Skywalker family

The Skywalker family, also known as the Skywalker clan or the Skywalker dynasty, was a legendary human family that played a prominent role in galactic history, with several generations achieving fame as generals, senators, and Jedi from the fall of the Republic and the rise of the Empire, to the conflict between the First Order and the Resistance. The family's origins dated back to Shmi Skywalker, who, as a young girl, was captured by pirates and forced into slavery. In 41 BBY, she conceived a son, Anakin Skywalker, who was born without a father. Anakin was the Chosen One destined to bring balance to the Force by destroying the Sith. Possessing the highest concentration of midi-chlorians in his blood, Anakin had the potential to become the most powerful Force-sensitive being in the galaxy. The Force was strong in Anakin's bloodline, passing down to his progeny, the twin siblings Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, as well as Ben Solo, Organa's son and the last Skywalker in the direct line.

The Skywalkers were living on the desert planet Tatooine as slaves of the Toydarian junk dealer Watto when they encountered Jedi Master Qui-Gon Jinn in 32 BBY. Intrigued by Anakin's origins and raw connection to the Force, Jinn sought to have him trained in the Jedi arts. After gaining his freedom, Anakin left his homeworld in the Outer Rim Territories to begin his new life at the Jedi Temple on the Core World Coruscant, the capital of the Galactic Republic under the tutelage of Jedi Knight Obi-Wan Kenobi. As a Jedi Knight, he gained the reputation of a war hero while fighting in the Clone Wars. Although he became one of the strongest members of the Jedi Order, his fear of loss left him susceptible to the dark side of the Force. After his mother's death in 22 BBY, he vowed to not lose another loved one. In 19 BBY, Anakin foresaw that his secret wife, Senator Padmé Amidala, would die in childbirth. Determined to learn the power of immortality, Anakin pledged his life to the teachings of the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. The newly christened Darth Vader spearheaded the Great Jedi Purge. While most Jedi were executed under Order 66, Vader was defeated by Kenobi, then a Jedi Master, who left his former Padawan for dead on Mustafar. Sidious had his Sith apprentice reconstructed as a cyborg, but Amidala died of a broken heart caused by her husband's deeds. The New Order rose to power across the galaxy, and Vader embraced his role as a Sith Lord during his Sith Master's reign as Emperor of the Galactic Empire.

Unknown to Vader, his children survived their mother's death. They were hidden from their father and his master, with Luke sent to live with his relatives on Tatooine while Leia was adopted by the House of Organa, making her a princess of Alderaan. During the Galactic Civil War, the Skywalker twins emerged as members of the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Vader attempted to turn Luke to the dark side by revealing the secret of his parentage to him. Luke, however, believed that his father could be turned back to the light side of the Force. During the Battle of Endor in 4 ABY, Vader sacrificed his life in order to save his son from Sidious. His death as the last Dark Lord of the Sith ended the thousand year Sith tradition that began with Darth Bane. Having fulfilled his destiny to restore balance, the Chosen One returned to the Force as Anakin Skywalker.

Leia Organa married Han Solo and gave birth to a son, Ben Solo, in 5 ABY. She trained in the Jedi arts with Luke for a time, until premonitions of her son's death caused Organa to end her Jedi apprenticeship. Instead, Organa returned to politics by serving in the Galactic Senate of the New Republic. She sent her son to train with Luke, believing his influence would prevent Ben from following Vader's example. Luke trained Ben along with several apprentices at a new Jedi Temple on Ossus, but his efforts to fully restore the Jedi Order ended with his temple's destruction and his nephew's seduction to the dark side. Ben joined the Knights of Ren and the First Order as Kylo Ren, claiming leadership over the Knights while serving as the dark apprentice of Supreme Leader Snoke. In 34 ABY, Ren killed his father and usurped the First Order by assassinating Snoke. In the same year, Luke perished on Ahch-To after saving the Resistance from his nephew's forces at the Battle of Crait. Organa died a year later when she sacrificed her life to pull her son back to the light side. The Skywalker bloodline ended with Ben Solo, who died during the Battle of Exegol in 35 ABY.

The name Skywalker was adopted by Rey, a Jedi apprentice who shared a Force-bond with Ben Solo, making them both part of a rare and powerful Force dyad. Although she was not a Skywalker by blood, Rey adopted their family name in recognition of the family she had chosen and as a way to honor the memory of the Skywalker twins, both of whom served as Rey's mentors in the ways of the Force. The Skywalker family achieved notoriety through their involvement in many historic events, including the fall of the Jedi Order, the return of the Sith, and the rise and fall of the Empire. The actions of Anakin Skywalker, Luke Skywalker, Leia Skywalker Organa Solo, and Ben Solo defined their legacy as a family, and the name of Skywalker became a byword for greatness.

Text and facts from the “Skywalker family” article on Wookieepedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0. Modified for this site.