Hayden Christensen Binged Star Wars Animated Shows Before Returning For 'Obi-Wan Kenobi'

You’d think that landing a major role in Star Wars would be nothing but a blissful dream, but Hayden Christensen didn’t have the easiest of times back in the day. So strong was the hate for his performance as Anakin Skywalker that Hayden temporarily stepped away from acting to focus on farming. To be fair to Hayden, he didn’t always have the smoothest dialogue to deliver but still … decisions were made.

Well, there’s one thing we now know about the actor: the man has taste. In preparation for his upcoming return as Anakin in Disney+’s Obi-Wan Kenobi series, Hayden recently revealed that he’d been binge watching Star Wars’ various animated shows. Set 10 years after the events of Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Obi-Wan Kenobi will see Anakin return in full on Vader mode.

Take a look at this glimpse of Hayden Christensen in action as Darth Vader in the latest Obi-Wan Kenobi TV spot.

Speaking to Entertainment Weekly, Christensen revealed that he watched both Star Wars: The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels in order to get a better understanding of his character. He also rewatched the prequels which surprisingly, turned out to be a pretty wholesome and educational experience.

"It was interesting," Christensen said. "They did a lot with these characters in those shows, and they did further explore the relationship [between Anakin and Obi-wan]. There was interesting stuff there to learn about. It was great fun getting to go back and re-immerse yourself in this world that just continues to grow and become more and more vast."

Hayden will of course also be reprising the role of Anakin in the upcoming Ahsoka series, so it’s nice to know he’s been putting in the research. Star Wars: The Clone Wars doesn’t have the most sensical of viewing orders, but damn is it good. Hayden Christensen can vouch, clearly.

Topics: Star Wars, TV And Film