Highlights
- Skywalker family is at the heart of
Star Wars
, facing inner turmoil and impacting galactic conflicts. - Family members have tragic fates, from kidnapping to sacrifice, stretching the saga across generations.
- A different take on the Skywalker legacy exists in Legends, with heroic sacrifices, tragic deaths, and epic battles.
The Skywalker family brings the space opera to Star Wars. They are just as important to the series as the Force and lightsabers, providing Star Wars with some much-needed family drama that has plunged the galaxy far, far away into turmoil more than once. In both Legends and Disney canon, the Skywalker family has been central to the conflicts of the galaxy, paving the way for the epic Skywalker Saga.
The Skywalker family is fairly sized, thanks to small beginnings. Whilst the Disney canon may have ended the bloodline of the Skywalkers, they certainly live on through the Force, and fans of Star Wars can find out the fates of each member of the Skywalker family right here, starting from the beginning to the last.
14 Shmi Skywalker Lars
Dies Of Her Injuries Caused By Tusken Raiders
- Born: Around 66 BBY
- Died: 22 BBY
Shmi Skywalker is born into a life of slavery, bought by the Hutts when she’s young, and eventually sold to Watto on Tatooine. Her pregnancy comes as a huge surprise considering no man was involved, and many Jedi believe that the Force itself conceived her son Anakin.
After Anakin leaves to become a Jedi, Shmi falls in love with moisture farmer Cliegg Lars who rescues her from Watto’s grasp. However, shortly afterward, Shmi is kidnapped by Tusken Raiders while out picking mushrooms. She manages to survive their torture just long enough for Anakin to rescue her. She says that she feels complete to have seen him grow up and that she loves him as she succumbs to her injuries and passes away in his arms. This one moment causes Anakin to massacre the entire camp of Sand People and start his journey to the Dark Side of the Force.
13 Cliegg Lars
Died As A Grieving Man
- Born: 82 BBY
- Died: Around 22 BBY
Although not a Skywalker directly, Cliegg marries into the Skywalker family. Cliegg Lars is a simple moisture farmer from Tatooine who lives on his family’s farm with his son Owen and daughter-in-law Beru. Although more or less happy with their lives, Cliegg joins the White Suns movement to help liberate slaves on Tatooine. It’s during this time of his life that he falls in love with Shmi Skywalker and wins her in a bet against Watto before marrying her.
Tragically, Cliegg is unable to rescue Shmi when she is kidnapped by Tusken Raiders, losing his leg when he tries to do so. Together with Anakin and his family, Cliegg buries Shmi on the farm, but soon succumbs to his own injuries from the Sand People and dies from a broken heart soon afterward.
12 Owen and Beru Lars
Murdered & Incinerated By The Empire
- Owen Born: 52 BBY
- Beru Born: 47 BBY
- Both Died: 0 BBY
Like his father, Owen is also only technically a Skywalker because of his father’s marriage to Shmi. Owen has a tough start to life, losing his mother Aika at a young age, as well as his step-mother and father soon after. He inherits the family moisture farm and marries his girlfriend Beru, determined to have a happy life until Obi-Wan Kenobi asks them to take care of Luke Skywalker, the son of his step-brother Anakin Skywalker.
Hoping to protect Luke from the Empire and their determination to eradicate all Jedi, Owen and Beru keep Luke far away from Obi-Wan and hide the truth about his father. Sadly, the R2 unit Owen buys from the Jawas contains the stolen Death Star plans, leading the Empire straight to the farm where they ruthlessly kill both Owen and Beru. Although tragic, this event spurs Luke to journey with Obi-Wan and start his journey to become a Jedi.
11 Padmé Amidala
Loses Her Will To Live After Giving Birth To Luke And Leia
- Born: 46 BBY
- Died: 19 BBY
Padme is raised on Naboo and becomes their elected queen in 32 BBY, but she only becomes entwined with the Skywalkers when she meets a young Anakin on Tatooine. Their romance doesn’t bloom until ten years later when Anakin is tasked with protecting Padme Amidala. Although their love is forbidden, they can’t help themselves and get married in secret.
Terrified at the prospect and nightmares of losing Padme and their unborn children, Anakin allows himself to be swayed by Palpatine and his tale of Darth Plagueis who discovered the secret to immortality in the Dark Side of the Force. Padme is distraught to hear of Anakin’s involvement in Order 66 and the slaughter of younglings at the Jedi Temple and goes to Mustafar to bring him back to the light. But when Anakin sees Obi-Wan on the ship, he assumes Padme has betrayed him and starts to Force choke her. Although Padme survives this long enough to give birth to twins Luke and Leia, she soon loses the will to live and sadly dies.
10 Leia Skywalker Organa Solo
Spends Her Energy Communing With Her Son & Becomes One With The Force
- Born: 19 BBY
- Died: 35 ABY
Princess Leia is one of the most famous characters in all of Star Wars but audiences only realized she was a Skywalker when Luke tells her in Return Of The Jedi. Adopted by Bail Organa, Leia grows up on Alderaan before spending much of her early life with the Rebel Alliance, eventually rescued from the Death Star by Luke and Han. When the Empire is defeated, she becomes Luke’s apprentice until falling pregnant with Han and giving birth to Ben Solo.
