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Credit: LucasfilmThis year’s Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite celebrations are in full swing at Disneyland Resort. And on its opening day, Guests were delighted to see one iconic character from the Prequel Trilogy appear at the Park for a surprise photo-op.
Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite 2023 kicked off its first night of festivities on May 2, paying homage to George Lucas’ galaxy far, far away, coinciding with the beloved Star Wars Day (May the “fourth” be with you).
Sadly, tickets for the remaining Star Wars Nites are sold out, but the festivities will continue to run on several dates throughout May. Other Disneyland After Dark events will also take place later this year, including “Throwback Nite” and “Princess Nite.”
The event boasts special food offerings, limited-edition merchandise, a Star Wars-themed fireworks show set to John Williams’ legendary compositions, and plenty of rare character meet-and-greets.
At this year’s celebrations, Guests can expect to see fan-favorite characters, including Star Wars Rebels’ Sabine Wren and Ezra Bridger, Star Wars: The Clone Wars’ Captain Rex, everyone’s favorite Wookie, Chewbacca, and other heroes from the Prequel, Original, and Sequel Trilogies.
But one Prequel-era Jedi made an unexpected bombshell appearance at the Park on May 2 despite not being listed on the original character lineup: Anakin Skywalker.
A TikTok shared by reporter Patrick Dougall shows the Jedi-turned-darksider standing off to the side as his wife, Queen Padmé Amidala, snaps photos with Guests:
@patrickadougall Anakin makes a SURPRISE appearance at Disneyland’s Star Wars Nite! #disneyland #starwars #disneyparks
Disneyland sure knows how to drop the mother of all Force-fueled surprises, with the Chosen One’s shocking appearance delighting fans with a pretty convincing imitation of Hayden Christensen’s Anakin, complete with his signature black Jedi robes and eye scar. But perhaps, parents should consider keeping their kids far, far away from him—and his blue lightsaber.
It wasn’t the only surprise meet-and-greet of the night, however. Anakin’s twin children, Luke and Leia, as well as their trusty droid, R2-D2, also showed up for photo ops in Tomorrowland, where lucky fans got to pose next to the Jedi siblings that kicked off the whole franchise in front of a Millennium Falcon backdrop:
A Star Wars Nite surprise: Luke and Leia. They're hanging out with R2-D2 in Tomorrowland. pic.twitter.com/uNSEkO8vDz
— Scott Gustin (@ScottGustin) May 3, 2023
A surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one.
Disneyland After Dark: Star Wars Nite returns on May 4, May 8, and May 11. For more information about what to expect, check out our complete event guide.