Star Wars: Episode 9 - 10 Things The Fans Demand

Episodes IX won't be the last Star Wars movie but it will mark the end of an era by bringing the Skywalker story to its conclusion, more than four decades after it began. With this in mind, it would be a shame if one of the most famous Skywalkers - the legendary Darth Vader - didn't appear in the film in some capacity.

Anakin Skywalker's death at the end of Return of the Jedi doesn't rule him out of an Episode IX cameo. He could always show up as a Force ghost and there are good reasons why he should which stretch far beyond mere fan service.

One of the most burning questions ahead of Episode IX is whether there can be redemption for Kylo Ren. After the events of The Last Jedi, some believe that there's no turning back for him, though there is one person in the Star Wars universe who might be able to talk some sense into him.

That somebody is his grandfather: Darth Vader. Ren idolises the fallen Sith lord and following in his footsteps is basically his sole motivation. If Anakin was to show up as a Force ghost and urge him to take another path, that could potentially make him think twice about villainy.

So this raises the question of whether Hayden Christensen should be given the chance to reprise his role from the prequel trilogy, and most Star Wars fans would be fine with that. Although the prequels are mostly reviled, nobody disputes that they're canon, and therefore Christensen's Vader is canon too.