, Lucas had Christensen lay it all out there in the most obvious way possible. Lucas violated the most basic rule of storytelling — show, don’t tell. So, with such heavy-handed direction and subpar writing, it’s easy to see why the character didn’t resonate with audiences.
Hayden Christensen Was Just 19 When He First Played Anakin Skywalker
Put yourself in Christensen’s shoes. He was just 19 years old when he got thrust into a starring role in a giant franchise, scrutinized by the world’s most passionate fanbase. And to add to the pressure, he was sharing the screen with established Hollywood veterans like Ewan McGregor, Samuel L. Jackson, and Ian McDiarmid. The Star Wars movies also relied heavily on green screens instead of real sets, which made it even more challenging to build a natural on-screen presence. So yes, there might have been moments where his performance fell short, but let’s cut him some slack. How many of us were at our best at 19?
Since Star Wars, Christensen has really stepped up his acting game. He was praised for his acting in films like Jumper, Takers, and Shattered Glass. His performance as Sam in Life as a House even got him nominated for Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild Awards. And now, after watching him in Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka, it’s clear that no one cares more about this character than Christensen. He nailed both Anakin and Vader, showing that he had really put in the work to play a character he had only portrayed briefly before. His performance proved what a talented actor he is and how perfectly suited he was for Vader all along.
Hayden Christensen Gave Us Some of the Best Lightsaber Duels in All of Star Wars History
The lightsaber choreography in the prequels is revered as some of the finest in the entire Star Wars saga. This is due in no small part to the raw power and athleticism Christensen brought to these duels. He trained hard for months and did most of his own stunts. Remember his fight with Dooku (Christopher Lee)? He brought Dooku down to his knees and then, with just a nod from Palpatine, beheaded him without hesitation. Then there’s the Obi-Wan (Ewan McGregor) vs. Anakin duel on Mustafar — one of the longest, most epic, and memorable lightsaber duels in Star Wars history.
Even in the recent Disney+ shows, Christensen’s still got it. His fight in Obi-Wan Kenobi was visually stunning. Just one perfect block after another, and then he uses the Force to bury Obi-Wan under rocks. But in the end, he loses, revealing a scarred and broken Anakin on the inside. The emotional moment between them, with Anakin admitting he’s basically dead, killed by Vader, hit hard. It’s moments like these that make you appreciate just how talented Christensen is. Also check out why Hayden Christensen’s daughter hasn’t seen his movies.
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