Hayden Christensen’s 10 Most Underrated Moments As Anakin Skywalker In Star Wars

Hayden Christensen has long received criticism for his performance as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, but these 10 Star Wars moments are his very best and prove that he was excellent as this character. The Star Wars prequel trilogy received plenty of backlash when it was first released, for various reasons. Many argued that these were among Star Wars’ worst movies because they deviated from the original trilogy in their view and because they felt the dialogue and the acting weren’t up to snuff.

As Star Wars movies and TV shows have expanded considerably since the prequels, and as time has gone on, that view has largely shifted. This is especially true for Hayden Christensen, who has gone from one of the most highly criticized Star Wars actors to one of the most beloved. In light of that new appreciation for Christensen and his performance as Anakin Skywalker, it’s worth looking at Christensen’s 10 best moments as Anakin in Star Wars movies and shows.

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Anakin Demanding The Clones Lower The Ship For Padmé

Hayden Christensen’s Raw Emotions During This Scene Are Often Overlooked

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Christensen has perhaps gotten the most flak for how he portrayed Anakin’s feelings for Padmé in both Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. What is imperative to remember, though, is that Christensen was playing a 19-year-old Anakin in Attack of the Clones. When viewed in that context, it’s easy to buy Anakin’s over-the-top emotions and irrational behavior; he was a love-sick teenager, on top of being emotionally unstable even outside his feelings for Padmé.

Yet, the scene in Attack of the Clones in which Padmé falls out of a ship on Geonosis proves that Christensen was able to capture Anakin’s intense feelings for Padmé in a much more reserved way when the situation demanded it. At first, when Padmé falls, Anakin begins yelling that they have to lower the ship and go back for her, in a classic Anakin fashion. When Obi-Wan chastises him and asks him what Padmé would do, though, Anakin pulls himself together and, although still distraught, moves forward with his mission.

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Anakin’s Eulogy At Shmi Skywalker’s Grave

Christensen Was Accused Of Over-Acting, But This Scene Is Subdued

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Yet another example of Christensen being able to rein Anakin’s emotions in when necessary, in Attack of the Clones, Anakin sat at Shmi Skywalker’s grave, riddled with grief at her loss and guilt over not being able to save her, and through clenched teeth said, “I miss you, Mom. So much.” This was an incredibly powerful moment because it was a quieter demonstration of how painful this loss was. Yes, Anakin had also just wiped out an entire camp of Tusken Raiders, but Christensen was able to play Anakin’s emotions—big and small—beautifully.

It was also pivotal that Christensen got these scenes right. The loss of Anakin’s mother was a key turning point in his path to the dark side. Arguably, this was really the beginning of his path to the dark side, as his slaughter of the Tusken Raiders was easily his most vicious act at that point.

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Christensen’s Lightsaber Skills During Anakin’s First Count Dooku Fight

Christensen’s First Face-Off With Dooku Gets Less Attention

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Anakin Skywalker’s fight with Count Dooku in Revenge of the Sith is hailed as some of Christensen’s best lightsaber work in Star Wars, and although that is one of the best duels in Star Wars, his first encounter with Dooku deserves recognition as well. In Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan and Anakin have their first face-off against Dooku on Geonosis. Given Anakin loses his first limb during this scene, it’s clear it doesn’t go according to plan.

Nevertheless, this first fight with Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones is one of Christensen’s best scenes as Anakin Skywalker as well, especially in light of his impressive lightsaber skills. Behind-the-scenes clips from the prequel trilogy have made it clear that Christensen trained tirelessly and became genuinely excellent with a lightsaber (resulting in his iconic spin move that even Ewan McGregor has said he can’t do). In fact, behind-the-scenes footage from this scene reveals that it was almost an even more intense duel, better showcasing Christensen’s skills.

This first fight with Count Dooku in Attack of the Clones is one of Christensen’s best scenes as Anakin Skywalker.

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Obi-Wan Kenobi’s Flashback Sequence

Christensen Taps Into Prequel Trilogy Anakin With Ease

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Christensen’s more recent returns in Star Wars prove that the actor hasn’t lost his touch as Anakin Skywalker—far from it. In Obi-Wan Kenobi, Christensen returned as Anakin/Darth Vader not only in the Imperial era but also in the prequel trilogy era in flashback. In fact, Christensen had to tap into a version of Anakin that went even further back than Revenge of the Sith, as Anakin’s Padawan braid was clearly visible in these scenes.

Christensen had to tap into a version of Anakin that went even further back than Revenge of the Sith.

This would undoubtedly be quite the challenge, given it meant Christensen jumping back into his teenage self, despite the decades that have passed. Christensen seemed to do so with ease, though, managing to perfectly capture how Anakin had behaved in Attack of the Clones. Yes, he was also de-aged and dressed up in his old Jedi attire, but he brought the character back too in a way that proved his acting chops.

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Anakin’s Confession Of Love

These Lines Get Mocked, But Christensen’s Delivery Sells It

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Anakin’s scene with Padmé on Naboo in Attack of the Clones is also one of Christensen’s most mocked, yet this is another example of Christensen realistically representing Anakin’s young, irrational emotions and feelings for Padmé at that time. In the scene, Padmé tells Anakin they can’t be together (while bewilderingly wearing a dress that was certainly sending mixed signals), and Anakin is understandably crestfallen. His lines during this scene reveal that, but audiences largely found the dialogue too heavy-handed.

