Official Thread: Hayden Christensen replacing Sebastian Shaw as Anakin's Force Ghost

Especially now that I've seen Revenge of the Sith a few times, I am totally OK with Anakin's ghost looking like Hayden Christensen at the end of Return of the Jedi.

In fact, I recently let people who never saw the original trilogy borrow my old VHS tapes to see those movies after they saw the prequels recently. (I typically would never part with my DVD's.) The more I thought about it, I drove over and gave them my DVD's to watch, instead. I wanted their impression of episodes 4, 5, and 6 to be as positive as possible. The DVD's look way better. I like most of the newest changes. I especially realized that seeing an 80-year old Sebastian Shaw as the force ghost would be completely weird to them. So, I gave them my DVD's to borrow, instead.

This made me really think about it. The only people who think that the 80-year old shaw works best are those who saw it for the first time in the 80's and always accepted it that way. I saw it for the first time in 1983, too. ...But, I seem to be more open to improvements and noodling than most people my age. I am able to "unlearn what I have learned." In context of the entire saga (now completed), Hayden Christensen as Anakin's ghost, looking as he would have - had he not turned to the dark side, is now touching to me. I like that Luke can see who his dad really was back when he was a good guy. It works for me much better than having luke look on some old man with weird hair, who is older than Obi-Wan, who we never saw like that ever in the saga.

What is your opinion now that you've seen episode 3? What works more as a ghost for people in the future seeing the saga in numerical order for the first time: Hayden Christensen or Sebastian Shaw?

BAC EDIT: See last post for lock information.

 

first of all Shaw was 78 in '83 but I digress, I accept and like Hayden as Anakin a lot better for two reasons. Vader would have been in his 40's if he was 9 in EP1, he would have been 19 in 2 and about 22 in 3, he would be somewhere in his 40's at the time of his death, second of all, Anakin never got the chance to look like Shaw, he was burnt to a crisp in his 20's so he would never grow to look like that, plus I am of the opinion that when you die your spirit looks how you did in your prime, but that is just a personal belief and has no proof to it.

 

"first of all Shaw was 78 in '83 but I digress"

Are you even serious at all with that statement??? Anyway...

So, you vote for Hayden, then?

 

After seeing RotJ, I'm happier having Hayden as the ghost, but I don't see how he can be a ghost - having not been tought this ability due to being evil and destroying things like rebels while Obi was learning it.

I dunno, the age thing is a problem too.

I still prefer Shaw.

 

The big problem I have with it is that it assumes that Anakin "died" when he turned to the Dark Side and, thus, that's how he'd appear in the afterlife. However, the whole point of his redemption is that he didn't "die"; there was still good in him.

Now, admittedly, I'm a bit of a purist about this, and that certainly influences my opinion. However, I'm not going to go all ballistic about it.

 

Personally, I prefer the Sebastian Shaw Anakin, but the Hayden Anakin isnt THAT bad.

 

I've never had any problems with the changes Lucas made to the OT, but this is the only one I don't like. I like Sebastian Shaw as Anakin. Sure he is a little bit older than he should be, but I always thought it was a very symbolic image of Old Ben, Old Anakin, and Yoda. I really can't describe it, it has nothing to do with nostalgia, or "I grew up with it so don't change it," it just doesn't look right with Hayden Christenson.

 

I'm also from "the old school" who saw it back in '83...I like it much better with Hayden. I never heard or cared to research the explination to why it was done other than continuity and visual. I actually wish they could have aged him a bit..I also wish GL would have somehow popped Hayden's face into the unmasking scene and done a voice-over. Maybe they'll do it when they re-package all the dvd's when ROTS comes out...

 

After seeing ROTS it only reinforced my belief that Hayden should not be at the end of Jedi. At the end of the story I don't want to be reminded of the child-killing, Sandpeople-murdering version of Anakin.

 

"He ceased to be Anakin Skywalker
and became Darth Vader. When that happened,
the good man who was your father was
destroyed. So what I have told you was
true... from a certain point of view."

I like Hayden. If Yoda and Obi brought Anakin back as a ghost (as some have suggested) then wouldn't they bring back the image of him that the remember?

 

Yes

 

Personally I think there's a bit of an odd reward system going on in the afterlife here...

Apparently, if you're a loyal, powerful Jedi who lived your life as close to the ideals of good as possible, you get to spend eternity shriveled and old. BUT if you are selfish and evil, wreak havoc and death on the galaxy for a couple decades first, then sneak in a good deed at the last minute, you get to retain an identity that shimmers in the prime of your youth.

Sucks to be Obi-Wan and Yoda! Maybe they should have knocked a couple of younglings around.

 

obiwan and yoda spent less than 20 years in isolation. they spent the rest of their years with the jedi. i like having hayden in the final scene.

 

I'm a little torn... I'm Old School, and I certainly don't want Hayden inserted in Vader's death scene, but the age is so off... I don't mind seeing a wrecked looking guy under the mask because he should look like hell, he's been covered all this time...

I liked seeing Hayden, it did connect the films for me. But. Regardless of what GL wants, my children will watch the Saga in the order it was made, not the episode order. I just think overall they work better that way, particularly because of the fourth film introducing the Force and all that. And because I don't want the greatest movie surprise of all time spoiled for them (although when my daughter recently saw the father revelation she said, "hey, just like Toy Story 2!")

Anyway, I'm taking my seven year old through the movies now, she hasn't seen the PT. We watched ROTJ recently and when Hayden showed up she said "who's that guy?" So that's a problem.

And after seeing ROTS it seems like the spirits of Yoda and Obi-Wan might want to kick the crap out of the Anakin spirit, but that's just me.

