Obi-Wan Kenobi star Hayden Christen believes Darth Vader could have been redeemed before Star Wars: Return of the Jedi

The climax of the original trilogy where Luke Skywalker helps bring his father Darth Vader back to the Light Side and kill the emperor is not only one of the most iconic scenes in the Star Wars franchise but also in movie history.

Fans have ofter debated on whether Vader could have been redeemed before the events of The Return of the Jedi.

After all, it was his belief that the Jedi Order had been corrupt and the feat of losing his wife and unborn children that led him to join the Dark Side.

Had he perhaps Known that his children were still alive and that the Emperor had been manipulating him, things could have turned out differently.

Hayden Christen who played the role of Anakin Skywalker in the prequel trilogy and is reprising his role in the new series Ob-Wan Kenobi was asked about his thoughts on the topic.

During the interview with Fatherly, he responded by saying "It’s pretty tragic that he was unaware of his children," he adds "I think you’re onto something there. But what do you think?"

While the theory that his knowledge of his children could have brought him back to the Light Side is possible, there is also a chance that he would take them as his apprentices and eventually kill the emperor and take his place.

The actor also talked about returning to the role of Darth Vader after a gap of 17 years 

"I think that process was very important for me," the actor explained. "I needed to become that character again, physically. I just consumed as many calories as possible. I put on 25 or 30 pounds to fill out that [Darth Vader] suit."

"I try to avoid the dad bod thing," he joked. "And I was trying to maintain that Vader body after we finished. But, honestly, I pretty much just went back to my old diet. I kind of deflated after that."

Ob-Wan Kenobi is set ten years after the events of Revenge of the Sith and follows former Jedi Master Obi-Wan as he watches over and protects the young Luke Skywalker for the empire.

The final episode in the series is set to stream on Disney + on June 22nd.