Hayden Christensen’s favorite Star Wars galaxy is incomprehensibly vast, it can sometimes feel surprisingly small. Characters you thought would never cross paths often do, especially in secondary Star Wars stories like Star Wars: The Clone Wars, altering our understanding of other Star Wars narratives and character dynamics. The same applies to Anakin Skywalker and Hayden Christensen’s favorite Star Wars character.

We know, of course, how deeply Christensen cares about Anakin’s legacy. He’s protective of Anakin and his story, dedicated to his training, and committed to reprising the character when it’s right for the franchise. However, that doesn’t mean that Anakin is Christensen’s only favorite Star Wars character. His childhood favorite may (or may not) surprise you.

Hayden Christensen's Favorite Star Wars Character Is Boba Fett

Christensen revealed his other favorite Star Wars character during a brief interview at the Obi-Wan Kenobi red carpet premiere. He responded, “When I was a kid, I really loved the Boba Fett character. I’m going to go with Boba Fett.” Before the Star Wars prequel trilogy, The Clone Wars, and eventually, The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett, Fett didn’t have a huge role in Star Wars’ storytelling. Somehow, that never lessened his appeal to the original trilogy’s audience.

Despite his mostly silent yet menacing presence in The Empire Strikes Back and the bounty hunter’s unceremonious “death” in Return of the Jedi, Boba Fett became a major part of Star Wars’ iconography, the character’s design so impactful and lasting that it inspired the massive, sprawling history and culture of the Mandalorians. As we all know, that subcategory of the lore is now a major driving force in the franchise. Is it any wonder that a young Christensen responded to Boba’s intimidating presence and undeniably intriguing armor? Thousands of others did too.

Boba Fett & Anakin Skywalker Did Not Have The Best Relationship

Even so, Christensen’s love for Boba Fett never translated into a respectful relationship between the characters on screen. Yes, Fett eventually worked for Darth Vader as a bounty hunter, but before Anakin fell to the dark side, he came across Boba once or twice as a Jedi Knight, and was even almost killed by Boba and his team. Star Wars: The Clone Wars season 2, episodes 20-22, “Death Trap,” “R2 Come Home,” and “Lethal Trackdown” detail Boba Fett’s intricate plan to assassinate a certain Jedi Master.

Of course, Boba’s main enemy was the Jedi Mace Windu, who brutally decapitated Boba’s father, Jango Fett, during the first Battle of Geonosis in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. Mace was Boba’s intended target during these Clone Wars episodes, and Anakin was merely in the way. After destroying a Republic Cruiser with Mace and Anakin on board, Boba rigged a Mandalorian helmet with an explosive that Anakin picked up. The resulting blast nearly killed both Jedi.

Boba Fett may not have directly targeted Anakin; even so, he certainly didn’t mind the Jedi Knight being collateral damage and likely hated Anakin for associating with Mace Windu so closely. He’d seen Anakin and Mace on the Republic Cruiser together. The two were meant to train clone trooper cadets that day, but Boba had other plans.

There was interest in further developing what could have been an exciting (if somewhat unnecessary) rivalry between Anakin and Boba.

Boba Fett and Anakin’s distant animosity was almost further explored in an unaired episode of The Clone Wars, which would have seen Boba and Anakin face off on speeders in the skies of Coruscant. The episode was never completed and can therefore not be considered canon. However, it proves that there was interest in further developing what could have been an exciting (if somewhat unnecessary) rivalry between Anakin and Boba.

Hayden Christensen isn’t the only one who loved Boba Fett. The character’s popularity speaks for itself. Boba may be a relatively minor character compared to other major Star Wars personalities, but Boba Fett has been brought back repeatedly for a reason, even from the brink of death.

Source: Boba Fett Fan Club