Anakin Skywalker's absence from The Rise of Skywalker makes his upcoming Star Wars return all the more exciting. Although opinion has improved dramatically in recent years, the Star Wars prequels were not well-loved upon release, and Hayden Christensen was one of several names to face the ire of fans. When they weren't complaining about Gungans and trade disputes, audiences took issue with Christensen's young Darth Vader awkwardly trying to flirt and explaining the drawbacks of going to the beach. But as the world came around to the prequel trilogy, so too did they warm to Hayden Christensen's Anakin, and when the actor's return was announced for the Disney+ Obi-Wan Kenobi TV series, the response was enthused.
As overjoyed as fans are to have Hayden Christensen back in the Star Wars fold, the character was widely expected to have made an earlier comeback in 2019's The Rise of Skywalker. The final chapter in the Star Wars sequel trilogy saw Emperor Palpatine resurrected from the dead (somehow), and the only Jedi left to oppose him was Rey, the final student of Luke Skywalker. Given that Anakin was the alleged "Chosen One" who brought balance to the Force in Return of the Jedi, it was suspected that Christensen would appear as a Force ghost to address this potential plot hole. In the end, Christensen's voice was heard very briefly among a litany of other Jedi spirits spurring Rey on, but nothing more.
Among the many criticisms aimed in The Rise of Skywalker's direction, audiences were disappointed that Anakin's legacy wasn't properly addressed. That after going to the trouble of having Hayden Christensen record dialogue, J.J. Abrams didn't reintroduce Anakin's Force ghost proper. But every cloud has a silver droid leg, and cinema's loss is Disney+'s gain. If Christensen had made a full return for The Rise of Skywalker, his casting in Obi-Wan Kenobi would've met with a more muted reaction. Moreover, the thrill of actually watching Christensen reprise his most famous role alongside Obi-Wan wouldn't be so special if the actor had already resurfaced in 2019.
But more than just the impact of how and when Anakin is reintroduced, Christensen will surely benefit from skipping out on The Rise of Skywalker and hopping on the Obi-Wan Kenobi train instead. Young Anakin Skywalker was a divisive character who eventually managed to win over his critics. The Rise of Skywalker is even more divisive, and combining the two could've been a recipe for disaster in hindsight. The final installment of the Star Wars sequel trilogy was stuffed with half-explored ideas and thrown-together plot developments, and adding the Force ghost of Anakin Skywalker into the mix, no matter how much sense his presence would make, may have done more harm than good to Christensen's troubled Sith.
By contrast, Star Wars is currently flying high on Disney+ thanks to the work of Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni on The Mandalorian. While it remains to be seen whether Obi-Wan Kenobi can meet those lofty standards, the signs thus far are good, with Deborah Chow in the driving seat and Ewan McGregor also making his long-awaited return to the galaxy far, far away. The pieces are in place for the double-act of Kenobi and Vader to tear up the Star Wars world once again (together or otherwise), and this makes far more thematic sense for Christensen's character than an appearance in the sequels alongside Rey, who he has no real conection to. Audiences may have been bitterly disappointed when Anakin's Force ghost was absent from The Rise of Skywalker, but that missed opportunity now looks to be a blessing in disguise.