Regardless of Hayden’s race or color as a black kid growing up I saw myself as him when he played Anikin/Vader. Disney needs to just create good characters and people will naturally see themselves in them.
That’s super optimistic. As a black fan of Star Wars and Hayden and as a female I would say it’s easier for us to pluck ourselves into the character of a different race because the majority of characters on the silver screen are not black leading characters. They’re background and supporting characters or they’re the villains, the bad guys, the thugs, seldomly are we the hero or the star. So we’re use to having to imagine ourselves in spaces not initially carved out for us. It’s only been in the last decade or so that’s begun to change, where you’re seeing more non white leading roles and yet those fans refuse to see the great character or the great actor, it’s always woke this, wah wah wah DEI this. There are good characters, people just have selective bias in acknowledging it. The good characters only exist when they look one way, anything that diverts from that is now instantly a woke, DEI nightmare. It’s just simple dog whistling at this point
@@missym877 Why do you need to have the actor be the same race as you to personally identify with them? I'm Latino, but I don't need a Latino actor to play a role for me to be satisfied. Good acting is good acting, regardless of race, gender, creed, etc.
0:36 yes, people accuse him of being too wooden in the prequels, but that actually fits his character perfectly: he believes that being a Jedi means not controlling your emotions but supressing them. You can see this in his outbursts after his mother dies then when he completely loses it in the fight against Obi-Wan.
This video feels old school! The topic, your demeanour, lack of face cam. Would love to watch more videos about the behind the scenes made in this style.
And then he had to train Ahsoka in the World Between Worlds. And he still had it in him. Ahsoka’s aging actress was kinda just stiffly moving her sabers around after a 30 minute training session with the set staff, meanwhile Hayden shows up after 20 years and is a total badass.
For him it probably came down to muscle memory, similar to a martial-arts master. Training for months to perfect over 1,000 moves in total isn't something you easily forget.
03:10 - Made me tear up a little. I remember seeing episode 3 and being like "This is the best fight I have ever seen!" As a kid you don't know how much dedication is put into something amazing til you do it or get older. I have grown to appreciate him and actors like him even more.
To this day, I still find it impressive how much of the duel on Mustafar was actually Hayden and Ewan. It shows just how dedicated they were, and the duel came out timeless as a result.
Lucas went on the record to say that while he did remove a few frames here and there during the duel, all the lightsaber footage you see is 100% real. They didn't speed anything up at all; Ewan and Hayden trained so hard for months, that by the end they actually were moving that fast.
I've never understood the hate of the "NOOOOO" by Vader. he was just told he killed Padme ( his wife and by extension his unborn children), so learning he killed them by his own hand and hate what should he have said? . . . "bummer man, sucks to be them"? how would any of us react? you'd scream NOOOOOOOO too.
Silence doesn't work either. I'm pretty sure George tried a bunch of things and ended up with the best choice. It's not like anyone is flooding the community with better ideas for that scene.
He could’ve continued doing what he was doing before he screamed noooooo. Lashing out how he did like that would be more realistic instead of screaming nooooo
You would, but it wouldn't sound like acting. It would sound like real pain...like when Anakin screamed "I hate you!" at Obi Wan. That's the thing about Hayden's performance, sometimes it was on point, sometimes it just looked like acting. To be fair to Hayden, he wasn't the only one.
YES, that jedi counsel room scene with him looking at Padmé was HEAVY! Literally still gives me chills, I love so much of Hayden's work in general, went tf off for Anakin/Vader!
I don’t think anyone could have played Anakin like Hayden did. As you say he made that role his by literally living him. I loved him in both Attack of the clones and Revenge of the Sith. Such a shame we had to watch his inevitable down fall! Great video as always Star Wars Theory! 😊😊
Hayden is what made Revenge such an AMAZING film. From every little nuance in his acting, to his physical, and vocal mannerisms, etc. I just wish that George had made the film even darker. A longer Order 66 sequence with more Jedi being murdered, a longer lightsaber fight with Obi Wan, that he included more of the dialogue between Hayden and Ian, more of Anakin prowling around the Jedi temple, hunting Jedi, and as Vader in the suit, creating that whirlwind in the medical center.
@@mikedegarmo3203 IIRC, George had a draft that was darker, but any darker and the rating would have been more restricted. As it is, PG-13 was as far as he wanted to go, so he had to "tame" it a little more.
I heard he made Ewan practice fruit ninja so he can properly cut him without any CGI. In the footage we see here he actually has hyper realistic mechanical limbs!!!
Theory thanks for bringing back lore .Been so long, since I was able to comment.Hayden is finally, getting the respect he deserves.Theoey the scene , when padme and Anakin looking at each other, is beautiful.Its emotional, and it has my favourite piece of star wars music.The content, i love is back!
This video made me cry. Anakin was, is and will always be my favourite character of every story I'll read and seeing this tribute to Hayden Christensen's performance made me think of when I was with my friends back when I was a kid replicating the high ground scene. In conclusion, thank you Theory for this video.
I love that fact that you have returned to your roots and started these character/actor breakdowns of how they embodied George’s vision. Well done! Encore my friend
awesome video! I would love to see you make one about Padme. Her transition from a stoic and serious teenager in charge of a world to a loved filled young woman to one that was still full of hope, until the end where she lost it and tragically died.
