ST Hayden Christensen (Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader) in IX

I do think Hayden gets a bit of a bum rap for his acting in the PT, but while I will admit I have had some pretty harsh critisizim of his performance in the PT it was mostly only bad when he's trying to impress Padme, or whining about Obi Wan. If you separate that part for the rest, the rest of the performance is not bad.

 

I give this one a close second in lightsaber battles, for me. Luke and Vader 2 for me is the best. It's not as flashy, but it's intensity is over the top, and Luke's besting Sideous, in manipulation of Vader/Anakin is the difference maker for me.

 

I can watch the lightsaber duel in TFA over and over again. The madness in Kylo‘s eyes after pounding his wound, the way he is just playing with Finn and the fist pumping moment when Rey ignites the lightsaber. Choreo is awesome, change of power is awesomely displayed (Rey using her weapon like a staff she is used to and keeping Ren at a distance to become the aggressor and dominant figure in the fight after embracing the force), visuals are outstanding (they actually build the forest as a set, major props to the guys behind the camera).

 

Though I agree with you from an emotional standpoint on the ROTJ duel-and used to set that one as my favorite, IMO it's now ROTS for me. As @JoshieHewls mentioned, everytime I don't watch this film for a long time (which for me is like 3-4 months) and then watch it-I'm reminded of how great it is-and why I count it as my favorite, even still to this day. I mean there's just so much involved in this duel from both a visual and emotional standpoint, from the conversation on the landing platform to Anakin's defeat, and it's just as pivotal from a story standpoint as the ROTJ duel. I also think it could not have been performed better by any actor than Ewan and Hayden. I have no problem feeling the emotional weight of two of the strongest Jedi in the galaxy, locked in a fight with eachother-while the fate of the galaxy hangs in the balance. IMO Hayden's performance here makes it definitely the most emotionally expressive duel in the saga.

I mean, who can watch that .gif above, and not think that looks awesome!?

 

Force Ghost Anakin in Episode 9 would be interesting.

 

Well it could be more than just Force ghost Anakin....they've already introduced that Force ghosts can become corporeal entities again.

If the KoR turn out to be powerful Force users may be we'll see Anakin and Luke return and join forces with Rey and duel with the KoR.

 

I really doubt force ghost Anakin will show up in IX. Rian Johnson blew up the foundations laid in the PT, the OT, and TFA, and turned Kylo into a self-made psychopath. He no longer needs his grandfather's guidance. He wouldn't listen to Anakin if he showed up, so there is no point in bringing him back.

 

He idolizes Vader, talking to Vader's helmet...in Vader, Kylo sees not only a grandfather but another lonely soul. One of the things Kylo appears to want the most seems to be the approval of his grandfather, vowing to finish what Vader started.

 

He emulates the Vader persona and at the same time thinks that Anakin was weak for choosing to save Luke. I don't think he would care what Anakin has to say.
I'd love to see Hayden as a fg but I don't hold out hope that it's going to happen.

 

Thing is though, I think Kylo is moving away from that idolization (a real word?). We see Snoke belittle him early on in TLJ about this, and afterwords Kylo chooses to smash his "wannabe vader helmet" to bits. Then later he kills Snoke and tells Rey to let the past go-all of it. I think what's going on here is that Kylo Ren is getting over his childish self, and his new motivation is to create some sort of new darkside order himself, maybe with Rey's help. He acts like he knows what he wants, but then it's clear he's still conflicted.

As far as not listening to Anakin, I imagine he might still listen to him, but for different reasons. That part is hard to predict. Still there's a spark of good in him still-the plot makes it clear: his killing Han "split his spirit to the bone" or whatever Snoke said-and he still wasn't able to kill his mother. His willingness to listen to Rey, as she pleads for him not to do wrong-instead of just killing her. This all is why I love Kylo Ren's character. There's so much depth to his character and complexity to his motivations that it's hard to get a read on what he really wants-and there's some real, tangible, onscreen history there too. I think all this is because he HIMSELF doesn't really know what he wants to do-yet. Honestly it could go either way!