Everything changes when Ben turns to the Dark Side, but Leia never stops trying to bring her son back to the light. Even when a squadron of TIE fighters blast her and many other Resistance fighters into space, Leia refuses to give up and uses the Force to save herself so she can go on to train Rey in the Jedi arts and rebuild the Resistance. However, this takes a huge toll on her body, and Leia only has just enough strength to reach out through the Force to bring Ben back to the Light Side of the Force. With that final act, her body disappears as she becomes one with the Force.
9 Han Solo
Killed By His Own Son, Ben Solo
- Born: 32 BBY
- Died: 34 ABY
Possibly the most unlikely “Skywalker” imaginable, the scruffy-looking Han Solo is only technically a Skywalker through his marriage to Leia but is nevertheless still a crucial member of the family. After fighting alongside the others to defeat the Empire, he and Leia settle down and welcome their son Ben, a character who ultimately proves to be the one to seal Han’s fate.
Han and Leia separate after Ben joins the Dark Side and becomes Kylo Ren. He returns to his life of smuggling until he runs into Rey and Finn who lead him back to Leia and the Resistance. It’s at this point that Han agrees to help destroy Starkiller Base, but when he plants explosives, he takes his opportunity to approach Ben and attempt to bring him back from the darkness. Tragically, however, Ben stabs his own father with his lightsaber, letting him fall helplessly into the depths of Starkiller Base, never to be seen again.
8 Ben Solo (Kylo Ren)
Becomes One With The Force After Sacrificing Himself To Save Rey
- Born: 5 ABY
- Died: 35 ABY
Although he carries the Solo surname, Ben Solo’s mother is none other than Princess Leia, meaning the Skywalker legacy is central to his identity. He’s certainly not the first Skywalker to turn to the Dark Side either. With such heroic parents, everyone expects a lot from Ben, and training to become a Jedi with his uncle Luke seemed like an obvious choice at first. But unbeknownst to Luke, Darth Sidious uses Snoke as a puppet to tempt Ben to the Dark Side, pushing him to destroy the Jedi Temple, kill his fellow trainees, and leave to become Kylo Ren.
Constantly conflicted by both the light and the dark within him, Ben does all he can to erase the past and embrace the Dark Side of the Force, going so far as to kill his own father. However, everything changes when Leia sacrifices herself, using the last of her strength to send him a message through the Force. Once returned to the Light Side of the Force, Ben joins Rey in confronting Palpatine on Exegol, going so far as to use the Force to sacrifice himself and transfer his own life energy to save Rey before becoming one with the Force and rejoining his family.
7 Rey Skywalker
Destroys Palpatine & Rebuilds The Jedi Order
- Born: 15 ABY
- Died: 35 ABY (Resurrected)
Rey is the only “Skywalker” not connected to the family by blood or marriage. In fact, she’s not even a descendant of any Skywalker but rather chooses the name “Rey Skywalker” in the final moment of Star Wars: Episode 9 – The Rise Of Skywalker as an act of defiance against her heritage as a Palpatine, and with the blessing of Luke and Leia’s Force Ghosts.
Rey spends most of the sequel trilogy searching for her place in the galaxy, not knowing that she is really the granddaughter of Palpatine. However, in the final confrontation with Palpatine, she rejects her heritage and the darkness within her, choosing instead to stand on the Light Side of the Force and defeat Palpatine. Choosing the name “Skywalker” is largely symbolic, showing her love for her chosen family and ensuring the Skywalker legacy lives on after their deaths.
6 Anakin Skywalker (Darth Vader)
Dies Saving His Son And Defeating The Emperor
- Born: 41BBY
- Died: 4 ABY
Born from the Force itself and with a higher midi-chlorian count than even Master Yoda, Anakin Skywalker was always destined to be one of the most important people in the galaxy. Although Qui-Gon Jinn believes Anakin is the Chosen One that the Jedi Order prophesized would bring balance to the Force, he falls to the Dark Side in a desperate attempt to protect Padme and seemingly abandons the prophecy.
However, when Anakin realizes that Luke is his son and sees Palpatine torturing him, he finally returns to the Light Side of the Force, saving his son and destroying the Emperor. Sadly, this final act of heroism injures him so badly that he dies soon after, but not before finally having the chance to take off his helmet and look upon his son with his own eyes. Although Anakin terrorizes the galaxy as Darth Vader, he ultimately destroys the Sith and fulfills the prophecy.
5 Luke Skywalker
Becomes One With The Force After Confronting Kylo Ren
- Born:19 BBY
- Died: 34 ABY
Along with his father Anakin, Luke is the most important Skywalker in Star Wars. However, after growing up on a moisture farm on Tatooine with Owen and Beru Lars, he has no idea how important he will be to the galaxy when he sets off with Obi-Wan Kenobi. Trained by Master Yoda himself, Luke Skywalker is the one to confront Palpatine and persuade his father to fulfill the prophecy to destroy the Sith. But although that’s the end of the original trilogy, that’s far from the end of Luke Skywalker’s story.
