Obi-Wan Kenobi: Hayden Christensen (& Fans) Absolutely Love That Final Fight
From the moment that early details on Disney+'s "Obi-Wan Kenobi" series first came to light, fans were certain that the show could only culminate with another climactic battle between the titular Jedi Master and his former apprentice Darth Vader. Of course, the show delivered on this idea, constantly teasing a new confrontation between the pair of adversaries right up until the final episode when they finally crossed lightsabers once again.
As it turns out, seeing Obi-Wan and Vader duke it out at the end of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" wasn't just a big deal for longtime fans, but also for the latter's actor and "Star Wars" prequel trilogy star Hayden Christensen. "That was one of the highlights of my acting career," the actor said of the scene at Star Wars Celebration 2023. "It was such a perfectly written scene, and what Ewan [McGregor] brought to it and the way Deborah [Chow] guided us through it, and the way it came out, I couldn't have been happier with it."
Fans also love Vader and Obi-Wan's final blowout
Of course, Hayden Christensen isn't the only one who found the final confrontation between Obi-Wan and Vader in "Obi-Wan Kenobi" to be fulfilling. Regardless of how fans feel about the series as a whole, many of them share the "Star Wars" veteran's adoration for this climactic moment. "To me the whole show was worth that fight," one user commented after the episode aired.
For some, the scene's quality dialogue and performances were what stood out the most. "The way Ewan delivered Obi-Wan's apology to Anakin, now in acceptance of his loss, was truly heartbreaking," u/bismuth12a wrote. "Couldn't have asked for a better epilogue for that older brother sort of relationship those two once had."
Beyond being narratively satisfying for those familiar with the story of Obi-Wan and Vader, some viewers simply felt like the scene was especially well-shot in terms of cinematography. "I feel like the darkness quite literally let the lightsabers really shine," u/Allenion noted. "And the way the fight played with the sparse red and blue lighting was so cool."
Barring any major lore revisions, "Obi-Wan Kenobi" fills out the last major timeline gap for its titular character in the "Star Wars" story. As such, fans aren't likely to witness another battle between Luke Skywalker's first teacher and Vader anytime soon. Thankfully, this final bout seems to have lived up to the hype for everyone involved — fans and actors alike.