Overall the prequels were good...but I just wish someone else had written the dialog. George can do a great many things...but write romantic dialog is NOT one of those things. heh
Honestly, even in some of the love scenes his acting was fine. He is young, the sole guardian of a girl he has been idealizing for a decade, under stress, as a monk that was supposed to be trained to supress those feelings for the sake of duty. Having Anakin be overly confident in the love scenes in particular would have done a disservice to how akward basically any young man would be in a similar situation. I think that even if some of the dialogue was awkward, the body language and nervous fidgeting he was doing constantly fit perfectly in the scenes.
@@daviddavis3939 true, authentically gawky teen behaviour, I just didn’t feel there was chemistry, and I am a super, Uber gloppy, sappy romantic type a gal hahaha!
@@argoniastation No good for adding unnecessary cgi bs instead of just cleaning the films up and adding deleted scenes that made sense as well! But, Ridley Scott ruined his movies too, it was an easy cash grab I guess.
Good to have some classic SWT, haven't had an info dump narration in a while... No news articles, no Disney drama, no random RUclips drama... Just star wars... (Im not hating on the other content lol its just been a while since there's been a vid like this)
He’s still the chosen one - no matter how Disney effs with the canon. It’s always been about Anakin/Vader and Hayden portrayed the character perfectly.
If u haven’t read the Matthew Stover novelization of Revenge of the Sith you are missing out. A 10 out of 10. That quote perfectly sums up the conflict of light and dark.
He certainly was able to express his disdain for sand. I was convinced that both the character, Anakin and more than likely, Hayden the actor, detested sand. I couldn't separate the two.
I love this BTS information & especially watching Hayden’s rehearsals, bloopers, & just after his lightsaber run-throughs where he breaks into a smile &/or a laugh. More, please.
Excellent information and video edit :) I've always like Anakin but my love of the character and the portrayal truly blossomed after watching Theory's videos back in 2017 and from watching the clone wars series!
I remember seeing Episode 3 in theatres as a kid. No movie to this day has matched what I felt during the end of that movie. Everyone in the theatre could feel the tension of the mustafar duel.
Man you uploaded this right after I rewatched RoTS! Hayden perfectly executed the shift from anakin to Vader. I’d love to see what George has in his vault! Director cut of the prequels would be amazing.
The amount of love, respect and dedication to his role made it epic and now he’s an icon. Unlike the genZ of Disney SW that are entitled an dis to the fans it makes me sick.
LOVE these videos from you!!!! Back to form on the storytelling videos. And it’s why I subbed in the first place. It’s hard to believe that Hayden was on 19 and then 22 when he did this role. For someone sooo young, sooo new to acting, he absolutely nailed it.
its people like @Star Wars Theory, that give me hope for a better Star Wars in the future, keep focusing on that fan film you're working on we'll be here when it's ready.
I knew nothing about Hayden prior to "Attack of the Clones", so when I first saw him I just accepted that this is where Lucas wanted to take the character. And being a hopeless romantic myself, I completely bought into the playfulness and desperation between Anakin & Padme. By the time "Revenge of the Sith" came out, I was like "Wow, this is definitely a switch", and when he kills Dooku, I thought "OK, here we go - Vader's on the rise." That scene where he submits to Palpatine after Mace's death was almost like Jesus following Satan; as a Christ follower I was truly unsettled, but I also understood the need for it in the overall story. Seeing him say, "If you're not with me, then you're my enemy", I reacted like "Holy shit, he's paraphrasing Jesus Himself! Talk about embodying the ideals of the devil!" And when he burns due to his arrogance, my heart broke for Obi-Wan. Finally, the scene of his dark rebirth in the iconic suit was tragedy personified. That scream was so primal, you could completely believe Anakin's very soul had been ripped in half. I like one of the final lines from the novel, which says, "And this is the final trap of the Sith: that in the end, your self is all you will ever have. You roast in your own flame; this is what it means to be Anakin Skywalker, forever."
Sometimes I try to picture a "what if" of somebody else playing Anakin and to me it is almost impossible to do that and still keep that same inspiring personality and atmosphere, it's basically the same feeling I get from RDJ and Iron Man. It's like adult Anakin was dead and Hayden gave him life and now it's indefinitely connected to him. I find his confidence one of my inspirations as a man too. It's awesome to watch.
Just showed my older sister this movie last night (odd timing lol) and as a first time watcher she said his acting was perfect and captured the true emotion of how it would be
I’d always thought about the way Haden voiced every line and how people considered him a bad actor. Honestly, how would a young Vader sound? He wouldn’t be enthusiastic, then they would have complained that he sounded nothing like Vader at all! Hayden did better than anyone else could have done.
I loved Hayed Christiansen’s performance in both films but especially in episode 3. I walked out of that theater in tears, because I recognized and could personally identify with Anakin’s downfall. The fear, the anger, and the hate. I realized that if I didn’t change my ways, I too would suffer a similar tragedy. I was becoming just like Anakin if things didn’t change. Revenge of the Sith was such a personal wake up call for me that I went right into counseling the very next day. It made me confront my own demons and skeletons in my closet. It allowed me to grow as a person, to change, to let go of all that I feared to lose. While I did go through a very tough trial and probation, by 2007 I had emerged a changed man. While 2022, 2023, and a good chunk of 2024 was the hardest years personally, I feel I have emerged a better person. Knowing that I could face my issues, let go of the fears I was facing, and emerge with peace and calm in my heart. Revenge of the Sith serves as a personal reminder of a good man’s downfall but it can be a warning to all of us. We can stop this downward descent to fear, suffering, and hatred if we see it. If we have time to stop ourselves, think, seek help, and trust in our ability to change. May the Force be with you all.
