During a recent interview discussing his return as Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader in Obi-Wan Kenobi, Hayden Christensen revealed that, as part of his preparation, he had been binge-watching The Clone Wars and Star Wars Rebels. The actor shared high praise for those shows, and it was obviously in the former we got to spend a lot more time with Anakin before his ultimate fall to the Dark Side.
Ahsoka Tano was a huge part of that story, and the upcoming live-action Ahsoka series will reunite the hero with her former Master. We're hoping that means seeing Christensen play Anakin as a Force Ghost given its setting, but either way, it's no wonder The Clone Wars proved key for him.
Recently, we spoke to Ahsoka voice actor Ashley Eckstein about Star Wars Mindful Matters, a new series of shorts on StarWarsKids.com that aim to bring mindfulness to the forefront and focus on the lessons our favourite characters and stories have taught us over the years. We'll bring you our full conversation soon, but we obviously had to ask Ashley for her reaction to Christensen's comments.
"It’s incredibly humbling to hear how The Clone Wars and Rebels have become such an important part of the Star Wars Universe. Trust me, I read that about Hayden Christensen and totally geeked out," Eckstein told us. "It’s definitely surreal [Laughs] that Anakin Skywalker himself watched our series. He’s always been so kind. I haven’t had the pleasure of meeting him in person yet, but he’s always been so kind when talking about our show. It’s much appreciated."
"Going to the broader point of what Rebels and The Clone Wars mean to everyone, I’ve had the pleasure of getting out now and going to several conventions and events and have had the chance to meet fans. To hear the stories of how those shows and what Ahsoka Tano means to fans and how she’s changed, and in many cases saved, lives…that changes you. It really is so impactful.
It’s changed my personal mission. I’ve realised that I can be a real-life version of Ahsoka and I want to be a real-life version of her. As she says in the final season of The Clone Wars, ‘In my life, when you find people who need your help, you help them no matter what. I guess it’s just who I am,'" she added. "I just want to help people through this character and through this franchise. I can still continue on with my role by doing things like Star Wars: Mindful Matters. I can help fans. This is just the beginning I feel of a new path for me of how I can be a real-life version of Ahoksa Tano."
It goes without saying that Ahsoka is a character Eckstein clearly has a lot of love for, and while she's now passed the torch to Rosario Dawson, we're excited to see how she'll continue to inspire fans.
We've had an early look at some of the Star Wars Mindful Matters shorts, and they're really something special. In each short video, Eckstein leads one Star Wars-inspired mindful exercise, teaching viewers that it only takes a moment to make a powerful difference in one's day. That's a message we can definitely get behind and, as noted, we'll have more to share with you on the project soon!