While opinions on the show might vary, there's no denying that the Disney Plus series Obi-Wan Kenobi has been the talk of the town among Star Wars fans and newcomers pretty much every week since it premiered at the end of May. There are any number of topics that dominate the conversation at any given time, but one of the most prominent ones is easily the return of Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader.
But Star Wars fans quickly noticed that he looked a bit different even upon his first appearance on the show. While it was only an extreme close-up of a severely scarred suit-less and silent Darth Vader in his bacta tank, it was immediately clear that, if that really was Christensen, then it wasn't the same one who audiences grew attached to in Episodes II and III back in the day. The observation isn't meant to body-shame anybody, of course. But it turns out the change was actually intentional.
In an interview with Fatherly, Christensen spoke about how important it was that he not only appear in the non-helmeted scenes of Darth Vader and Anakin, but also when the character was in his full iconic garb. "I think that process was very important for me," he said when asked about his conviction to wear the suit. "I needed to become that character again, physically. I just consumed as many calories as possible. I put on 25 or 30 pounds to fill out that [Darth Vader] suit." Many may have assumed that Christensen only appeared in the flashback and bacta tank scenes, with a body double taking over Vader's regular appearances. But it's nice to hear that he fully committed like this. At least, he committed as long as filming went on.
"I try to avoid the dad bod thing," Christensen continued with a laugh. "And I was trying to maintain that Vader body after we finished. But, honestly, I pretty much just went back to my old diet. I kind of deflated after that." It makes sense that he'd want to get back to his normal routine afterward. He's a family man now, and his daughter still hadn't even seen him as Anakin as of last year. After he finished with 2005's Revenge of the Sith, he quietly stepped away from acting, and it looks as though he's perfectly happy with his new life.
That's not to say Christensen was only half-committed to his time with Obi-Wan Kenobi. In fact, he worked to immerse himself in the character and lore as preparation for his return, going so far as to binge the Star Wars animated shows before filming. So fans can rest assured that the version of Anakin they've gotten to see on the Disney Plus series is the product of genuine effort. It honestly makes it easy to see how Christensen charmed George Lucas and the casting team back in the day.
It's heartwarming to not only see how Christensen still seems so passionate about the role, but how content he appears to be with his life nowadays. Star Wars can be an infamously toxic place when the fans are less-than-pleased about something, so a happy ending is always something to celebrate.
Obi-Wan Kenobi is available to stream on Disney Plus.
Source: Fatherly