Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Ahsoka episode 5, "Shadow Warrior."
Summary
- Anakin Skywalker's return in Ahsoka brings a visually stunning portrayal of his dual identity as both Anakin and Darth Vader, with shifting shots and blended voices.
- The depiction of Anakin as a hybrid Force Ghost in Ahsoka is similar to unused concept art from The Force Awakens, showing his split nature between light and dark.
- The return of Anakin's character in Ahsoka opens up possibilities for future Star Wars projects, as there is both an appetite for more Hayden Christensen and a need to explore Anakin's legacy as both a hero and a villain.
Anakin Skywalker has returned in Ahsoka episode 5, bringing him with lightsaber fights, harsh lessons, live-action Clone Wars, and more than a hint of Darth Vader.
One of the most fascinating parts of Ahsoka's cast, though, there could be something greater in what it means for Anakin, and how it connects to ideas from Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
Ahsoka’s Flickering Anakin/Vader Is Similar To Unused The Force Awakens Concept Art
The shots flickering between Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader in Ahsoka episode 5 are a unique way of portraying him, but it’s something that was almost seen before in live-action Star Wars. Concept art for Star Wars: The Force Awakens, by Iain McCaig, showed a hybrid Anakin and Vader Force Ghost: part man, part machine; part light, part dark, his face covered by a hood and reflective of the character's dark, twisted legacy.
The imagery created was far more haunting than the depiction in Ahsoka and, obviously, wasn’t used. The Force Awakens turned Darth Vader’s helmet into a key part of Kylo Ren’s story and motivation, but neither Vader nor Anakin returned (given the art included him with an older Luke, it was likely when the latter had a bigger role). The depiction in Ahsoka isn’t exactly the same, but it’s very similar at its core: a Force Ghost or some other kind of manifestation of Anakin that’s split between the light and the dark, and, of course, played by Hayden Christensen.
What Anakin Skywalker Flickering Into Darth Vader Really Means
As McCaig wrote in The Art of Star Wars: The Force Awakens when describing his idea, he was inspired by a quote from Ursula K. Le Guin’s The Wizard of Earthsea: “When you light a candle, you also cast a shadow.” This actually broadly fits with the Star Wars sequels’ depiction of balance in the Force: powerful light, powerful dark. Both are necessary, and both could exist in anyone. But it’s particularly fitting in the case for Anakin Skywalker and Darth Vader, as there are few who have experienced such extremes of both light and dark as he has.
The idea of both his Force Ghost in The Force Awakens concept art and the Anakin in Ahsoka represent this exact same idea. When Anakin was redeemed, it was a case of him returning to the light side. But that was always within him; as Luke Skywalker noted, he could feel the good inside his father. It may have been buried beneath over 20 years of hate and anger, but it never wholly left him. Since that idea obviously holds true, because Anakin came back, then it makes sense it would work both ways. That even in redemption and death, there’s a part of Anakin that is still Darth Vader.
Even if it is now what’s buried deep, Anakin is someone with one of the strongest connections to the Force in Star Wars history. That it includes the dark side, which he spent so long attuned to, should not really be a surprise. Redemption is complicated business, and becoming Anakin doesn’t just wipe Vader away; that’s something he will always live with, even when he literally no longer lives at all. Of course, that reading also depends on exactly what is going on with Anakin in Ahsoka. Is he a Force Ghost, appearing different because they’re in the World Between Worlds, or is he just a vision inside Ahsoka’s head?
Anakin recalls his fight with Luke in Return of the Jedi, which suggests he has his own memories and is thus a Force Ghost/true manifestation of Anakin, which is also ed by Jacen Syndulla hearing Anakin and Ahsoka's lightsabers. At the same time, it’s plausible that Ahsoka knows of the fight with Luke and has met the younger Skywalker by this point; given so much of the sequence is about her experience and helping her grow, it being a vision could fit too. But, to borrow from another popular fantasy story where the hero sees a vision or ghost of their mentor (yes, Harry Potter): “Of course it is happening inside your head, Harry, but why on earth should that mean that it is not real?”
It may be that Ahsoka’s subconscious is what’s driving this, but the Force is clearly at play. Ahsoka likely feels some guilt over what happened to Anakin - going back to the Siege of Mandalore and mentioning that they’d parted ways is about her feelings of how she might have saved him, had they stayed together. But if it’s real in even some small part, then seeing both Anakin and Vader, shifting between those two forms, surely suggests that both still exist together in the netherworld of the Force. Anakin and Vader. Light and dark. Balance, still.
