*Anakin-related spoilers, including for Obi-Wan Kenobi and Ahsoka.*
I debated a bit over what type of post to give Anakin, and I realized that ultimately, what I wanted to talk about wasn’t really fitting for a Favorite Characters or a Character Highlight. Rather, I want to look more at my perception of Anakin as a character and how that has evolved.
I’ve talked about the prequels before, and plenty of folks deeper in the fandom than me have spilled all kinds of ink about the prequels online, for years. This trilogy has definite problems, and for me, Anakin kind of takes the brunt of those issues. It was hard for me to connect with him in those movies, first as the plucky little kid with the preternatural podracing skills, and then as the talented but angry/scared young Jedi who’s edging up toward the precipice from nearly the moment we see him. Apart from any other prequel issues, my big obstacles with Anakin are this. First, it’s hard for me to reconcile the young man in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith with the kid in The Phantom Menace, which makes it tough for the whole trilogy to feel like a throughline of his story. And second, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith feel like they’re hurtling toward Vader so quickly that, to me, it’s like I never really get a chance to get to know who Anakin is apart from the villain he’ll become.
However, since I’ve gotten deeper into Star Wars, I’ve found a new appreciation for Anakin. Like many fans, The Clone Wars has opened new possibilities for me. I still haven’t made it through the whole series yet, but I really love getting a chance to see how Anakin operates day-to-day as a Jedi. I feel like the show gives me a chance to see the things the prequels were telling me about Anakin that I couldn’t really see for myself. His talent as a Jedi, his confidence and recklessness, his excellent piloting skills. His relationship with Obi-Wan, who he frequently teases and bickers with, but who’s like a brother to him. Flashes of his brushes with Dark Side impulses, but shown hand in hand with his heroism and integrity, which makes his impending fall all the more tragic. We also get to see much more of his relationship with Padmé beyond the mere fact that it’s forbidden, and it’s so interesting to see what kind of a teacher he is to his own padawan, Ahsoka.
The seasons I’ve seen so far of The Clone Wars help me to get Anakin in ways that I wasn’t able to really access before. And that’s only been heightened by Hayden Christensen’s return appearances in the newer Disney+ shows. Seeing him as Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, seeing Obi-Wan realize that Anakin survived their duel on Mustafar and learning what’s become of him, is wrenching. Their fight in the finale is probably the most affecting scene of the whole series, when Obi-Wan damages Vader’s helmet and we can see part of Anakin’s face, with his voice shifting between Vader’s and Anakin’s. More than anything else I’ve seen in Star Wars to date, this scene gives me the gut punch of Vader used to be Anakin, and it’s heartbreaking. Then, in Ahsoka, Anakin is used to such excellent effect. I love how he appears to Ahsoka when she’s between living and dying, how we see him push to continue her training. I love the flashbacks we get to the Clone Wars, and the fascinating way hints of Vader bleed through into the visions of the younger Anakin. It’s fantastically done, and after all the years that Hayden Christensen was dragged for the prequels, it’s really satisfying to see him properly embraced by the fandom as he’s given some terrific material to work with.
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