I was just a kid when I watched the movies and I always thought Hayden really put his heart on Anakin, always felt so genuine to me and you really feel a connection and can definitely see his reasons for what happened, always loved him and still think that he was great, not just in Star Wars but every role he is in.
Love the behind the scenes stuff from the George days. I dont think ive seen a single clip from the sequel trilogy crap, George had everyone elevated to another level and that's why he will always be the GOAT.
Hayden was perfect as Anakin. He needed to show so much emotion,pain,anger,depression. When Anakin looks over Coruscant to Padme is totally iconic. That scene when Vader yells no is perfect. Extreme depression and sorrow. We got more developed Anakin in Clone Wars but I absolutely agree with you. This reminds me of story of Harvey Dent. Tragic fall of great hero. May the Force be with you too,always😊
Hearing about Hayden isolating himself in preparation for that role reminds me of how Heath Ledger did so when preparing to play The Joker. Hayden was an awesome Anakin Skywalker.
100% sir.! I've always been an advocate for Hayden Christensen, Jake Lloyd and Ahmed Best. Thank you sir. You facilitated Justice in the world today.! 🙏
I always knew Hayden was a badass actor but I am absolutely perplexed that he litrelly lived out annikins emotional tragedy in real life just so he could portray it properly in the films, that is legendary acting, that's a new level of acting altogether. This man sacrifices his mental and emotional state just so he could accurately portray it in his character seriously, what the heck I have no words.
Hayden really brought that role to life, and I don't think any other actor could have done it to the same level. I thought his performance in ROTS was stellar, and that movie tied it together so well with the originals, which I grew up with all of those.
Hello Theory, I haven’t commented here before, but I have been enjoying your passion and insight for GL Star Wars, and the modern films as well. I am grateful for your voice in the discourse and, agree with you or not, I always come away considering the topic in more depth. Please keep up the great work you do 🤙 Hayden’s performance in clone wars took me some time to come around to. I was initially put off by his portrayal, and felt he made Anakin seem annoying and whiny compared with the troubled, but enthusiastic Anakin from TPM. Now, after learning from his interviews, documentary around the prequel trilogy production, and seeing all the hate that was directed at him, then how he conducted himself… I have come around. Hayden Christensen’s performance is now the reason I keep coming back the Prequels. He really achieved something special with his contributions to Star Wars legacy. I am a lifelong fan. I have watched all of the Star Wars films upon their release in theaters. My whole life I have found a source of friendship, imagination, creativity, courage, determination, honor, and more in the stories of Star Wars, and many people who love them. I wish that there was not such deep division between fans stemming from modern political and rhetorical conflicts that have nothing to do with Star Wars. It is not bigotry or misogyny to be a lifelong fan who is both immersed in the story, and beautifully benevolent allegory created by George Lucas, and deeply disappointed by the loss of his clear direction, originality, and timeless relevance in the Disney era.
I always enjoyed the Prequels. Hayden did an excellent job as Anakin Skywalker I felt But I did read a lot of the Behind-The-Scenes info on this and his work as well as Ewan's work in putting this on screen to make it George Lucas' visualisation of the characters.
Thank you for this video Theory! Looking back, no one could replace Hayden as Anakin/Vader. His performance is worthy of of both the Jedi Master and Sith Lord titles. Thank you Hayden, you truly are the Chosen One!
A series like this that covers the other actors and their characters in the same way would be great. Personally I always love any Natalie Portman/Queen Amidala videos, especially. The galaxy needs more videos about her.
I will admit, I was a closeted Hayden Christensen fan even after the end of the prequel trilogy but couldn’t bring myself to fully admit it because I fell into pressure of being ridiculed by those who hated Hayden’s performance. But as I’ve gotten older and especially watching this channel’s great informative and detailed breakdown of the behind the scenes of the prequels, I have really grown to appreciate how much work and effort Hayden put into playing Anakin Skywalker
Those that always criticized Hayden & his performance simply never understood the character itself. The thing is, if one checks out other roles in Hayden's career you can find similar traits or approaches. I see a lot of Anakin all over his career, even before AOTC. Just check out Life as a House for God's sake! I can't recall the name of the TV show but prior to AOTC Hayden starred in one where he played a torn teen that was sexually abused. When that character fully admitted what had happened - & this was before I had ever seen AOTC but knew that this young man was going to play Anakin - I saw Anakin before I had ever seen Hayden as Anakin. I even felt it. I looked at that scene in that TV show & just knew, I just KNEW, that Hayden would be PERFECT! Now, in 2024 & thinking back to all of this, he never disappointed me. And lets also add something else; Hayden went into SW knowing SW & loving SW. He wasn't like these ignorant Acolyte actors that can't tell events or characters from each other. To Hayden, this role was a privilege & an honor. And we still hear it in every interview he gives.
My opinion is, as it always was, Hayden did neither make the prequels worse nor better. But he did a fine job with what he got and he was really likeable. The problem with the NOOOO was that the actual tone of the word was well... tone-deaf. For such a personal trauma the intonation was comically stereotypically overdramatized.
I think the version George went with for Vader’s cry of anguish was a good choice. As opposed to the proposed outbursts of power and rage, keeping it to a smaller yet emotional cry of “NO!” reflects how contained and trapped Anakin is. Yet the droids in the immediate vicinity implode and the room still shakes, but that cry and the destruction of the air close so round him reflects how trapped he is. He is stuck inside a suit, enslaved to a man who tricked him and ruined his life. Having the expression of pain emulated that entrapment was the better idea.
