Hayden Christensen says the scene in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith where he murders a group of young Jedi was a “bold” move but one he ultimately believes paid off.
Speaking with Empire Magainze, Christensen reflected on the moment in Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith where, after turning to the dark side, he murders a number of Jedi younglings on Coruscant.
“There was a lot of talk about us doing that scene, and I love that George did it,” Christensen said. “It was a bold move. And it’s shocking. Kids seem to forget about that scene when they meet me! There’s not any fear or intimidation. They’re just excited to meet Anakin.”
Christensen played Anakin Skywalker in 2002’s Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones and 2005’s Star Wars: Episode III — Revenge of the Sith, along with an uncredited cameo appearance in the special edition of Star Wars: Episode VI — Return of the Jedi.
He reprised the role for a vocal cameo in 2019’s Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker before he then played the character in live-action form again in both 2022’s Obi-Wan Kenobi and 2023’s Ahsoka.
Hayden Christensen discusses his experience with the Star Wars prequels
Further discussing his experiences filming the Star Wars prequels, Christensen said, “It’s been a remarkable experience. And just a very heartwarming one. The journey that I’ve been on with Star Wars over the last 20-plus years…it’s been a wild ride, and where we’re at now is really meaningful to me.”
He added, “I think that those movies have held up well over time. It feels like vindication for the work that we did. Everyone that worked on those movies thought that we were part of something special. We all wanted to do our very best work, and we cared a lot about it. And so to see the response from the fans now, it’s very cool.”
