For the past few weeks, fans have wondered – did Disney really convince Hayden Christensen to return as Darth Vader, decades on from his last appearance, only to have him wear a mask or lurk in out-of-focus areas the whole time?
Well, the penultimate episode of Obi-Wan Kenobi has finally answered that question. You see, in Chapter Five a couple of different flashbacks give us the chance to see Christensen play Anakin as he used to be – and it’s safe to say that fans were pretty ecstatic to see him in action.
#ObiWanKenobi spoilers #ObiWan #Kenobi
— ????????????????????????????✨????//MS. MARVEL ERA⚡️ (@giselleb1234) June 15, 2022
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OML I CANT BELIEVE WE ACTUALLY GOT A SCENE LIKE THIS IN 2022 I AM NOT OKAY ????????pic.twitter.com/gFJEilqArG
The main meat of Christensen’s appearances comes through a series of flashbacks sprinkled throughout the episode, which look back at a sparring session between Anakin-as-padawan and Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Jedi Master. Presumably, based on their costumes this takes place around the time of (through probably slightly before) 2002’s Attack of the Clones.
This practice bout acts as a kind of framing device for Obi-Wan Kenobi’s fifth episode, exploring the dynamic between the aggressive, impetuous Anakin and Obi-Wan’s more defensive style, which apparently maintains even in their very different circumstances.
#ObiWan#ObiWanKenobi#Vader #Anakin
— Gabriel RDjarin (@GabrielDjarin7) June 15, 2022
Fans of the prequel trilogy watching the new Kenobi episode: pic.twitter.com/n8KyMoqWgK
Still, fans mostly just seemed excited to see Christensen and McGregor properly on screen together for the first time, even if both actors were visibly quite a bit older than they were the last time they were styled in those costumes.
Though of course, this wasn’t the only Christensen flashback fans were given. As the truth of Reva’s Jedi Temple youngling backstory was revealed, we also got a glimpse of Anakin as he attacked the temple shortly after succumbing to the Dark Side.
#ObiWanKenobi #ObiWan #Kenobi spoilers
— Myrna Cantú (@myrna_18) June 15, 2022
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"Master Skywalker, there are too many of them! What are we going to do?" pic.twitter.com/Be3hDSdztT
Unpleasantly, there were more explicit scenes of him murdering children than were seen in the prequel trilogy, helping to remind fans that Vader and Christensen’s version are really one and the same.
Obi-wan kenobi spoilers ‼️‼️‼️‼️
— yuhyuh (@amrieass) June 15, 2022
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Bro I can’t it’s like I’m 10 yrs old again. Scene got me jumping up and down bro ????????
-#ObiWan #anakin #StarWars pic.twitter.com/fEQ8C8nosp
Altogether, it was a clever way to get Christensen back in the action and give fans another nod to the prequel trilogy all these years later. And who knows? With one more episode to go, there might be time for a few more flashbacks yet…
Obi-Wan Kenobi releases new episodes on Wednesdays on Disney Plus – sign up to Disney Plus for £7.99 a month or £79.90 a year.. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.
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