Hayden does a good job, however there are many scenes that could have used a little direction and additional takes. The dialog didn't help either. Lucas was notorious during the shooting of Ep 1-3 for not pushing the actors, and just taking whatever line they delivered as "good enough". I used to contrast this with 2001's Planet of the Apes and Tim Burton's direction. There's some behind the scenes footage of Michael Clark Duncan's character, running into frame, throwing like a rock (maybe), then yelling in frustration. Very simple. Yet Burton has MCD run the scene several times until MCD gives him the emotion he was looking for. The difference in the takes is extremely subtle, but Tim knew what he wanted, and kept shooting until he got it. That level of care is shown by Lucas and the digital animators, but completely missing from Lucas interaction with the actors. He really should have let someone else direct the actors. =/ As a final point, my kid thought Natalie Portman was a subpar actor because he had only seen her in Star Wars. He was completely taken aback when I explained she has been nominated thrice for the Academy Awards and won the Oscar once. I had to show him some scenes from her in different movies. Some actors need a little help from the director, and Portman and Christensen are a couple examples. Great actors, but sometimes you need to give them some guidance.
Anakin Skywalker’s inner disturbances are a complex interplay of fear, desire, manipulation, and the struggle for identity. His character arc serves as a poignant exploration of how love can drive individuals to both greatness and despair, ultimately leading to a tragic fall and a glimpse of redemption. This duality of his character resonates with themes of loss, regret, and the enduring battle between light and dark, making Anakin one of the most compelling figures in the Star Wars universe.
I enjoyed this exploration of Hayden Christensen. I think he was the perfect person to play Anakin. I agree that he did embody the character that became Darth Vader. He is such a class act. It’s so cool that you got to meet him in person.
If we got a live action Clone Wars series before episode 3, showing the mentality shift, I think people would appreciate Hayden's performance more. It just needed more time and "flesh". One little thing: he could've said "Master" a lot less in the films. That would've helped the dialogue between him and Obi-Wan.
Hayden played a masterful performance in both movies. He showed how he went from an over confident kid to a man and Hayden played it perfectly and even more impressive is that he brought that much depth into Anakin in only two movies.
It’s crazy the level of relatability Hayden brought to the character of Anakin Skywalker to a LOT of people. It’s so easy to us to see ourselves in him no matter what part of your life you’re in. That, I would say, is all thanks to Hayden cuz even the most die hards of us can agree to a certain extent that the dialogue in all the films is a little, idk maybe too forward. Yea by design and I’m not complaining, I love it, I’m just saying it gave Hayden the opportunity to make the character his own and he obviously rose to the occasion when it comes to playing the role of The Chosen One Anakin Skywalker. All love to HC till the end of forever. MTFBWYA
@Star Wars Theory My favourrite topic, Hayden, Anakin and Vader. Thank you🤗 Oh yes, Hayden portrayed the downfall of Anakin so perfectly. It is tragic. It brings tears to my eyes.
Hayden is in my opinion an exceptional actor and a very dedicated performer. He did an exceptional job and I am so thankful that he is finally getting the redemption for the role that he performed and deserved, and made historically iconic. I ADORE Hayden and he was the perfect Anakin and Darth! ❤
Well for starters he brought peace, freedom, justice and security to his new empire.
@bigyoshi5170 Haha yes exactly!
His new empire?
@@GM-cw9qr if you're not with him then you are his enemy
😂😂😂
@@GM-cw9qrdon’t make him kill you!
Regardless of Hayden’s race or color as a black kid growing up I saw myself as him when he played Anikin/Vader. Disney needs to just create good characters and people will naturally see themselves in them.
And me as a white kid preferred Mace Windu. I still think Sam is one of the greatest actors of all time.
Same here
That’s super optimistic. As a black fan of Star Wars and Hayden and as a female I would say it’s easier for us to pluck ourselves into the character of a different race because the majority of characters on the silver screen are not black leading characters. They’re background and supporting characters or they’re the villains, the bad guys, the thugs, seldomly are we the hero or the star. So we’re use to having to imagine ourselves in spaces not initially carved out for us. It’s only been in the last decade or so that’s begun to change, where you’re seeing more non white leading roles and yet those fans refuse to see the great character or the great actor, it’s always woke this, wah wah wah DEI this. There are good characters, people just have selective bias in acknowledging it. The good characters only exist when they look one way, anything that diverts from that is now instantly a woke, DEI nightmare. It’s just simple dog whistling at this point
I take it that you don't like Samuel Jackson as Mace Windu? @@missym877
@@missym877 Why do you need to have the actor be the same race as you to personally identify with them? I'm Latino, but I don't need a Latino actor to play a role for me to be satisfied.
Good acting is good acting, regardless of race, gender, creed, etc.
0:36 yes, people accuse him of being too wooden in the prequels, but that actually fits his character perfectly: he believes that being a Jedi means not controlling your emotions but supressing them. You can see this in his outbursts after his mother dies then when he completely loses it in the fight against Obi-Wan.
This video feels old school!
The topic, your demeanour, lack of face cam.
Would love to watch more videos about the behind the scenes made in this style.
And then he had to train Ahsoka in the World Between Worlds. And he still had it in him. Ahsoka’s aging actress was kinda just stiffly moving her sabers around after a 30 minute training session with the set staff, meanwhile Hayden shows up after 20 years and is a total badass.
Yeah, I saw that too. smh
For him it probably came down to muscle memory, similar to a martial-arts master. Training for months to perfect over 1,000 moves in total isn't something you easily forget.
