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Hayden Christensen reveals the intense preparation that went into filming the iconic Star Wars: Episode III duel
The final showdown in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith took three months of training and two weeks of filming
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The Star Wars saga is filled with many memorable lightsaber duels, but it’s hard to think of one more consequential than the Obi-Wan vs. Anakin duel from Revenge of the Sith. This is the battle that damaged Anakin Skywalker’s body beyond repair, forcing him to don the Darth Vader armor. It also contains some of the best choreography of the entire saga.
Plus, who could forget that memorable moment where Obi-Wan proclaims that he has the high ground? (By the way, if you’re wondering why Anakin ignored the warning, Hayden Christensen revealed the answer in another article).
Speaking to a crowd at SpaceCon San Antonio, Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen revealed how much preparation went into that iconic duel. “We trained for months. We filmed those in Australia, and we would go out two or three months beforehand and spend a lot of time with Nick Gillard, the fight choreographer of the prequels. And that was some of my favorite memories, training with a lightsaber.”
Christensen also debunked the rumor that the fight used sped up footage. “When we actually went to film it, we spent a decent amount of time doing it. It was a good two, or two and a half weeks of getting that fight on film. But we trained for so long, we knew it really well, so it was a blast to get to do to. I get asked a lot if they sped that footage up, and they did not. That was actually how fast we were going.”
Next year will be the 20th anniversary of Revenge of the Sith, and the Anakin vs. Obi-Wan duel still holds up. Without a doubt, it is one of the greatest sequences in the Star Wars saga.
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