Peter Ramsey, the director of Episode 4 of Ahsoka, recently discussed how Hayden Christensen's return as Anakin Skywalker affected the show as a whole - both on and off-screen.
Hayden Christensen made his triumphant return to Star Wars in the final moments of Episode 4 of Ahsoka, appearing in the World Between Worlds after it appeared that Ahsoka had been killed.
This was a huge moment as it was the first time the two characters ever interacted in live-action, and Star Wars even celebrated Christensen's return by featuring him on a recent poster for the Disney+ show.
How Hayden Christensen Impacted Ahsoka
In an interview with IGN, Ahsoka Episode 4 director Peter Ramsey shared his thoughts about shooting the ending scene that featured Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker with Rosario Dawson's Ahsoka Tano for the first time in live-action.
Ramsey revealed that being in the scene was just as impactful for Christensen (who he called "really sweet") as it was for the fans, saying that "it had a lot of meaning for" the Star Wars prequel trilogy actor:
"He’s a really sweet, low-key guy. He was pretty happy about being there after all this time. It had a lot of meaning for him."
The director realized how important the "reunion" between Anakin and Ahsoka was, especially considering that they had been apart for so long.
He also revealed that he guided Christensen through the scene, telling him to act as though he hadn't "seen [his] daughter in two years," which the actor would have understood since he has a daughter himself:
"We just talked about what it's like for him to be seeing Ahsoka after all this time, that it's a reunion for them. And I just told him, 'It's like you haven't seen your daughter in two years. She'd gone off to college and you're seeing her again and she's like a different person but still your daughter.'"
Ramsey also explained his thought process in regard to Ahsoka's reaction to seeing Anakin for the first time in years, saying that "it was just like her turning back" and being the young Padawan that she was to Anakin in the Clone Wars:
"On the Rosario side of it, she knew what it meant in the story and it was just about selling the idea that she was waking up somewhere really having no clue as to what was going on, not understanding 'Am I dead? Am I alive? Am I where I think I could be?' And the way that expression changes at the very end when she sees him and says his name is so sweet and it was just like her turning back the person she was the last time she saw him."
What Could Anakin's Return Mean?
Many fans are wondering exactly what Anakin's return will mean in the coming episodes of Ahsoka.
Some theorize that he actually opened up a portal in the World Between Worlds and pulled Ahsoka into the mysterious realm, saving her life (just as Ezra Bridger did for her in Star Wars Rebels), but others are saying that it might not be the Anakin that Ahsoka and the fans know and love.
It is worth noting that the Anakin seen at the end of the episode is wearing his black robes from Revenge of the Sith - the last time fans saw those was during his duel with Obi-Wan Kenobi on Mustafar, and he notably had on white and brown Jedi robes the only time that he appeared as a Force ghost in Return of the Jedi.
It is also important to remember that, as the episode faded to black, the sinister Imperial March played instead of Anakin's Theme, also fueling the idea that everything may not be as it seems.
However, Anakin could really just be trying to help Ahsoka. He technically didn't get to finish her training before she left the Jedi Order, and seeing as how Ahsoka is trying to train Sabine Wren, Anakin might have one more lesson to teach his former Padawan so that she can become a suitable master herself.
Fortunately, fans won't have to wait long to find out, as Episode 5 of Ahsoka will be available to stream on Disney+ at 9:00 p.m. ET on Tuesday, September 12.
