Ahsoka has given us the perfect evolution of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker

Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker in Ahsoka — (Image credit: Disney/Lucasfilm)

Welcome back, Skyguy. It's only been just over a year since we last saw Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker after his triumphant return to the Star Wars saga in Obi-Wan Kenobi, but excitement over his long-teased Ahsoka appearance had reached a fever pitch by the time he popped up with a "hello, Snips" in the show's fourth episode.

Anakin's appearance in Ahsoka is no quick cameo, though. His involvement in the show puts his one-time Padawan through quite the crucial transformation – but Anakin has gone through his own metamorphosis, too, and the version of him we see in Ahsoka episode 5 is the ultimate evolution of the character.

This is where the fun begins

There's always been something of a gap between The Clone Wars' version of Anakin, voiced by Matt Lanter, and Christensen's incarnation of the character. The most obvious difference is, until now, we've never seen live-action Anakin with Ahsoka, meaning the bond between Skyguy and Snips felt exclusive to the animated show. Then there's the difference in Lanter and Christensen's performances; Lanter's Anakin is more light-hearted, cracking one-liners and bantering with Ahsoka and Obi-Wan, though still with his fair share of brushes with darkness. Christensen's Anakin has a snarky sense of humor too (remember Revenge of the Sith's "you're shorter than I expected"?), but since the majority of his screen time revolves around a constant, painful struggle with the dark side and a soul-deep terror of losing Padmé, it understandably never had as much of a chance to shine.

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But Ahsoka episode 5 perfectly unites these two sides to Anakin Skywalker. He trades playful quips with his Padawan – one of the first things he tells her is she looks "old," to which Ahsoka retorts, "Well, that happens" – and grins when she catches him in the face with a hard kick. In the Clone Wars-era scene, Christensen has his animated counterpart's short hair and uniform, and jokes around with Ahsoka like old times. When she calls him out, he challenges her on what she'd prefer, turning serious in an instant and revealing the familiar edge beneath the surface.

Balance to the Force

That's not the only perfect union in this version of Anakin, either. In Ahsoka episode 5, we see an Anakin that's both light and dark, able to flip between both in a moment: gone is the fraught conflict between his warring sides. In fact, in a moving but casual moment of self-acceptance, Anakin tells Ahsoka, who's worried about a legacy of death and war: "You're more than that, because I'm more than that."

He even gives Luke Skywalker a vague shoutout when Ahsoka says she won't fight. Anakin recalls, "I've heard that before," referencing the final battle he fought as Darth Vader before his son brought him back to the light, in a touching reminder of his redemption.

We've only ever had a glimpse at a post-Vader, redeemed Anakin before at the very end of Return of the Jedi (and in his Rise of Skywalker voice cameo), but we've never seen an Anakin who is so at peace with every aspect of himself, including the darkness. It's a whole new spin on the character and a cathartic culmination of his arc – we've been waiting to see a happy, calm, and balanced Anakin Skywalker for literally decades.

Anakin unleashing the full extent of his considerable powers (he is the Chosen One, after all) is also incredibly exciting; he's no longer half-machine, trapped in a cumbersome if cool life-support suit, and he's also no longer held back by the destructive dark side mindset that led to him killing Obi-Wan and almost slaying Ahsoka in Star Wars Rebels. This is Anakin Skywalker firing on all cylinders, proving it's not light versus dark anymore but light and dark.

Return of the Jedi

Much of this comes down to stellar writing and directing from Dave Filoni, of course, but it's mostly thanks to Christensen's flawless performance as his most famous character. Christensen has always been excellent at the physicality of portraying Anakin, from lightning quick lightsaber skills to nailing that terrifying, "I'm going to kill you now" glare. In Ahsoka, we get to see all of that again in the best-choreographed lightsaber moves on Disney Plus, along with those extra dimensions brought to life through Christensen's knowing smiles and the warm, brotherly affection and advice he has for his Padawan.

Anakin's return, then, is both the comeback of a legend as well as the introduction of a whole new man – a welcome back and a new beginning. Who knows if we'll be seeing Christensen's Anakin again (though a clue suggests we will), but his future is one of limitless potential now Star Wars has embraced every aspect of his complicated, multi-faceted personality. Until next time, Skyguy.

Ahsoka is streaming on Disney Plus now. For much more on the show, check out our deep dives on: