Star Wars Zero Company players demand devs fix Anakin Skywalker as boycotts loom

The clone troopers are marching into action once again, and thankfully for Star Wars Zero Company, it has escaped being one of those lost Star Wars games that never gets to see the light of day (we're looking at you, Star Wars 1313).

While it's fair to say that George Lucas' Star Wars prequel trilogy got torn to pieces at the time, the general consensus has mellowed as we continue to visit this period of the galaxy’s history.

The Clone Wars era version of Anakin Skywalker is one that was glossed over in the movies, but as Star Wars: The Clone Wars fleshed out his character, there's a lot of love for his pre-Darth Vader arc.

We'll take more of Anakin wherever we can, but when it comes to Star Wars Zero Company, they're angrier than the man himself on Mustafar, with many calling out his look in EA's turn-based tactics video game.

Why do Star Wars Zero Company fans hate Anakin Skywalker?

Over on X, there's confusion, hilarity, and anger at the game's character model for Anakin. Matt Lanter is reprising his role as Anakin for Zero Company, having previously voiced him in everything from 2008's The Clone Wars movie to Tales of the Jedi.

Away from voicing Anakin in all seven seasons of The Clone Wars TV series, Latner has also lent his vocals to video games, including Star Wars Battlefront II and Lego Star Wars: The Skywalker Saga. Hayden Christensen is arguably the most synonymous with Anakin, even returning from the live-action movies for Disney+'s Obi-Wan Kenobi miniseries. Unfortunately for Zero Company, the ever-grouchy Star Wars fandom is up in arms because the game's take on Anakin looks closer to Latner than Christensen.

Many compared the Anakin model to Tony Hawk, while other doppelgänger jokes point to Nathan Fillion, Miles Teller playing John Branca in Michael, and even Sloth Fratelli from The Goonies.

One critic complained: "Do developers need to pay Hayden for his likeness? I can't imagine any other reason to butcher a face in 2026."

Another added, “What the hell did they do to my boy?….,” and many demanded the devs need to ‘fix’ it.

An especially angry player wrote: "I guess I won't be playing this game if they're going to carelessly disrespect Anakin Skywalker like this. If you're too cheap to get the appropriate actor that a character requires then don't include the character in you project."

Others were less fussed, as someone else concluded: "I don’t see why people are upset, looks like Anakin enough. Sure it doesn’t look like Hayden, but why would they pay for his likeness to be used if it’s not his voice? It’s just a different style so everyone is up in arms about it."

READ MORE: Star Wars' Mediocre Mandalorian Movie Should Have Been An RPG Instead

Star Wars Zero Company is the best Star Wars game we've played in years

We previously covered how Anakin won't even feature in Zero Company for long, but with Star Wars fans being more protective than most, it's been enough to cause an uproar. Thankfully, it's a vocal minority that seems to be up in arms about Anakin's look. Zero Company is already getting heaped with praise, as our own Olly Smith referred to it as one of the best Star Wars games he's played in years.

Taking us away from the tried-and-tested run of third-person Star Wars games like the Jedi series and Outlaws, Zero Company is XCOM meets the galaxy far, far away in the best way possible.

Putting a tactical twist on the sci-fi favourite gives Zero Company a leg-up over the competition, and even though there are signs of strain when it comes to Star Wars on the small and silver screen, video games continue to offer a well of untapped potential.

As many in the comments on Anakin's Latner-inspired character model pointed out, it shouldn't be long until modders get hold of the game on PC and stick Hayden Christensen on the battlefield.

If it really is that big a deal for you, sit tight until players give General Skywalker that inevitable visual overhaul.