03:10 - Made me tear up a little. I remember seeing episode 3 and being like "This is the best fight I have ever seen!" As a kid you don't know how much dedication is put into something amazing til you do it or get older. I have grown to appreciate him and actors like him even more.
To this day, I still find it impressive how much of the duel on Mustafar was actually Hayden and Ewan. It shows just how dedicated they were, and the duel came out timeless as a result.
But does it compare to the acolyte? 😂
@@CadillacDeMille Honestly, I forget about the Acolyte daily LMAO
Lucas went on the record to say that while he did remove a few frames here and there during the duel, all the lightsaber footage you see is 100% real. They didn't speed anything up at all; Ewan and Hayden trained so hard for months, that by the end they actually were moving that fast.
I've never understood the hate of the "NOOOOO" by Vader. he was just told he killed Padme ( his wife and by extension his unborn children), so learning he killed them by his own hand and hate what should he have said? . . . "bummer man, sucks to be them"? how would any of us react? you'd scream NOOOOOOOO too.
Silence doesn't work either. I'm pretty sure George tried a bunch of things and ended up with the best choice. It's not like anyone is flooding the community with better ideas for that scene.
He could’ve continued doing what he was doing before he screamed noooooo. Lashing out how he did like that would be more realistic instead of screaming nooooo
You would, but it wouldn't sound like acting. It would sound like real pain...like when Anakin screamed "I hate you!" at Obi Wan. That's the thing about Hayden's performance, sometimes it was on point, sometimes it just looked like acting. To be fair to Hayden, he wasn't the only one.
@@bradlambe3953 That wouldn't make sense if it sounded like a real person. A large portion of Vader's voice is automated.
It makes no sense that his voice would be the same @@bradlambe3953
YES, that jedi counsel room scene with him looking at Padmé was HEAVY! Literally still gives me chills, I love so much of Hayden's work in general, went tf off for Anakin/Vader!
I think you have done more for Hayden than the clone wars did. Thank you
I don’t think anyone could have played Anakin like Hayden did. As you say he made that role his by literally living him. I loved him in both Attack of the clones and Revenge of the Sith. Such a shame we had to watch his inevitable down fall!
Great video as always Star Wars Theory! 😊😊
Hayden is what made Revenge such an AMAZING film. From every little nuance in his acting, to his physical, and vocal mannerisms, etc. I just wish that George had made the film even darker. A longer Order 66 sequence with more Jedi being murdered, a longer lightsaber fight with Obi Wan, that he included more of the dialogue between Hayden and Ian, more of Anakin prowling around the Jedi temple, hunting Jedi, and as Vader in the suit, creating that whirlwind in the medical center.
@@mikedegarmo3203 IIRC, George had a draft that was darker, but any darker and the rating would have been more restricted. As it is, PG-13 was as far as he wanted to go, so he had to "tame" it a little more.
@@prvtcaboose I think Lucas still referred to the movie during its first release, as "Star Wars Goes to Hell".
@@Moviefan2k4 yes... It was still the darkest of all 6 movies by FAR. But it was much tamer than the first drafts and original scripts.
Hayden is the goat. He worked so hard for the movie and played anakin so well. I love him.
Fun Fact: Hayden Christensen ACTUALLY dipped himself in lava and went through the process of having doids put the Darth Vader suit on him.
He was very dedicated.
Absolute madlad
I heard he made Ewan practice fruit ninja so he can properly cut him without any CGI. In the footage we see here he actually has hyper realistic mechanical limbs!!!
Turns out George was filming the entire time
Some sk@nk tried to steal your comment.
Theory thanks for bringing back lore .Been so long, since I was able to comment.Hayden is finally, getting the respect he deserves.Theoey the scene , when padme and Anakin looking at each other, is beautiful.Its emotional, and it has my favourite piece of star wars music.The content, i love is back!
I will be forever grateful to Hayden for his acting on this one. his dedication was insane and the performance was great.
I always loved Hayden's portrayal. I must have watched that Mustafar fight at least 100 times when I finally got the DVD
He put the suit on and said ready.
This video made me cry. Anakin was, is and will always be my favourite character of every story I'll read and seeing this tribute to Hayden Christensen's performance made me think of when I was with my friends back when I was a kid replicating the high ground scene. In conclusion, thank you Theory for this video.
Hayden Christensen is the Chosen One for Anakin Skywalker. Period.
I love that fact that you have returned to your roots and started these character/actor breakdowns of how they embodied George’s vision. Well done! Encore my friend
awesome video! I would love to see you make one about Padme. Her transition from a stoic and serious teenager in charge of a world to a loved filled young woman to one that was still full of hope, until the end where she lost it and tragically died.
I loved his performance, especially in ep III, and other than sone of the love scenes in ep II, he was perfection.
Overall the prequels were good...but I just wish someone else had written the dialog. George can do a great many things...but write romantic dialog is NOT one of those things. heh
Honestly, even in some of the love scenes his acting was fine. He is young, the sole guardian of a girl he has been idealizing for a decade, under stress, as a monk that was supposed to be trained to supress those feelings for the sake of duty. Having Anakin be overly confident in the love scenes in particular would have done a disservice to how akward basically any young man would be in a similar situation. I think that even if some of the dialogue was awkward, the body language and nervous fidgeting he was doing constantly fit perfectly in the scenes.
@@daviddavis3939 true, authentically gawky teen behaviour, I just didn’t feel there was chemistry, and I am a super, Uber gloppy, sappy romantic type a gal hahaha!
@@argoniastation No good for adding unnecessary cgi bs instead of just cleaning the films up and adding deleted scenes that made sense as well! But, Ridley Scott ruined his movies too, it was an easy cash grab I guess.
this video gives me classic Theory vibes
Good to have some classic SWT, haven't had an info dump narration in a while... No news articles, no Disney drama, no random RUclips drama... Just star wars... (Im not hating on the other content lol its just been a while since there's been a vid like this)
Love that you're bringing back content to how this channel started. Good stuff.
He’s still the chosen one - no matter how Disney effs with the canon. It’s always been about Anakin/Vader and Hayden portrayed the character perfectly.
If u haven’t read the Matthew Stover novelization of Revenge of the Sith you are missing out. A 10 out of 10. That quote perfectly sums up the conflict of light and dark.
He certainly was able to express his disdain for sand. I was convinced that both the character, Anakin and more than likely, Hayden the actor, detested sand. I couldn't separate the two.
Lol
I love this BTS information & especially watching Hayden’s rehearsals, bloopers, & just after his lightsaber run-throughs where he breaks into a smile &/or a laugh. More, please.
Excellent information and video edit :)
I've always like Anakin but my love of the character and the portrayal truly blossomed after watching Theory's videos back in 2017 and from watching the clone wars series!
Now THIS is pod racing! Nice video Theory 👏🏽
I remember seeing Episode 3 in theatres as a kid. No movie to this day has matched what I felt during the end of that movie. Everyone in the theatre could feel the tension of the mustafar duel.
Man you uploaded this right after I rewatched RoTS! Hayden perfectly executed the shift from anakin to Vader. I’d love to see what George has in his vault! Director cut of the prequels would be amazing.
The amount of love, respect and dedication to his role made it epic and now he’s an icon. Unlike the genZ of Disney SW that are entitled an dis to the fans it makes me sick.
The fact that a character can elicit and emotional response from an audience, (good or bad) Is a testement to the actors skill.
LOVE these videos from you!!!! Back to form on the storytelling videos. And it’s why I subbed in the first place.
It’s hard to believe that Hayden was on 19 and then 22 when he did this role. For someone sooo young, sooo new to acting, he absolutely nailed it.
This is what you get with dedication and love for the source material.
Today we just get Acoshyte.
its people like @Star Wars Theory, that give me hope for a better Star Wars in the future, keep focusing on that fan film you're working on we'll be here when it's ready.
I knew nothing about Hayden prior to "Attack of the Clones", so when I first saw him I just accepted that this is where Lucas wanted to take the character. And being a hopeless romantic myself, I completely bought into the playfulness and desperation between Anakin & Padme. By the time "Revenge of the Sith" came out, I was like "Wow, this is definitely a switch", and when he kills Dooku, I thought "OK, here we go - Vader's on the rise." That scene where he submits to Palpatine after Mace's death was almost like Jesus following Satan; as a Christ follower I was truly unsettled, but I also understood the need for it in the overall story. Seeing him say, "If you're not with me, then you're my enemy", I reacted like "Holy shit, he's paraphrasing Jesus Himself! Talk about embodying the ideals of the devil!" And when he burns due to his arrogance, my heart broke for Obi-Wan. Finally, the scene of his dark rebirth in the iconic suit was tragedy personified. That scream was so primal, you could completely believe Anakin's very soul had been ripped in half. I like one of the final lines from the novel, which says, "And this is the final trap of the Sith: that in the end, your self is all you will ever have. You roast in your own flame; this is what it means to be Anakin Skywalker, forever."
Well let's see
1. He had to get his limbs cut off
2. Catch on fire
3. Get robotic limbs
4. Get a cool suit
5. Have James Earl Jones voice
High ground is a trump card everytime
Sometimes I try to picture a "what if" of somebody else playing Anakin and to me it is almost impossible to do that and still keep that same inspiring personality and atmosphere, it's basically the same feeling I get from RDJ and Iron Man. It's like adult Anakin was dead and Hayden gave him life and now it's indefinitely connected to him. I find his confidence one of my inspirations as a man too. It's awesome to watch.
It was such an honor and pleasure to meet both Hayden and Ewan last week at the LA Comic Con. They're basically the reason I love Star Wars very much.
Yeah dude, Hayden's silent scenes hit hard with that John Williams music. So much emotion, thus bringing emotion to the audience.
Just showed my older sister this movie last night (odd timing lol) and as a first time watcher she said his acting was perfect and captured the true emotion of how it would be
Love the return to this format. That being said I love the newer form where you expose clowns. More of both!!!
Anakin and Obi wans duel was so amazing it inspired me to learn the choreography. Little did I know how much work went into making it so spectacular!
I’d always thought about the way Haden voiced every line and how people considered him a bad actor. Honestly, how would a young Vader sound? He wouldn’t be enthusiastic, then they would have complained that he sounded nothing like Vader at all! Hayden did better than anyone else could have done.
I loved Hayden's portrayal. GREAT VIDEO!
I loved Hayed Christiansen’s performance in both films but especially in episode 3.
I walked out of that theater in tears, because I recognized and could personally identify with Anakin’s downfall. The fear, the anger, and the hate. I realized that if I didn’t change my ways, I too would suffer a similar tragedy. I was becoming just like Anakin if things didn’t change.
Revenge of the Sith was such a personal wake up call for me that I went right into counseling the very next day. It made me confront my own demons and skeletons in my closet. It allowed me to grow as a person, to change, to let go of all that I feared to lose. While I did go through a very tough trial and probation, by 2007 I had emerged a changed man.
