Was Hayden Christensen Deaged As Anakin In Obi-Wan Kenobi Episode 5?

Warning! This article contains spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 5.

Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 5 finally included some flashbacks to the prequel-era of Star Wars that included Hayden Christensen as Anakin, leading to the question of whether Christensen was digitally de-aged for the scene. The episode opened with a flashback to the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. In the scene, Obi-Wan and Anakin were engaging in lightsaber spar, something that informed the emotional context of the episode concerning an older Kenobi and Darth Vader.

The majority of Hayden's work in this series has come from portraying the Sith Lord, being present in the suit for the majority of the series thus far. However, in Obi-Wan Kenobi episode 3, Kenobi sees someone in the desert, someone revealed to be Anakin Skywalker. Other than this, Christensen hasn't portrayed the Jedi before his turn to the dark side until episode 5 with this prequel-era flashback.

As the flashback takes place around the time of Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones, the question of whether Christensen was de-aged using CGI is a logical one. Attack of the Clones was released in 2002, putting Christensen 20 years older than his last portrayal of Anakin in this time period. Therefore, it is clear some CGI was used to de-age Hayden for the portrayal of a much younger Anakin Skywalker. However, it is also evident that the episode that CGI wasn't used to the extent we have seen from Disney in the past, as with General Ross in Black Widow or Samuel L. Jackson in Captain Marvel for example. Yet, while it may not have been as evident, CGI still played a part in making the scene as realistic as possible.

Hayden Christensen as Anakin in Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, and Return of the Jedi

One thing worth noting is that Christensen still doesn't look too much older now, meaning the creators of the show had a bit of leeway in regards to the CGI, meaning it wasn't as necessary as it would be if prequel-era Anakin had a larger role in the series. Additionally, the focus of the scene is the lightsaber sparring between Kenobi and Anakin during their days as master and padawan. Naturally then, the more important aspects of the scene are the choreography behind the lightsaber fight and the context of the scene as a whole. Through this, a lot of the mid-to-long shots of Obi-Wan and Anakin fighting are when the de-aging is less evident as it isn't the focus of the scene. When Anakin receives close-up shots, however, the CGI is obviously in play to make Christensen look more like his younger self.

All that being said, the scene still works. Not only does it provide audiences will a highly anticipated Clone Wars-era flashback, but also provides an emotional context for the characters in Obi-Wan Kenobi. The limited use of the de-aging CGI was a wise choice from Disney, as it doesn't detract from the scene. Should Christensen have been heavily CGI during the scene, it would likely have been distracting. Instead, Disney has used the CGI sparingly and when most necessary, meaning audiences not only get to see a younger Anakin, but Hayden Christensen more closely resembling as he is today to warrant the excitement of his return in Obi-Wan Kenobi.

Next: Obi-Wan's Anakin Hallucination Makes Vader's Entrance So Much Scarier

New episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi release every Wednesday on Disney+.

Want more Obi-Wan Kenobi articles? Check out our essential content below...