Anakin Skywalker is all grown-up in his second chronological Star Wars outing, 2002’s Episode II: Attack of the Clones. But just how old is Anakin Skywalker in Star Wars: Attack of the Clones?
Related: Star Wars: How Old Is Obi-Wan Kenobi in The Phantom Menace?
Anakin Skywalker’s Age In Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, Explained
According to the official Star Wars timeline, Anakin Skywalker is 19 in Star Wars – Episode II: Attack of the Clones. The timeline pegs Anakin’s birth at 41 BBY and Attack of the Clones goes down in 22 BBY, so the math is pretty simple. That said, the Chosen One’s exact age in the second Star Wars prequel is also listed as 20 in some tie-in media, such as Star Wars: Attack of the Clones: The Visual Dictionary. As Anakin is canonically nine years old in Attack of the Clones‘ direct predecessor, Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace, this suggests he was really born in 42 BBY and turned 10 soon after Phantom Menace.
Related: Star Wars: How Old Is Luke Skywalker in A New Hope?
Lucasfilm has since erased these conflicting sources from official Star Wars canon, however, and Anakin is now definitively 19 in Attack of the Clones! This makes the future Darth Vader the exact same age as his performer, Hayden Christensen. Christensen turned 19 a couple of months before Attack of the Clones commenced principal photography in June 2000. The Canadian actor was likewise exactly the right age to reprise the Anakin role in 2005’s Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. Anakin is 22 in Revenge of the Sith, just like Christensen was during the film’s 2003 shoot.
How Old Is Anakin Skywalker In Other Star Wars Movies?
That’s the prequels covered – what about Anakin Skywalker’s age in other Star Wars films and TV shows? Here’s how old Anakin is in his various big and small screen appearances, including his stint as Darth Vader (no shirking responsibility on our watch, Annie!):
- Star Wars – Episode I: The Phantom Menace – 9
- Star Wars – Episode II: Attack of the Clones – 19
- Star Wars: The Clone Wars Seasons 1-7 – 19-22
- Star Wars – Episode III: Revenge of the Sith – 22
- Obi-Wan Kenobi – 19 (flashbacks); 32 (main narrative)
- Star Wars Rebels Seasons 1-2 – 37-38
- Rogue One: A Star Wars Story – 41
- Star Wars – Episode IV: A New Hope – 41
- Star Wars – Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back – 43
- Star Wars – Episode VI: Return of the Jedi – 22 (as a Force Ghost); 45 (while alive)
- Ahsoka Season 1 – 19-22
If the above looks confusing, that’s because it is. First, let’s address the age of Anakin’s Force Ghost in Return of the Jedi. While Force Ghosts usually don’t age in either direction, as of Return of the Jedi‘s 2004 DVD release, Anakin’s spectral form manifests as his 22-year-old self. Similar supernatural chicanery is afoot in Ahsoka Season 1. While Anakin is already dead by this point in the Star Wars timeline, his spirit adopts his Clone Wars-era likeness – both at 19 and seemingly 22 – in the mystical World Between Worlds. His 22-year-old ghost also pops up during Season 1’s finale.
Related: Star Wars: How Old Is Han Solo in A New Hope?
You may also be wondering where Star Wars: Tales of the Jedi Season 1, Episode 5, “Practice Makes Perfect,” fits into the above. Well, so are we. Lucasfilm hasn’t officially confirmed the setting of “Practice Makes Perfect,” so the best we can do is narrow down Anakin’s age here to between 20-22. As such, we’ve left the episode off the above list.
Star Wars: Attack of the Clones is currently streaming on Disney+, as part of the platform’s Star Wars collection.