While 2022, 2023, and a good chunk of 2024 was the hardest years personally, I feel I have emerged a better person. Knowing that I could face my issues, let go of the fears I was facing, and emerge with peace and calm in my heart. Revenge of the Sith serves as a personal reminder of a good man’s downfall but it can be a warning to all of us. We can stop this downward descent to fear, suffering, and hatred if we see it. If we have time to stop ourselves, think, seek help, and trust in our ability to change.
May the Force be with you all.
I was just a kid when I watched the movies and I always thought Hayden really put his heart on Anakin, always felt so genuine to me and you really feel a connection and can definitely see his reasons for what happened, always loved him and still think that he was great, not just in Star Wars but every role he is in.
Love the behind the scenes stuff from the George days. I dont think ive seen a single clip from the sequel trilogy crap, George had everyone elevated to another level and that's why he will always be the GOAT.
The end of ROTS always reminded me of a Shakespearean or Greek tragedy. What could have been if only....I love it
Hayden was perfect as Anakin. He needed to show so much emotion,pain,anger,depression. When Anakin looks over Coruscant to Padme is totally iconic. That scene when Vader yells no is perfect. Extreme depression and sorrow. We got more developed Anakin in Clone Wars but I absolutely agree with you. This reminds me of story of Harvey Dent. Tragic fall of great hero. May the Force be with you too,always😊
Gotta love when Theory pops off with a vid like this
Thank you for the great behind the scenes information.
So happy we talk about goood things a for minute here. All the bs with the community is really getting to me! Good video man ❤
Hearing about Hayden isolating himself in preparation for that role reminds me of how Heath Ledger did so when preparing to play The Joker. Hayden was an awesome Anakin Skywalker.
100% sir.! I've always been an advocate for Hayden Christensen, Jake Lloyd and Ahmed Best.
Thank you sir. You facilitated Justice in the world today.! 🙏
I love your videos but these are my favourite kind of videos from you Theory.
I always knew Hayden was a badass actor but I am absolutely perplexed that he litrelly lived out annikins emotional tragedy in real life just so he could portray it properly in the films, that is legendary acting, that's a new level of acting altogether. This man sacrifices his mental and emotional state just so he could accurately portray it in his character seriously, what the heck I have no words.
RIP JW Rinzler. A great person
Hayden really brought that role to life, and I don't think any other actor could have done it to the same level. I thought his performance in ROTS was stellar, and that movie tied it together so well with the originals, which I grew up with all of those.
He nailed it. Glad you mentioned the monitone voice. Important
Hello Theory, I haven’t commented here before, but I have been enjoying your passion and insight for GL Star Wars, and the modern films as well. I am grateful for your voice in the discourse and, agree with you or not, I always come away considering the topic in more depth. Please keep up the great work you do 🤙
Hayden’s performance in clone wars took me some time to come around to. I was initially put off by his portrayal, and felt he made Anakin seem annoying and whiny compared with the troubled, but enthusiastic Anakin from TPM. Now, after learning from his interviews, documentary around the prequel trilogy production, and seeing all the hate that was directed at him, then how he conducted himself… I have come around. Hayden Christensen’s performance is now the reason I keep coming back the Prequels. He really achieved something special with his contributions to Star Wars legacy.
I am a lifelong fan. I have watched all of the Star Wars films upon their release in theaters. My whole life I have found a source of friendship, imagination, creativity, courage, determination, honor, and more in the stories of Star Wars, and many people who love them. I wish that there was not such deep division between fans stemming from modern political and rhetorical conflicts that have nothing to do with Star Wars.
It is not bigotry or misogyny to be a lifelong fan who is both immersed in the story, and beautifully benevolent allegory created by George Lucas, and deeply disappointed by the loss of his clear direction, originality, and timeless relevance in the Disney era.
Refreshing seeing how someone cared so much about Star Wars that they dedicated so much to bring it too us
I always enjoyed the Prequels. Hayden did an excellent job as Anakin Skywalker I felt But I did read a lot of the Behind-The-Scenes info on this and his work as well as Ewan's work in putting this on screen to make it George Lucas' visualisation of the characters.
Thank you for this video Theory! Looking back, no one could replace Hayden as Anakin/Vader. His performance is worthy of of both the Jedi Master and Sith Lord titles. Thank you Hayden, you truly are the Chosen One!
A series like this that covers the other actors and their characters in the same way would be great. Personally I always love any Natalie Portman/Queen Amidala videos, especially. The galaxy needs more videos about her.
Hayden is part of what makes RotS my fave SW film (after ESB of course) SO GLAD you are back to making vids and not wasting time on those Wack-olytes
I will admit, I was a closeted Hayden Christensen fan even after the end of the prequel trilogy but couldn’t bring myself to fully admit it because I fell into pressure of being ridiculed by those who hated Hayden’s performance. But as I’ve gotten older and especially watching this channel’s great informative and detailed breakdown of the behind the scenes of the prequels, I have really grown to appreciate how much work and effort Hayden put into playing Anakin Skywalker
Anakin reminds me lil bit to Revan, with the diference that Revan actually managed to create a sith empire
Those that always criticized Hayden & his performance simply never understood the character itself. The thing is, if one checks out other roles in Hayden's career you can find similar traits or approaches. I see a lot of Anakin all over his career, even before AOTC. Just check out Life as a House for God's sake! I can't recall the name of the TV show but prior to AOTC Hayden starred in one where he played a torn teen that was sexually abused. When that character fully admitted what had happened - & this was before I had ever seen AOTC but knew that this young man was going to play Anakin - I saw Anakin before I had ever seen Hayden as Anakin. I even felt it. I looked at that scene in that TV show & just knew, I just KNEW, that Hayden would be PERFECT! Now, in 2024 & thinking back to all of this, he never disappointed me.
