Darth Vader returns in first look at Hayden Christensen’s Sith in the Obi-Wan Kenobi series

Star Wars fans are feasting well. We’ve already had the first Obi-Wan Kenobi series trailer, complete with a Grand Inquisitor (Rupert Friend) hunting down the remaining Jedi scattered around the Galaxy. Now, the first look at Hayden Christensen’s return as Darth Vader has been released.

The shot comes courtesy of Entertainment Weekly – and you can see the full image in the tweet below. The iconic Star Wars villain is looking menacing, with his trusty meditation chamber – first glimpsed in the original trilogy – at his back.

While Christensen isn’t spilling all of his secrets ("I’m sworn to secrecy," the actor tells EW on whether Vader removes his helmet), he does tease that we’ll see "a very powerful Vader."

On the Sith Lord’s presence in the series, writer Joby Harold said, "His shadow is cast across so much of what we do. And the degree of his proximity to that shadow is something that we'll discover. But he is very much a part of the show emotionally for Obi-Wan, and possibly beyond that as well."

It’s not yet clear, then, how Vader factors into Obi-Wan’s pre-A New Hope adventure. Lucasfilm president Kathleen Kennedy has already promised the "rematch of the century"”, though Ewan McGregor’s Jedi might have a few more Sith-shaped roadblocks in the way before he can Force his way into a reunion with Anakin.

For more from the new Obi-Wan trailer, check out our complete breakdown – including all the details you may have missed. Plus, here are all the upcoming Star Wars movies currently in the works.

TOPICS
Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.

Read more
Darth Vader rising
20 years later, Star Wars fans are reflecting on one of the saga's most poignant moments
Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker in Ahsoka episode 5
Hayden Christensen has paid the ultimate respect to Anakin's Clone Wars actor: "Thank you for keeping Star Wars alive"
Andor season 2
First Andor season 2 trailer reveals major Star Wars Rogue One returns and announces a strange release schedule
Andor
Star Wars fans are debating the saga's darkest moment, and it's reminding us how messed up the galaxy actually is
Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back
Longlegs director pitches horrifying Star Wars movie with Darth Vader, and we want it to happen
Diego Luna in Andor
It looks like a key Star Wars event mentioned in Rebels will be shown in Andor season 2
Latest in Sci-Fi Shows
Diego Luna in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 showrunner Tony Gilroy calls Cassian “Star Wars Jesus” ahead of the show’s return on Disney Plus
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 showrunner Tony Gilroy breaks silence on the weird release schedule: "It's a Disney decision"
Pedro Pascal as Joel in The Last of Us
The Last of Us is "better" than 28 Days Later, says movie writer Alex Garland: "This is so much more sophisticated and moving"
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor in Andor season 2
Andor season 2 showrunner talks the much-anticipated Star Wars moment that we haven't seen on screen before: "It's a very significant part of our show"
Fallout
Fallout season 2’s dazzling and dystopian New Vegas is coming to life in a new leaked video
Diego Luna as Cassian Andor
The first three episodes of the best Star Wars show are now available to watch for free ahead of the Andor season 2 premiere
Latest in News
Deltarune
Undertale creator Toby Fox's tomfoolery leaves Deltarune testers thinking an intentional nerf was actually a bug after they "independently" discovered it
A Minecraft Movie
Minecraft movie's popcorn bucket is an explosive, game-accurate continuation of a cinema trend that shows no signs of slowing down
The Running Man
The Running Man reboot is bringing back key aspects of Stephen King's novel to turn it into "the deadliest game of hide and seek"
Balatro Joker card
After stepping away from Balatro for 3 months, the developer only resumed work "because I was bored but the internet was out so I couldn't play Rocket League"
Shots of Arydia: The Paths We Dare Tread in play
RPG board game designer's revelation was searching for a D&D quick start guide to find "You needed to pull together lots of different pieces in order to play"
Indy in Ben Leonberg's haunted house horror Good Boy
Good Boy, a new scary movie told from a dog's POV, is being called "one of the best horror films of the year"