This hilarious real-life story about Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman surprisingly has a connection to Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala’s relationship in Star Wars canon—and it’s actually rather romantic. Although it ends in tragedy, Anakin and Padmé’s relationship is one of the best relationships in Star Wars, especially in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones. The couple may have plenty of trouble ahead, but in that movie, their romance is one to remember. Evidently, the actors felt that way too.
According to both Natalie Portman and Hayden Christensen, after filming wrapped on Attack of the Clones, Portman kept Anakin’s Padawan braid. Per Yahoo, though, Hayden Christensen revealed that wasn’t really his hair at all:
“Yeah, I do kind of remember that she kept one of those. It was very sweet. Although I think the real question is whose hair did she actually have. I used to think that, because they would glue this hair extension behind my ear every day. I always used to wonder, ‘Whose hair am I wearing today?’ I forgive you, Natalie.”
As funny as Christensen’s reflection on this fake hair is, this story also reveals that Hayden Christensen and Natalie Portman actually recreated a major plot point between Anakin and Padmé in Star Wars.
Anakin’s Padawan Braid Has A Secret Connection To Padmé In Canon Too
This Hilarious Real-Life Story Mirrors The Star Wars Story
In canon, Anakin Skywalker gave his Padawan braid to Padmé as a token of his love following his Knighting Ceremony, which took him from a Padawan to a Jedi Knight. Although this never happened on screen in Star Wars movies and TV shows, this is something that has since been confirmed in Star Wars books. Surely, Portman didn’t have this in mind when she took one of the braids off the set, but it is nevertheless a funny point of connection.
Within Star Wars, this gift also makes plenty of sense. Jedi are not typically in romantic relationships, so this was a major anomaly, but in terms of Padmé and Anakin’s romance, it’s easy to understand why Anakin would want Padmé to have his braid. Anakin’s Knighting Ceremony took place not all that long after their secret wedding, so Anakin would of course feel as though Padmé had helped him through this transition.
Padawan Braids Are Officially Removed In The Knighting Ceremony
Sadly, This Ceremony Hasn’t Been Shown On Screen In Canon
It’s unfortunate that this romantic exchange between Anakin and Padmé doesn’t take place on screen, especially in light of this story, but this likely has to do with the fact that Anakin’s Knighting Ceremony has never been shown on screen in Star Wars canon. This is one of the many differences between Star Wars’ two Clone Wars era shows, Star Wars: Clone Wars (2003) and Star Wars: The Clone Wars (2008). While The Clone Wars is one of Star Wars’ best TV shows, it left this ceremony out, whereas the non-canon 2003 show depicted it.
It’s unclear whether we will ever see this ceremony on screen in Star Wars canon, although that’s feeling less and less likely as time goes on. Even with Hayden Christensen’s return as Padawan Anakin Skywalker in Obi-Wan Kenobi, it would be a mᴀssive undertaking to go back and depict the Knighting Ceremony. Whether that scene eventually comes or not, though, it’s wonderful to know that Natalie Portman made this romantic Star Wars story between Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala as close to real as possible.
Source: Yahoo