And lets also add something else; Hayden went into SW knowing SW & loving SW. He wasn't like these ignorant Acolyte actors that can't tell events or characters from each other. To Hayden, this role was a privilege & an honor. And we still hear it in every interview he gives.
My opinion is, as it always was, Hayden did neither make the prequels worse nor better. But he did a fine job with what he got and he was really likeable.
The problem with the NOOOO was that the actual tone of the word was well... tone-deaf. For such a personal trauma the intonation was comically stereotypically overdramatized.
I think the version George went with for Vader’s cry of anguish was a good choice. As opposed to the proposed outbursts of power and rage, keeping it to a smaller yet emotional cry of “NO!” reflects how contained and trapped Anakin is. Yet the droids in the immediate vicinity implode and the room still shakes, but that cry and the destruction of the air close so round him reflects how trapped he is. He is stuck inside a suit, enslaved to a man who tricked him and ruined his life. Having the expression of pain emulated that entrapment was the better idea.
Hayden does a good job, however there are many scenes that could have used a little direction and additional takes. The dialog didn't help either.
Lucas was notorious during the shooting of Ep 1-3 for not pushing the actors, and just taking whatever line they delivered as "good enough".
I used to contrast this with 2001's Planet of the Apes and Tim Burton's direction. There's some behind the scenes footage of Michael Clark Duncan's character, running into frame, throwing like a rock (maybe), then yelling in frustration. Very simple. Yet Burton has MCD run the scene several times until MCD gives him the emotion he was looking for. The difference in the takes is extremely subtle, but Tim knew what he wanted, and kept shooting until he got it. That level of care is shown by Lucas and the digital animators, but completely missing from Lucas interaction with the actors. He really should have let someone else direct the actors. =/
As a final point, my kid thought Natalie Portman was a subpar actor because he had only seen her in Star Wars. He was completely taken aback when I explained she has been nominated thrice for the Academy Awards and won the Oscar once. I had to show him some scenes from her in different movies. Some actors need a little help from the director, and Portman and Christensen are a couple examples. Great actors, but sometimes you need to give them some guidance.
Really nice to see something like this from you!
Anakin Skywalker’s inner disturbances are a complex interplay of fear, desire, manipulation, and the struggle for identity. His character arc serves as a poignant exploration of how love can drive individuals to both greatness and despair, ultimately leading to a tragic fall and a glimpse of redemption. This duality of his character resonates with themes of loss, regret, and the enduring battle between light and dark, making Anakin one of the most compelling figures in the Star Wars universe.
I enjoyed this exploration of Hayden Christensen. I think he was the perfect person to play Anakin. I agree that he did embody the character that became Darth Vader. He is such a class act. It’s so cool that you got to meet him in person.
His performance wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t bad either. He has my respect, but great acting is much more than just dedication and commitment.
Hayden is the only person who could have played that role so way, so talented
If we got a live action Clone Wars series before episode 3, showing the mentality shift, I think people would appreciate Hayden's performance more. It just needed more time and "flesh".
One little thing: he could've said "Master" a lot less in the films. That would've helped the dialogue between him and Obi-Wan.
Hayden played a masterful performance in both movies. He showed how he went from an over confident kid to a man and Hayden played it perfectly and even more impressive is that he brought that much depth into Anakin in only two movies.
Can’t wait to meet you at SpaceCon bro!
MORE VIDEOS LIKE THIS PLEASE
Underrated performance. Absolutely incredible.
Been missing these kind of videos from you! Thanks Theory!
Hope to see more of Hayden in upcoming projects 🙏
It’s crazy the level of relatability Hayden brought to the character of Anakin Skywalker to a LOT of people. It’s so easy to us to see ourselves in him no matter what part of your life you’re in. That, I would say, is all thanks to Hayden cuz even the most die hards of us can agree to a certain extent that the dialogue in all the films is a little, idk maybe too forward. Yea by design and I’m not complaining, I love it, I’m just saying it gave Hayden the opportunity to make the character his own and he obviously rose to the occasion when it comes to playing the role of The Chosen One Anakin Skywalker. All love to HC till the end of forever. MTFBWYA
My favourite scene is what I believe is ‘the point of no return’ for Anakin when he beheads Dooku.
That scene is the Birth of Vadar
Hayden and Ewan will always have a special place in my heart
Love this kind of content
The Chosen One, he brought balance to the Force 🥹
@Star Wars Theory My favourrite topic, Hayden, Anakin and Vader. Thank you🤗 Oh yes, Hayden portrayed the downfall of Anakin so perfectly. It is tragic. It brings tears to my eyes.
Good to see videos like this again
Hayden is in my opinion an exceptional actor and a very dedicated performer. He did an exceptional job and I am so thankful that he is finally getting the redemption for the role that he performed and deserved, and made historically iconic. I ADORE Hayden and he was the perfect Anakin and Darth! ❤
Glad we can get back to the good stuff. Thanks Theory
thank you for making SW content again
You should credit the writer and editer in the description. Not just for "credit" but because it's nice to know who went into making each video.
Loved this BTS lore video. Looking forward to the next one. This whole channel just enhances SW. Better than any other out there