 

I was always okay with it, and ROTS didn't change that.

The old man Anakin never even existed. Young Anakin was the way he appeared before he turned. It's fine with me.

 

I was never okay with it, nor with Lucas's reasoning for the change, which pretty well undermines the whole point of the saga in my opinion. I like it even less after RotS, though. As someone else mentioned, now we get to look at him and remember child-murdering Anakin. He just doesn't have the same sort of presence beatific old Shaw did.

And what do you mean old Anakin didn't exist? He was right there behind the mask. Presumably what we see at the end of RotJ is what he would have looked like if he'd never been scarred, because there's no point in keeping your scars in the afterlife when you get to choose your own appearance.

 

I'm a bit torn. Having Hayden at the end was certainly the one change I used to hate the most in the SE before seeing RotS.

Now it's easier to accept in a way, but in another it confuses me. Just which Anakin is it supposed to portray? The one who killed the Tusken raiders? I can accept that he killed the men in an act of vengeance, but not the women or kids, no matter how barbaric their culture was. The one who killed Mace Windu and swore allegiance to Darth Sidious? Or the one who killed the younglings?

Well, there may be a solution... Look at the robes Anakin's ghost is wearing at the end of RotJ. They're cream and brown, as in his time as padawan, not black as they were in RotS.

I'm uncomfortable with the idea that getting rid of the biggest evil in the universe would somehow redeem the death of thousands of innocent people. Millions probably, counting Alderaan.

 

He is the Anakin who died on the Death Star, wearing a face that looks the way it did before it was destroyed.



Anakin Skywalker is good
/LM

 

It's not perfect......but I have always accepted it.

I was going to make a post asking this exact question -"after seeing ROTS do you accept Hayden as the ghost more?"

It is cool to see that some people do. At the same time we all have to realize that this will probably go down as one of those SW things fans are torn down the middle on......with both sides having good reasons to feel their own way.

I like Hayden as the ghost.....no disrespect thought to Shaw who did do a great job originally in the ghost scene and the death scene.

I also can see why that younger image of Hayden can remind people of the evils he did BUT...that same image was also of a GOOD kick ass Jedi (esp. at the begining of ROTS) who refused to leave his master behind and didn't just gleefully prance over to the darkside.....he was used, decieved and tricked.

He was in tears even on Mustafar. Not saying that justifies his evils.......just something to keep in mind for people who ONLY attach the negative to that younger image of Anakin as played by Hayden.

 

Well I was always ok with Hayden as the ghost, because I never saw the OT in the theatre (something to do with age) and even after that I never got used to Shaw. Hayden is much better for continuity purposes, and is better looking.

 

maby its what Anakin would look like at his age if he wasnt burnt

 

I saw ROTJ in the theater in 1983 as well and was pleasantly surprised at the "Hayden" ghost at the end in the DVD.

I like it as well. It's more complete; since the whole saga is about Anakin's rise/fall/redemption it's much more touching to see him as a Force ghost the way he looked before he turned and burned.

Really cool. If they would've left Shaw in there it would've been like "uh?" after watching the whole 6 movies.

Although I think it would have been cool to put the original ending (cheesy Ewok song-shudder-and all) as an extra on the DVD.

 

I used to dislike the idea, not because they put Hayden as Anakin's ghost, but because he's not aged.

But then I realised it depends on how the blue ghost appearance relates to the one who's watching. If it's only Luke that can see the ghosts at Endor then it makes sense that Anakin appears young. In other words, if a Force user that has achieved immortality can chose his/ appearance then Anakin has no idea of what he'd look like as an old man. Because I'm quite convinced he doesn't want to turn up as a man with loads of scars.

 

Padmes Daughter said: "Anyway, I'm taking my seven year old through the movies now, she hasn't seen the PT. We watched ROTJ recently and when Hayden showed up she said "who's that guy?" So that's a problem."

Your daughter would NEVER have had that reaction if you had shown her the movies in numerical order, the way they are intended to be seen. If you had showed them to her the CORRECT way (1 thru 6), and Shaw was the ghost, you would have had the following exchange with her...

Daughter: "Who the hell is that old crank with the idiotic dork hair?"

You: "That's Anakin."

Daughter: "No, it's not. He never looked like that. I just saw all 6 movies and never saw someone that age who looked like that. Quit lying to me! You're raping my childhood of a few hours ago."

You: "But, sweet heart... that's the Anakin that I grew up with."

Daughter: "Mom, get a clue! Anakin never became that old. Why is he 78 years old? Even Obi-Wan isn't that old? Ananin got burned in his 20's and died in his 40's. That's the stupidest thing I've ever seen! Couldn't they have gone back and super-imposed Hayden for that shot? ...Or, at least cast someone younger than Obi-Wan? Why would his ghost look like a man that Anakin never was and never became? Shouldn't he look as he once did? Mom... if you die in your forties, will your ghost look like an 80-year old different person?"

You: "Awww, crap! I suck. Look... it's the Anakin I remember as a kid and I can't let go of what I remember."

Daughter: "Oh, get over it, Mom. Face it... in context of the whole story in order, Sebastian Shaw as a 78-year old ghost sucks @$$."

You:

 

Technically speaking, appearing in his younger prime does make more sense even if only for the reason that atleast at some point in his life Anakin did appear in that form.

Before though, the older Shaw version of Anakin was just a "what may have been version"......but that older version never had hair or limbs though. The age was a bit too much as well.....78.

Shaw was acceptable for years though because there was no PT concept of Anakin when ROTJ came out.

Now there is...and that is part of the reason for the change.