Hayden Christensen returns as Darth Vader in the newly announced Obi-Wan Kenobi series. It’s official. A rematch is in order. Darth Vader’s return to a live action project signals the beginning of a new era. Hayden Christensen has not appeared in the Star Wars franchise since Revenge Of The Sith. He fought Ewan McGregor’s Obi-Wan Kenobi in the lava pits of Mustafar. After losing to Kenobi, he was left physically and emotionally scarred. The defeat led his permanent transition to Darth Vader.
Fans all over the world are cheering his return. Hayden Christensen had a one line cameo in The Rise Of Skywalker. The current Star Wars franchise is on its last legs. After the debacle that was The Rise Of Skywalker, Star Wars needs a shot in the arm. It’s the live action series that will carry that burden now that the in-movie universe has failed us all. Darth Vader’s reappearance just might be the opportunity Star wars has been looking for all along.
With the Obi-Wan Kenobi show focusing on Kenobi’s life on Tatooine, where does Darth Vader fit in? There are already reports confirming Obi-Wan Kenobi will be traversing beyond Tatooine in the show. There will also be another duel between Vader and Obi-Wan. But how will the two finally meet? The Master and the former Jedi Padawan’s showdown is termed by Lucasfilm’s Kathleen Kennedy as the “Rematch of the Century”. But what are we missing here?
Here’s what we know about Anakin Skywalker’s role in the Obi-Wan show so far.
Hayden Christensen Plays Darth Vader, Not Anakin
There were rumors that Christensen will be playing Anakin Skywalker in the show. He will be a part of numerous flashbacks dating back to the Clone Wars saga. It would have helped polish the storyline of the Obi-Wan series. But the official announcement on the Disney Investor’s Day event has proved that Hayden Christensen is not playing Anakin Skywalker. He is returning as the villainous Darth Vader.
The two are two unique, entirely different characters. Anakin Skywalker was the Chosen One. he had a heart, was kind-hearted and gentle, and most important of all – was Obi-Wan’s staunchest ally. Darth Vader represents everything Obi-Wan believed to be evil. In the original trilogy, Obi-Wan claims Darth Vader ‘killed’ Anakin Skywalker. That is in part, true. Obi-Wan believed in Anakin so much he could never accept his transition to Vader. He refused to believe Vader was once his friend. Battling Darth Vader might be Obi-Wan’s journey towards a path of revenge, something that is forbidden in the Jedi Order.
Christensen Might Be Replacing James Earl Jones As Darth Vader
Fans of the original trilogy have a massive respect for the late actor James Earl Jones’ Darth Vader. His take on the most terrifying man the galaxy has ever seen was iconic and legendary. It would be hard to see anyone replace the original Darth Vader we fell in love with. But it is all but confirmed to happen. Christensen is playing Darth Vader so he will have to fill those shoes. A little bit of voice modulation might be in order. This might be the first time in a long time since we saw Darth Vader without his helmet. Hayden Christensen’s Vader could give us that.
Darth Vader’s Role In The Empire
After Palpatine saved Anakin from Mustafar, he rebuilt his body with cybernetic prosthetics. Darth Vader became Emperor Palpatine’s chief enforcer. He was the right hand man of the Galactic Empire. While Palpatine dabbled in nefarious politics, Darth Vader stayed away from the limelight, working from the shadows. His tales of cruelty and brutality became so infamous people started to believe Darth Vader was not real. Only a select few ever stood by him and most of them didn’t survive to tell the tale. Vader’s role was destroying all acts of rebellion against Palpatine and hunting down the pocketful of Jedi that survived Order 66. The Obi-Wan show will show us Vader leading the Inquisitorious into battle, destroying anyone who dared speaking against the Empire.
How Do Obi-Wan & Vader Meet?
Like we said, it’s highly likely that the show will portray Darth Vader as a mysterious entity serving the Empire from the shadows. This path opens up a lot of doors for Obi-Wan and Darth Vader to meet again. There is little to no possibility for Vader to meet Obi-Wan on Taooine. The planet houses Luke Skywalker so Obi-Wan will never risk it. The only possibility is that the duo meet somewhere else. With the Sith hunting down the few Jedi that survived, Obi-Wan might be heading out to help another Jedi in trouble. Or maybe he will be aiding the Rebellion in their fight against the Empire.
Darth Vader’s Purpose In Obi-Wan
Fans have been screaming at the top of their lungs for years for a Darth Vader Solo movie and/or series. Lucasfilm has not listened to our prayers. Vader’s live action appearance in Obi-Wan is not going to his ‘Ahsoka Tano In The Mandalorian’ moment. Fans might love the character in Obi-Wan but there’s no chance for him to take part in a solo series because of the rising popularity. The most we could see is sub-plots centering around Darth Vader. Darth Vader is not an immediate concern. Star Wars is focusing on other characters for now. It’s going to be like that for the years to come.
The Road Ahead – Can We Expect To See More Of Vader In The Star Wars Universe
As much as we would hate to admit it, there’s very negligible possibilities for a second season of the show. The Obi-Wan show is touted to be a limited series. Besides, the timeline of the plot will not give enough creative leg space for a second season. This just might be the final time we see a live action Darth Vader appearance. The series will probably be a cat and mouse chase between Obi-Wan and Vader, just like Din Djarin and Moff Gideon in The Mandalorian.
