Hayden Christensen’s Daughter Isn’t Allowed To Watch The Star Wars Prequels

The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith are some of the most debated movies in history. Since their release in the early 2000s, they’ve generated reams of heated discussion as to their merits and for a long time, the prequels were considered beyond redemption, with their reputation reaching a low point sometime around the premiere of The Force Awakens. But after the failure of The Rise of Skywalker, many are re-evaluating the Star Wars flicks and realizing that while they’re certainly not perfect, there’s quite a lot to like there.

There’s one person who won’t be enjoying them anytime soon, though: Hayden Christensen’s daughter Briar Rose. The actor played Anakin Skywalker in the latter two movies and though his performance is generally considered a bit wooden, he’s warmly remembered. So, with his daughter now six and approaching the prime age to start enjoying Star Wars, why shouldn’t she see her dad swinging a lightsaber?

Christensen’s wife and Hart of Dixie actor Rachel Bilson revealed in a recent interview that it’s down to the infamous Revenge of the Sith scene in which Anakin slaughters children at the Jedi Temple. Apparently, his daughter knows he’s been in some big sci-fi movies, but according to Bilson, “she has no idea what that even means, because she hasn’t seen anything. And thank God, because he kills children, so let’s keep that from her until she’s like 80.”

I doubt they’re going to be able to hide this from her forever. After all, Christensen is about to return to a galaxy far, far away to play Vader in the much hyped and long delayed Obi-Wan Kenobi Disney+ show, a role sure to yank the spotlight back in his direction. That’s scheduled to begin shooting this month and if you’re playing Darth Vader, it seems like a big missed opportunity not to invite your kid to the set, approach them in full costume and ominously say “I am your father!”

Besides, if you begin with The Phantom Menace and go from there, you should be fine. I mean, it’s only towards the end of Attack of the Clones that Anakin murders a whole village of Tusken Raiders after they brutally torture his enslaved mother to death… Actually, I think I can see their point.