Skywalker family

"Skywalker" redirects here. For other uses, see Skywalker (disambiguation).

The Skywalker family is a fictional family in the Star Wars series. Within the series' fictional universe, the Skywalkers are a bloodline with strong inherent capabilities related to the Force. The Skywalkers are the central characters of the saga: Luke Skywalker is the protagonist of the original trilogy and his father Anakin is the protagonist of the prequel trilogy and the antagonist in the original trilogy.

History

In terms of the series' internal chronology, the Skywalkers first appeared in the 1999 film Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace. In this film, Jedi Knight Qui-Gon Jinn discovers Shmi Skywalker and her son Anakin as slaves on the planet Tatooine. Qui-Gon finds that Anakin has a higher count of midi-chlorians (force-imparting microorganisms) than any Jedi. Shmi informs Qui-Gon that Anakin has no father, leading Qui-Gon to suggest that Anakin is a product of midi-chlorians, an example of a miraculous birth. As the film progresses, Anakin leaves Tatooine to begin his Jedi training.

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones reveals that, in Anakin's absence, Shmi has married Cliegg Lars, becoming the stepmother of Owen. Owen tells Anakin they are stepbrothers. Owen later marries Beru Whitesun. As a Jedi Knight, Anakin secretly marries Padmé Amidala, who gives birth to twins, Luke and Leia.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith reveals that Luke's caregivers on Tatooine, Beru and Owen Lars, are his step-aunt and uncle. Leia is raised by Senator Bail Organa and Queen Breha Organa on Alderaan.

In the Star Wars expanded universe, Luke, following his sister's marriage to Han Solo and the birth of the Solo children (Anakin, Jacen, and Jaina), marries Mara Jade, who has a son named Ben. A further complication in this continuity is the fact that the Return of the Jedi novelization includes a detail about Owen Lars being Obi-Wan Kenobi's estranged brother. To explain subsequent references, Star Wars: Lone Wolf: A Tale of Obi-Wan and Luke introduces "Owen Kenobi", a personification of the bond Kenobi feels toward Owen Lars.

According to the comic book series from Dark Horse called Star Wars: Legacy, which takes place 125 years after Return of the Jedi, Cade Skywalker, son of Kol Skywalker and a direct descendant of Luke Skywalker, is the last surviving Skywalker of his time. It is shown that he has completely abandoned the Jedi way after an attack by New Sith Order on the Jedi Academy on Ossus. Nevertheless, he still encounters other Jedi, as well as the ghost of Luke Skywalker.

Family members

Canon

Shmi Skywalker-Lars

File:Shmi skywalker.jpg

Shmi Skywalker, as seen in The Phantom Menace.

Shmi Skywalker is a fictional character in the Star Wars universe, portrayed by Pernilla August. She appears in The Phantom Menace and Attack of the Clones. She is the mother of Anakin Skywalker and paternal grandmother to Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa. Her first name is derived from Lakshmi, a Hindu goddess.

In The Phantom Menace, she and her son are introduced as slaves of junk merchant Watto on the desert world Tatooine. She welcomes Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn (Liam Neeson) into their home, and tells him that Anakin has no father; she simply became pregnant with him. Qui-Gon helps Anakin win his freedom, but cannot get Shmi out of slavery. She allows Anakin to leave with Qui-Gon, assuring her heartbroken son that they will meet again.

In Attack of the Clones, Anakin (Hayden Christensen), now a teenaged Jedi apprentice, senses through the Force that she is in pain. He travels to Tatooine to find her, and, upon arriving, learns that she had been freed by and married to moisture farmer Cliegg Lars (Jack Thompson), but had recently been abducted by Tusken Raiders. He finds her inside one of their encampments, but it's too late — beaten and tortured beyond help, she dies in his arms. Heartbroken and enraged, Anakin slaughters every single Tusken in the camp, including the women and children. His mother's death ignites a strong anger in Anakin, and sets him on the path to becoming Darth Vader.

In the Expanded Universe book Tatooine Ghost, Shmi's granddaughter, Leia, is given Shmi's old journal, which describes Anakin's childhood. Leia learns, through Shmi's love for Anakin, to forgive her father for his role in the destruction of Alderaan and for torturing her aboard the Death Star, as depicted in A New Hope.

Anakin Skywalker

Main article: Darth Vader

Anakin Skywalker is the son of Shmi Skywalker and no father, implying miraculous birth. Anakin is discovered on Tatooine by Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn who becomes convinced the boy is the "Chosen One" of Jedi prophecy who will bring balance to the Force. After the death of Qui-Gon, he becomes the apprentice of Obi-Wan Kenobi. He also forms a close bond with Padmé Amidala, the young queen of Naboo. The newly elected Chancellor of the Galactic Republic, Palpatine, also befriends Anakin, promising to watch the boy's progress "with great interest".

Luke Skywalker

Main article: Luke Skywalker

Luke Skywalker is the son of Anakin Skywalker and Senator of Naboo, Padme Amidala. He is taken in by his uncle and aunt, Owen and Beru Lars, after the death of Padme and Anakin's embrace of the dark side. He is force sensitive and skilled with a lightsaber. In Return of the Jedi, he later finds out from a dying Yoda, that Darth Vader (previously Anakin Skywalker) is his father. He also finds out from Obi Wan's spirit that Princess Leia Organa is his sister. In The Force Awakens, as a Jedi, Luke is in hiding after failing to prevent his nephew Ben (now 'Kylo Ren') from turning to the dark side to join Supreme Leader Snoke.

Leia Organa

Main article: Princess Leia

The daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Leia Organa was adopted by Bail and Breha Organa of Alderaan. Leia is shown to be force sensitive. In The Empire Strikes Back, Leia professes her love for Han Solo when he is put into carbonite stasis, although it is originally Han and Luke who compete for her affections. In Return of the Jedi, planning to feed Luke, Han, and Chewbacca to the flesh eating Sarlacc, Jabba the Hutt is instead strangled to death by Leia by a chain he has on her. Princess Leia became General Leia, married Han Solo, and had a son named Ben Solo, whose turning to the dark side separated the couple before the events of The Force Awakens. Leia has been on a search to find her missing brother Luke and turn her son from the dark side.

Ben Solo

Main article: Kylo Ren

The son of Leia Organa and Han Solo. He initially trains to be a Jedi under his uncle, Luke Skywalker, before falling to the dark side.

Legends

The characters below are no longer considered to be officially canon after the acquisition of Star Wars by Disney.

Ben Skywalker

Luke Skywalker and Mara Jade Skywalker's son. Named after Obi Wan/Ben Kenobi. Jedi Knight. Former student of Jacen Solo, his cousin. In Fate of the Jedi: Outcast, he voluntarily accompanies his father into exile. He proves himself as both a fighter and as an investigator.

His love interest is Vestara Khai, formerly a Sith apprentice, then a Jedi apprentice.

The character was voted the 40th top Star Wars character by IGN and the top 6th Star Wars Expanded Universe character by UGO Networks.

Nat Skywalker

Nat is a former/returned Jedi master and the older brother of Kol. He took the name "Bantha" Rawk

Kol Skywalker

Kol Skywalker is a character in Star Wars: Legacy. He is a descendant of Luke Skywalker and is a Jedi master. He is the father of Cade Skywalker.

Cade Skywalker

The descendant of Anakin Skywalker and Luke and Mara Jade Skywalker, Ben Skywalker and the Son of Kol Skywalker. He is a protagonist of the Star Wars: Legacy comic series.

The character was voted the 84th top Star Wars character by IGN.

External links

• Skywalker family on Wookieepedia, a Star Wars wiki