Hayden Christensen fans got to see The Chosen One up close on Day 1 of Star Wars Celebration in Japan, where the actor received his birthday gift a day in advance.
Christensen's birthday is on April 19, but his fans ensured they were the first to wish him during Star Wars Celebration's Live stream on YouTube. Not only that, but the actor was presented with a Darth Vader-shaped birthday cake that he immediately took a bite of.
This is the third Star Wars Celebration in a row attended by Hayden, and fans still can't get enough of him. After taking a long break from the spotlight, the actor returned with a bang as Darth Vader and Anakin Skywalker in Obi-Wan Kenobi. He followed up this performance with a return as Master Anakin Skywalker in Ahsoka Season 1.
Christensen will reprise his role as The Chosen One again in Ahsoka Season 2, which Dave Filoni will begin filming immediately following Star Wars Celebration. His return was confirmed at the Ahsoka panel on Day 2 of Star Wars Celebration in Japan. That's not the only reason Hayden is back, as Episode III - Revenge of the Sith celebrates its 20th Anniversary next month. The movie will be rereleased in selected locations, and Christensen discussed the experience of working on it at Celebration.
Hayden acknowledged the months of grueling practice he and Ewan McGregor did for their fateful duel on Mustafar, which was shot over a couple of weeks. This wasn't the only time the on-and-off-screen friends fought one another, as Christensen and McGregor got to flex their lightsaber skills again during Obi-Wan Kenobi. In Ahsoka, his moves were less fancy, and his job was removing Ahsoka's guilt.
Even then, Rosario admitted Christensen is a force with the lightsaber, overpowering and hard to keep up with. The two may get an opportunity to face off in Season 2, if it comes to that, but Christensen's role as Anakin is much different in the show because of the Master and Padawan relationship he shares with Ahsoka.
the way he were doing smth else and then he was so shocked when they started singing 😭😭😭pic.twitter.com/p8ul2tU3nz
— mel 🪐 ROTS 20TH (@rotsanakins) April 19, 2025
As for Hayden's birthday today, fans continued to wish him wherever they found him. Even if you were never a fan of the prequels, it's obvious how much the appreciation means to Christensen. He bore the brunt of the criticism received by the prequel trilogy, and every aspect of his performance was harshly criticized. I think Star Wars fans deserve a lot of credit for making things right and giving the actor his share of love and respect.
Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith is streaming on Disney+.