After a brief tease in The Empire Strikes Back, it wasn't until Return of the Jedi's final moments that we got to see what lies beneath Darth Vader's helmet. The Star Wars prequels would introduce us to Anakin Skywalker, while Rogue One offered a glimpse inside the Sith Lord's Bacta Tank.
In Obi-Wan Kenobi, actor Hayden Christensen is donning Darth Vader's iconic armour, leading to speculation we'll see more of the unmasked villain than ever before.
In Star Wars Rebels, a battle with Ahsoka Tano saw Vader's helmet cracked open and his evil, twisted face could be seen glaring back at his former apprentice. Now, Making Star Wars reports that we can expect to see the same sort of imagery showcased in live-action later this year.
According to the site, "Darth Vader will have his mask broken in the limited series by everyone’s favorite 'hello there' saying Jedi Knight. Anakin will look at Obi-Wan with his 'own eye' one last time." No additional details about this battle are revealed, but it sounds like a lot of work wnt into making sure this moment would show "just the right amount of Hayden Christensen's face while still embodying the iconography of Darth Vader."
This sounds incredible, and precisely what fans are hoping to see from Obi-Wan Kenobi. Lucasfilm is clearly looking to make fans happy with this show, and while some have expressed concern about a little too much "fan service," everything we're hearing points to this story being exactly what it needs to be. After the divisive Star Wars sequels, that's a massive relief and should be welcomed.
Obi-Wan Kenobi premieres on Disney+ on May 25.