I think Episode IX will be a very interesting end to his arc (one of the best character arcs in the saga IMO).

 

It all depends on what Anakin has to say to him and how he says it.

 

I would love to see him, but I am having my doubts. It makes all of the sense in the world to tie the saga together at the end with Anakin where it began, but I just don't see them choosing to do that at this point. I hope I am wrong.

 

Agree. He can say being Vader destroyed his life and his entire life as the Dark Lord was based on lies. The myth of Vader that Ben worships is deeply flawed. Anakin could add he’s ashamed of the legacy he left his family.

 

The time for Anakin to appear in a force vision or as a ghost was in The Force Awakens. Instead, we got Kylo talking to Vader's charred helmet. That got the point across. I really don't think we will see Hayden as Anakin. Might get another Vader mention or reference though, because they can't seem to make a SW movie without one of those.

 

I had the sense that by the end of TLJ, Kylo was a psychopathic megalomaniac and Vader was no longer relevant. As much as I disliked the movie, Kylo was one character who did develop - he's outgrown Vader, he's outgrown Snoke, his parents are both dead (at least, Leia will be by the start of XI), so he's on his own. I don't see any story purpose in having Anakin appear. Kylo story now seems to be a dark side parallel to Luke's journey in the OT, and I don't personally care story wise what happens to him. Probably best if he's not redeemed. Maybe XI will end with Kylo winning, and Rey dead and dispatched. And to quote Darth Sidious: .

 

I think

I think Lucas planned on it, thus why he included him at the end of ROTJ so it would make sense for him to appear as HC rather than Shaw. Lucas always had a reason for the changes he made with regards to how the movie would appear in the future once all installments were complete.

 

The first six films seemed to be a battle for a Skywalkers soul against a backdrop of war, Anakins first and then Lukes. It should conclude the same way Bens, Reys or both.

 

Ben definitely isn’t going to be redeemed as a character now. After TFA there was still a slight possibility it may happen. But he’s murdered his Master and gone full on megalomaniac in TLJ, he’s gone. Rey will kill him in IX. It’s a given

 

Obi Wan once thought as you do. Ben is at the point where Vader started in my opinion, and no one is beyond redemption.

 

This path would be the easiest and by far the least interesting. It is predictable and anticlimactic without some serious plot twists. This trilogy has been about bringing change and moving on not about what is obvious.

 

But now with Carrie Fisher sadly gone, just who could possibly be the catalyst for said redemption?
We all saw in TLJ that Leia still seemed to hold some sway over him as he just could not bring himself to fire on her. It showed us that if Kylo still retained any remnants of light in his soul? It existed solely for his mother.
A scene with them perhaps meeting face to face in IX would’ve been very emotionally powerful, and could’ve proved to have been that catalyst for the seeds of Ben Solo’s redemption..
So, perhaps Rey then?

 

Possibly. Kylo could be his own vehicle for redemption if he wants to be. He has struggled with the light and may still have to struggle with his path to the Dark side. Rey herself could still be at risk of falling.

 

Yeah, but then he tries to kill everyone on Crait including her. Or does he think she died in space and doesn’t know she survived? If the latter, could explain his wanting to let the past go.

 

Ben is a great character and deserved a little more development. We don't know anything about him really, how he was before Luke wanted to kill him, or how he came under the influence of Snoke, and why he wants to be Vader. It will be too cluttered to fit this into IX probably. Adam Driver really is best part of the ST and he's been short changed just like the rest of the storyline.

 

I was really hoping we'd get to see a PT character interact with an OT/ST character in this final trilogy. I've been disappointed to this point in that regard.

Young force ghost Anakin interacting with Luke would have been incredible. Obi-Wan "learning" how to make himself a young force ghost again and interacting with Luke and/or Rey also would have been very awesome.

Or how about the voice of Qui-Gon in some way being a factor again.

They really missed multiple opportunities to set this trilogy off!