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The revival of the Star Wars saga with the sequel trilogy by Disney came with its own set of excitement and controversy. As The Force Awakens captured audience attention through stunning visuals while integrating nostalgic characters, the trilogy ultimately failed to provide an emotionally fulfilling resolution to the iconic Skywalker Saga.
In hindsight, one omission stands out as particularly glaring: Anakin Skywalker. Thanks to the Ahsoka series, it is clearer than ever why the omission of Anakin was the sequels’ biggest blunder.
Anakin Skywalker: Central to the saga, absent from the sequels
In the entire Star Wars franchise, Anakin Skywalker is not merely a character; it is accurate to say that he is the main character of the epic story. Anakin, including the prophecy of the Chosen One, transforms into Darth Vader and, later, finds redemption in Return of the Jedi.
His story illustrates the increases and decreases of the Jedi and Sith. However, in the sequel trilogy, he is barely even mentioned. Other than a brief voice cameo in The Rise of Skywalker, Anakin remains unseen, detached from the action, so his legacy is presented solely as viewed through the helmet of Darth Vader.
Especially after the reliance on legacy characters in the trilogy, this becomes quite strange. Along with other returning characters, we see Luke, Leia, Han, Lando, and even Yoda and Palpatine come back—but no Anakin. In a story revolving around legacy, redemption, and the balance of the Force, the absence of the character who restored that balance is jarring to see.
Ahsoka shows what could have been
Looking ahead to Ahsoka, there are so many missed opportunities for the sequels if Anakin had been involved. In the series, Hayden Christensen reprises his role as Anakin Skywalker mid-series, where he appears in several flashbacks—as a hologram, in the fantastical World Between Worlds, and as a Force ghost.
Each of these moments serves more than just fanfare; they explore vital elements of Anakin’s character. They explore Anakin’s bond with his former Padawan Ahsoka Tano and showcase a part of him that the sequels never wanted to face: a masochistic, abusive mentor turned tragic hero who lovingly cared for his surviving apprentice.
What Ahsoka accomplishes is proof that Anakin can have a meaningful impact even in death. He plays a pivotal role in helping Ahsoka face her trauma and cement her as a Jedi. It’s potent, moving, and deeply ingrained into the narrative—everything lacking in the sequels regarding legacy character treatment.
A missed chance with Ben Solo
Anakin's omission in the sequels loses out on possibly the greatest opportunity for a story connection with Ben Solo. Ben, who is the grandson of Darth Vader, emotes an obsession with his grandfather's legacy. It's Vader's identity he reveres, for he is blind, either by choice or by ignorance, to Anakin's redemption.
Anakin’s appearance, not as the sinister Vader, but as a redeemed Jedi Knight—what profound resonance, emotionally and narratively, would it carry to have him meet Ben as a soaring apparition? That moment would mirror Luke’s conversation with Yoda in The Last Jedi, transforming Ben’s identity arc beyond a whisper of Han’s memories or murmurs from the void.
Anakin's influence, even if not in direct form, could have reshaped the actions of Rey or Luke in exile, where escorting them within the ghost of the old man could help align the wisdom of the prequels with the battles of the sequels. Without him, the sequel trilogy feels like missing pieces of a puzzle stranded far too away from the core emotion the saga captures.
Looking forward: Redemption for Anakin's legacy?
A new film focused on Rey is in the works, offering an intriguing opportunity to correct past mistakes. She is a newly founded Jedi master, so some support—particularly from the one who used to bring balance to the Force—would help.
Both characters hover on the brink of legacy and self-determination. If Anakin were interwoven into that tale, it would not only strengthen his significance but also enhance the more disconnected arc for Rey.
The expansive lore of Star Wars has always depicted themes of multi-generational conflicts, mentorship, and the idea of a foreordained life path. Every single one of those themes is personified in Anakin, which makes his sidelining in the sequels so narratively hollow, an absence that Ahsoka has only exacerbated.
Conclusion: The ghost that should have guided the galaxy
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The sequel trilogy attempted to explore new avenues while still paying respect to the legacy. It bypasses one character who could've seamlessly integrated everything: Anakin Skywalker. Anakin is more than a character from the prequels—he’s the Chosen One. His redemption arc wasn’t only self-serving; it transformed the galaxy. Ahsoka has reminded people how powerful and relevant he still is.
In order to succeed where the sequels failed, the future of Star Wars should remember the man who started it all. Not just as Darth Vader, but as Anakin Skywalker.
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