However, Christensen’s acting in this scene makes those lines work, especially because he comes across as a young man being ‘tortured’ by the intensity of his feelings. Lines in which Anakin says things like he is “hoping that kiss does not become a scar” are easy to poke fun at, but is it really that hard to believe that a 19-year-old would talk like that? Moreover, Anakin was never one to be reasonable or calm. In that very scene, in fact, he tells Padmé that he cannot be rational.

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Christensen’s Delivery Of “I Hate Them”

Anakin’s Rage And Hate Are Palpable In That Moment

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The scene in which Anakin is sitting by Shmi’s grave isn’t the only moment connected to the Tusken Raider massacre that proves how brilliant Christensen was as Anakin Skywalker. When Anakin confesses what he’s done to Padmé, he does act like the same emotional, somewhat unstable young Jedi shown throughout the prequel trilogy. However, Christensen’s delivery of the line “I hate them” is absolutely chilling.

Anakin’s rage and hatred at that moment are palpable, and it perfectly sets up his fall to the dark side. Until these scenes with the Tusken Raiders and immediately after, it was difficult to imagine Anakin becoming Darth Vader in the original trilogy. Sure, Anakin had an ego and angry outbursts, but he had been downright adorable in Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, and even earlier on in Attack of the Clones, he seemed far from someone who would torture a woman and then blow up her planet in front of her. This scene changed that.

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Anakin’s Reaction To Mace Windu’s Death

Christensen’s “What Have I Done?” Is Heartbreaking

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Just as Christensen’s delivery of the line “I hate them” was perfectly executed in Attack of the Clones, Anakin’s reaction to Mace Windu’s death in Revenge of the Sith is deeply affecting. Throughout Revenge of the Sith, it’s clear that Anakin is entirely conflicted. He’s grown to resent the Jedi, and he’s become completely reckless in his relationship with Padmé. This all comes to a head when Mace Windu is standing over Palpatine, ready to take his life. In a split-second decision, Anakin sides with Palpatine, resulting in Mace’s death.

Rather than feel invigorated and justified in his actions like he was with the Tusken Raiders, though, Anakin’s shock and guilt are immediate. In a truly horrified voice, Anakin says, “What have I done?” Christensen’s delivery of the line is so genuine that it perfectly conveys how Anakin really felt in that moment. He wasn’t proud of himself or immediately ready to join the dark side. Instead, he suddenly came to the realization that he couldn’t come back from this moment, and he had just ruined his future with the Jedi.

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Anakin’s Final Moments With Obi-Wan On Mustafar

This Scene Is Packed With Emotion On Both Sides

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The scenes on Mustafar in Revenge of the Sith are some of the most emotionally intense and brutal in the whole franchise because they depict the violent end of Anakin’s relationships with Padmé and Obi-Wan. This is tragic enough given Anakin attacks Padmé, contributing to her death and confirming that he had fully turned on everyone he’d once loved—even the woman he had just been so desperate to save. The final moments between Anakin and Obi-Wan on Mustafar are some of the most painful, though.

Anakin’s pain, both physically and emotionally, is evident in Christensen’s performance, and the intensity of his declaration of hatred for Obi-Wan is ten times that of his “I hate them” in Attack of the Clones. Beneath that, however, it’s clear that Anakin is shattered by the destruction of his relationship with Obi-Wan, who had at different times been like a father and a brother to him. Although Anakin’s line asking Obi-Wan for help in that scene was cut, Christensen’s performance made that sentiment clear, and it was perfectly painful.

Although Anakin’s line asking Obi-Wan for help in that scene was cut, Christensen’s performance made that sentiment clear, and it was perfectly painful.

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Christensen’s Portrayal Of Clone Wars-Era Anakin

Christensen Captured A Version Of The Character He Never Even Played

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Like Christensen’s ability to jump back into prequel trilogy-era Anakin in Obi-Wan Kenobi, in Ahsoka, Christensen had to embody Clone Wars-era Anakin Skywalker in the World Between Worlds. What makes this an even more impressive acting feat, though, is the fact that Christensen had yet to play this version of Anakin, but he did so brilliantly. As just one example, “No kidding!” sounded just like Anakin in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, even though it was Matt Lanter, not Christensen, who played that role.

Likely because he had committed to watching The Clone Wars before filming for Ahsoka began, Christensen nailed the dynamic between Anakin and Ahsoka Tano, even though that was a character he had never interacted with. These scenes truly felt like a direct translation of The Clone Wars, and that was due in large part to Christensen’s stellar acting. Of course, he also managed to bring his own version of Anakin to the screen in these scenes, with lines like “You lack conviction” sounding just like Anakin in Revenge of the Sith.

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Anakin’s Speech On Mustafar

Christensen’s Most Mocked Scene Is Actually His Best

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Hayden Christensen’s single most criticized scene as Anakin Skywalker is actually his single best. In Revenge of the Sith, Christensen delivers his impassioned speech about bringing “peace, freedom, justice, and security” to ‘his’ new Empire. Yet again, viewers found this too heavy-handed, but this was really representative of how far Anakin had fallen and how much he had lost touch with reality. Obi-Wan even calls Anakin “lost” during these scenes, and that is exactly what this speech captured.

Just like with Anakin’s overstated emotions when he was describing his feelings for Padmé in Attack of the Clones, these lines aren’t somehow made terrible by Christensen’s acting. Entirely on the contrary, Christensen brings the perfect degree of disturbing irrationality to these moments, on Mustafar in particular, and it quickly communicates that Anakin Skywalker really is dead in a sense, at least temporarily. While Hayden Christensen’s performance as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader remains highly criticized by many, these 10 moments reveal how excellent his acting really was.

Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
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