Dave Filoni, creator of AHSOKA, says “Hayden Christensen’s lightsaber skills are just insane”

Ahsoka it was a fun series that he brought back to life Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker. He is one of the most iconic characters in the Star Wars universe and, according to the show’s creator, Dave FiloniChristensen proved his worth in the role and described him as having “ferocity in the performance”.

Filoni told EW:

“His lightsaber skills are just insane. I mean, he’s the Chosen One. There is no doubt.”

Filoni says he’s wanted to work with Christensen for years, ever since they met backstage and had an “instant connection” at a past Star Wars Celebration. Together, they bonded over their shared experiences working with George Lucas: Christensen obviously starred in Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, while Filoni developed the Clone Wars animated series, exploring Anakin’s journey between the two films.

Filoni said:

“It was great to have someone who had this experience too, who could know the things I was talking about relating to Anakin and the way George saw him. We really understood each other and understood each other’s language.”

Filoni says he didn’t want Ahsoka and Anakin’s reunion “to turn into a Star Wars history lesson,” so instead of writing a Force ghost scene, he set their reunion in the World Between Worlds, allowing them to travel together through their past in flashbacks. (He says he was particularly inspired by the abstract, dreamlike sequences of Akira Kurosawa’s Kagemusha.) Before filming, Christensen binge-watched episodes of The Clone Wars, and both he and Filoni wanted to make sure those flashback sequences remained focused on Ahsoka and her complicated scenes. relationship with Anakin.

Filoni explained:

“We talked about how this isn’t really an Anakin story, but it’s important to see how Ahsoka sees Anakin. This is his lived experience of him. [His] the story is already told and George’s saga is over. But this is important to her because you are her mentor.

Filoni adds that some of his favorite days were simply watching Christensen on set Ariana Greenblatt, who plays young Ahsoka in the flashback scenes. In a way, she says, it felt like an episode of The Clone Wars come to life.

“It made me think just standing there and watching him in costume, standing next to Ariana. Because in my mind it’s really no different. No matter what the medium, the image is always Anakin with Ahsoka – that big brother, little sister dynamic.”

During the Clone Wars flashback sequence, there is also a brief shot where Anakin’s silhouette flickers and, for a split second, he appears as Darth Vader, walking across the battlefield with his red lightsaber in hand. Filoni wanted to keep that moment as just a moment: an acknowledgment of Anakin’s tragic arc and a warning about how hatred can lead to destruction. That day, he says, nearly every cast and crew member showed up, hoping to catch a glimpse of that iconic black cape.

“All Vader had to do was walk in line,” Filoni says, laughing. “But so many people came to the set just to see someone dressed in a Darth Vader costume, walking in a straight line! You realize the power of these characters and the archetypes that George Lucas created, and that’s a real responsibility. You never want this to diminish. You have to maintain it no matter how powerful it is.

It’s nice that Filoni had this experience. He did a great job making this series and it will be fun to see what he comes up with in the next chapters of his Star Wars saga.