Will This Version Of Anakin’s Force Ghost Return In Star Wars’ Future? Why Lucasfilm Could Be Tempted
Let’s work on the assumption that this Anakin Skywalker is real, in some way. That it’s a Force Ghost manifesting without the blue glow because of it happening in the World Between Worlds, and that it’s not just a vision contained to Ahsoka’s head and there alone. If that’s the case, then could Lucasfilm look to bring the character back more? And, having canned the idea for The Force Awakens, look to explore that duality between Anakin and Vader further, even in the afterlife? For a few reasons, it’s an idea that the studio is surely tempted by.
For starters, there’s Ahsoka’s remaining episodes. There’s still Anakin dialogue from the trailers that hasn’t been heard yet, so that alone suggests he will make another appearance. It’s possible this could be Anakin’s real Force Ghost - similar to Qui-Gon Jinn at the very end of Obi-Wan Kenobi - but it’s equally plausible it could be a version who is still carrying Vader and the dark side with him, even if it’s mostly hidden away. That’s the immediate future, but Star Wars could go even bigger with it.
There’s an appetite for more Hayden Christensen. He has long been not only forgiven for the prequels by the fanbase, but warmly welcomed back. He’s been a huge popular face at conventions for a few years now, was the most hyped and celebrated part of Obi-Wan Kenobi, and now holds a similar position in Ahsoka. Star Wars audiences love him, he obviously loves being back, and Lucasfilm not only seemingly rates him highly too, but really understands his value as a crowd-pleasing figure.
After years of Star Wars being so divisive and a lot of missteps at both creative and business levels, then having someone like Christensen who can unite things and build real excitement and enjoyment is not to be taken for granted. Lucasfilm presumably knows this, and will want to continue using him in other projects, whether that’s Ahsoka season 2, Obi-Wan Kenobi season 2, one of the Star Wars movies, or something else.
If they do that, then there’s a good reason to have it play out in a way that allows for both Anakin and Vader to continue coming back. Star Wars needs Anakin, especially after the sequels didn’t really address his legacy and focused too much on Vader. He’s the character who ties everything together; it is the Skywalker saga after all, and he’s the ultimate Skywalker. There’s an appetite for Anakin stories, helped by things like Star Wars: The Clone Wars expanding his character, and a reasonable chance they’ll be told.
At the same time, though, Star Wars also really needs Darth Vader. He is the most iconic character in the franchise; arguably the most iconic and recognizable movie character of all time. He’s a monolithic figure in pop culture, and a merchandising dream to boot, so Disney will want to find ways to continue capitalizing on that (he is also, if it still needs saying, a great villain and not just a cash cow).
The Disney Star Wars era has focused a lot on Darth Vader. There’s a reason the sequels brought his mask back. There’s a reason he’s in Star Wars Rebels. There’s a reason he’s in Rogue One, and Obi-Wan Kenobi. Vader is synonymous with Star Wars, he brings people in, and no one generates more hype with a single, mechanical breath. Disney has, at times, also flirted with the idea of making Darth Vader an anti-hero, softening some edges and playing down some atrocities. Well, with all of that, an Anakin and Vader hybrid allows them to have their blue milk and drink it. Anakin’s hybrid Force Ghost means, at least from a business perspective, they get the best of both worlds.
The Anakin/Vader Force Ghost Hybrid Doesn’t Fit Star Wars Canon… Or George Lucas’ Vision
Anakin and Vader’s hybrid Force Ghost does make sense for Lucasfilm and, in some ways, the story, but there are also problems with it. When Anakin’s Force Ghost appeared in Return of the Jedi, there was no hint of Darth Vader, so this would seemingly be a retcon of that. Indeed, George Lucas later replaced Sebastian Shaw’s Anakin with Hayden Christensen for this very reason, which goes against the ideas discussed above. Lucas thought that, with him being redeemed, his “inner person would go back to where we left it off.”
This has continued through Star Wars canon. When Anakin’s Force Ghost appeared in the book Shadow of the Sith, set over a decade before the sequels, there was also no sense of him being a hybrid. The same for when his voice spoke to Rey in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. That doesn’t necessarily mean it can’t happen. Retcons aren’t exactly uncommon in Star Wars, after all, and the idea of the dark still being in Anakin could make some sense (despite Lucas’ comments). There’s been so little of Anakin after Return of the Jedi, too, that there’s lots of wiggle room for different interpretations and explanations.
At the same time, Star Wars begins retconning and going against Lucas is undeniably a risky move, especially if it threatens Anakin’s redemption. There’s logic to Vader being there, but is it really the right move given all Anakin sacrificed? The sequels largely forgot his redemption, and it’d be unwise to do so again in deference to Darth Vader. Ahsoka proves it can work, though those circumstances may not be replicable. As with anything Anakin-related, there’s pressure on Star Wars to get the, well, balance right.
Ahsoka releases new episodes Tuesdays at 6pm PT / 9pm ET on Disney+.