For everything that the Star Wars franchise has become in the past few years, none of it would have been possible without the Skywalker Saga, which ran on and off for more than four decades. Each of the three trilogies had its ups and downs from movie to movie, a trend that first started with Episode I through Episode III at the turn of the millennium.
Coming as a much darker set of films than its original predecessor, the Prequel Trilogy detailed Anakin Skywalker's journey from raw youngling to powerful Sith Lord. The adult version of the controversial character was played by Hayden Christensen as he brought Skywalker's complicated story to life, slowly turning to the Dark Side thanks to the influence of Chancellor Palpatine/Darth Sidious.
Although the Star Wars movies all fall under a PG-13 rating, some horrible events are implied, particularly in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. One of these events is a key reason why a member of Christensen's own family hasn't seen his work in the franchise yet.
HAYDEN CHRISTENSEN'S CHILD HASN'T SEEN PREQUELS
In a recent interview with E! Online, actress Rachel Bilson spoke on why her six-year-old daughter, Briar Rose, hasn't seen any of the Star Wars Prequel Trilogy. The trilogy stars Briar Rose's father, Hayden Christensen, as Anakin Skywalker.
While Bilson's daughter is aware her parents are both actors, she revealed that she won't let her daughter watch Christensen in the Prequel Trilogy. One major reason for this is because Christensen's Anakin Skywalker murders Jedi younglings in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith.
Bilson jokingly said that she'd like to "keep that from her until she's like 80" due to the violent implications:
"...but she has no idea what that even means, because she hasn't seen anything. And thank God, because he kills children, so let's keep that from her until she's like 80. I'd like to keep it that way."
NO STAR WARS FOR AT LEAST A FEW DECADES
For those who may not remember the particulars, Anakin Skywalker murdered an entire room full of Jedi younglings as Darth Sidious pushed him over the edge of the dark side. Episode III only showed Anakin turning his lightsaber on, but even though no actual killing was displayed, it's still quite an intense implication in the course of the Star Wars plot.
While it's likely inevitable that Briar Rose will see this scene at some point in her life, six years old is certainly a little young to see something so brutal. This is especially the case when her real-life father is the perpetrator, actor or not.
It's surely a tough situation to navigate when actors have kids growing up aware of their profession, especially starring in one of the most well-known franchises in movie history. This is a simple case of Bilson protecting her young daughter from some potentially nightmare-inducing experiences, but it will be interesting to find out how her first viewing goes someday.
All nine films in the Skywalker Saga are available to view on Disney+, and Hayden Christensen will return to the role of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series, premiering on Disney+ in 2022.
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