Yahoo News “Ahsoka ”sees the return of a major “Star Wars ”character
Warning: This story contains major spoilers for Ahsoka episode 4: "Fallen Jedi."
The newest episode of Ahsoka sees the return of an old friend — or is that an old enemy?
For months, rumors have swirled about whether the latest Star Wars TV show would resurrect a familiar face: Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, who once trained Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson) as a young Padawan. Disney itself even hinted at Anakin's potential return with a pre-release teaser, and Dawson and Christensen have a long history of off-screen friendship, having co-starred in 2003's Shattered Glass.
Now, the show is finally delivering on those rumors, with Christensen returning as Anakin in the fourth episode of Ahsoka.
Disney+/Lucasfilm Ltd. Rosario Dawson in 'Ahsoka'
Christensen's appearance comes near the end of the episode, after Ahsoka loses a lightsaber battle with mercenary Baylan Skoll (the late Ray Stevenson). Ahsoka is seen falling off a cliff, and when she awakes, she's no longer on the mortal plane. Instead, she appears to be in the mysterious World Between Worlds, a mystic and ethereal Force dimension existing beyond time and space. (It was first introduced in the animated Star Wars Rebels.) As Ahsoka wakes, she hears a familiar voice. It's faint, but the subtitles confirm that it's her former Jedi Master, greeting her with a familiar nickname: "Hello, Snips."
Shocked, Ahsoka turns around to see Anakin (a visibly de-aged Christensen, wearing familiar Jedi robes). "I didn't expect to see you so soon," he tells her, before the credits start to roll.
Christensen's return to the Star Wars galaxy isn't a huge shock: After all, the actor popped up in last year's Obi-Wan Kenobi, appearing as both Darth Vader and in flashbacks as Anakin. But given that Ahsoka is set after the events of 1983's Return of the Jedi — the movie in which Anakin/Vader very clearly dies — many fans speculated whether Christensen might return in flashbacks or as a Force ghost. Interestingly, he appears to be neither, and when he pops up in the World Between Worlds, he certainly seems to be flesh and blood, without the usual blue Force ghost glow.
Ahsoka and Anakin have a long history together, dating back to their first meeting in 2008's animated Clone Wars movie. Throughout the Clone Wars series, Anakin trained the young warrior as his Padawan, until she walked away from the Jedi order. The two later crossed paths again in Rebels, as Ahsoka is horrified to discover that her former master has since gone to the Dark side, becoming Darth Vader.
As for how their reunion on Ahsoka might go? We'll have to wait and see.
Ahsoka airs Tuesdays on Disney+ at 6 pm PT/9 pm ET.
To hear exclusive interviews with the Ahsoka cast as well as full episode recaps, listen to EW's Dagobah Dispatch podcast.
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