Summary

• Hayden Christensen, who played Anakin Skywalker, would tell his younger self to practice patience during the backlash of the Star Wars prequel trilogy.
• The Star Wars prequels received a lot of hate initially, but the younger generation who grew up with them now appreciate them more.
• Christensen's portrayal of Anakin Skywalker was praised for his excellent acting, especially in Episode III, and fans hope to see him reprise his role in future Star Wars projects.

Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen recently revealed what Jedi lesson he'd give his younger self if he had the chance. Anakin Skywalker has been a controversial character at times, as a lot of viewers hated him in the Star Wars prequel trilogy. However, through both Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the process of retrospection, the character has grown to be universally loved. Recently, actor Hayden Christensen opened up about his relationship with Star Wars and what it was like to go from hated to loved.

When the Star Wars prequel trilogy first came out, it was universally panned. That is hard on any actor - especially a young one. Hayden Christensen was 20 years old when he played Anakin for the first time. As such, he found the backlash understandably difficult. However, he recently revealed in an interview with Empire that, if he could go back in time, he would tell his younger self to practice the Jedi teaching of patience. When discussing why he would give himself this advice, Christensen said this:

Even though I was a bit overwhelmed, I was also a confident young man, and I wanted to make my mark. But I guess if I were to have some advice for me during that general time in my life, it would be: ‘Patience’... Because my journey with the character and with Star Wars has at times been a bumpy one... but I’m in a good place with it now. And so that’s why I say patience.

Hayden Christensen Is Right: With Star Wars, You Just Need To Give It Time

Hayden Christensen was absolutely right when it came to the Star Wars prequels. While the older generations compared them to the originals and saw all the little flaws, the younger generation who grew up loving the prequels weren't able to be as loud. When the prequels came out, the Internet wasn't the same as today. There was no social media, and children and teenagers weren't as connected online as they are now. As such, the voices of prequel enthusiasts weren't really heard. Now, however, that generation has grown up, and Christensen's Anakin has finally gotten the love he deserves.

Christensen's portrayal of Anakin Skywalker is excellent. The subtle facial expressions he makes in Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith when Pé Amidala tells him she's pregnant are top-tier acting. The way he shifts from terrified to excited to nervous in seconds shows how great of an actor he has always been. Anakin is a character who has suffered deep trauma and has been forced to repress it rather than be allowed to deal with it. As such, upon retrospective analysis, Christensen's emotional and yet uptight portrayal is perfect.

It would be wonderful to see Christensen reprise his role as Anakin Skywalker in future Star Wars projects. This could happen in a couple of ways. He could appear as a Force ghost, or perhaps even the World Between Worlds again in Ahsoka season 2. Another way he could appear is as Darth Vader in a potential Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2. Either way, it's a joy to have Christensen involved in Star Wars, and it always has been.

All Star Wars movies and TV shows are available to stream on Disney+.

Source: Empire