Many of Luke’s adventures continue in books that are no longer part of the official canon according to Disney, but fans can still enjoy these stories in the Star Wars Legends books. Audiences see Luke briefly in The Mandalorian, but his main return comes in the sequel trilogy. After Kylo Ren destroys Luke’s new Jedi Order, Luke exiles himself on the remote planet of Ahch-To until Rey convinces him to have a change of heart. As the Resistance faces annihilation from the First Order, Luke uses the Force to project his image across the galaxy to confront Kylo Ren and give the Resistance the chance they need to escape. The sheer power required to achieve this drains Luke and causes him to disappear, becoming one with the Force with a final act of heroism.
The Fates Of The Skywalkers In The Legends Continuity
Below, fans can find the fates of the past, Skywalkers that only existed in the Legends continuity before Disney purchased Star Wars and created their own canon beginning with Star Wars Episode 7: The Force Awakens. This is a great look into the world of Legends, and the characters that could have been:
4 The Solo Children (Anakin, Jaina, Jacen, and Allana)
Anakin Heroically Sacrifices Himself, Jaina Kills Her Sith Brother Jacen, Allana Learns The Ways Of The Jedi
- Jacen’s Birth: 9 ABY
- Jacen’s Death: 41 ABY
- Jaina’s Birth: 9 ABY
- Anakin’s Birth: 10.5 ABY
- Anakin’s Death: 27 ABY
- Allana’s Birth: 36 ABY
These three Skywalker children were the sons and daughters of Leia and Han, and each of them held great importance in the galaxy, for better or worse in the Legends continuity. They were strong in the Force, but the fates were not kind to the trio of Skywalker children.
Anakin Solo is the youngest child whom many have high hopes for, praying he has the power of his namesake but a stronger commitment to the Light Side of the Force. Sadly, Anakin sacrifices himself to destroy a Yuuzhan Vong worldship, devastating his siblings. Twins Jaina and Jacen also train to become Jedi but follow very different paths. After Jacen falls to the Dark Side and becomes Darth Caedus, it falls to Jaina to slay her own brother, and Han and Leia to adopt Jacen’s daughter, Allana.
3 Mara Jade Skywalker & Ben Skywalker
Mara Is Killed By Her Sith Nephew, & Ben Remains A Committed Jedi Knight
- Mara’s Birth: 17 BBY
- Mara’s Death: 40 ABY
- Ben’s Birth: 26.5 ABY
Like Han and Leia’s children, Mara Jade and Ben Skywalker aren’t part of Disney’s official canon but are part of Star Wars Legends. Previously an Emperor’s Hand, Mara Jade served Palpatine during the Galactic Civil War but goes on a huge transformative journey. Initially tasked with killing Luke, Mara Jade actually becomes his wife, a Jedi knight, and mother to their son Ben.
Mara Jade is tragically killed by her nephew Jacen Solo after he turns to the Dark Side and becomes Darth Caedus. However, despite challenges throughout his life and several temptations to the Dark Side, Ben Skywalker stays committed to the Jedi way, spurning temptations from his cousin Jacen and his romance with Sith apprentice Vestara Khai.
2 Kol & Cade Skywalker
Kol Is Killed By The Empire, Cade Embraces Both The Light & Dark Sides Of The Force
- Kol’s Birth: Around 70 ABY
- Kol’s Death: 130 ABY
- Cade’s Birth: Around 116 ABY
- Cade’s Death: 138 ABY (Later Resurrected)
Kol and Cade Skywalker are Legends characters featured in the Star Wars: Legacy comics. Set over 137 years after the Battle of Yavin, Kol is a direct descendant of Luke Skywalker himself and trains his son Cade to become a Jedi. In this timeline, the galaxy is again in turmoil with the Sith once more leading the Galactic Empire.
When the Empire attacks the Jedi Academy, Kol is killed but Cade manages to escape. Cade gives up on his dreams to become a Jedi but can’t ignore his heritage and Force powers forever. As is typical for a Skywalker, Cade discovers he is strong in both the Light and Dark Sides of the Force, constantly torn between the two. However, Cade finds a way to balance both sides of the Force while still embracing the Jedi way to defeat Darth Krayt.
1 Luuke Skywalker
Killed By Mara Jade Skywalker
- Born: 9 ABY
- Died: 9 ABY
Luuke isn’t a real member of the Skywalker family; instead, he’s a clone of Luke Skywalker created by Dark Jedi Jorrus C’baoth from the hand that Luke lost during his duel with Darth Vader.
Luuke is largely used as a pawn by C’baoth and his fight with the real Luke on Wayland shows both how much Luke has grown as a Jedi and what could have happened had he embraced the darker side of himself. What’s more satisfying is how Luuke is killed by Mara Jade, technically fulfilling her final command from the Emperor to kill Luke Skywalker. By ending his life, she finally frees herself from the Emperor and takes an important step on her journey towards redemption.
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