Fel Empire, Return of the Sith, and the Last Skywalker
Sometime after Jacen’s death, Jagged would be declared Emperor of what was left of the Empire, turning it into the Fel Empire. His and Jaina’s children would take the throne following them, propelling the Skywalker Family to new heights of power. The descendants of Ben would continue to lead the Jedi in this new age, until trouble once again reared its head.
About 127 ABY, the Sith returned yet again to cause trouble. This time, they orchestrated a war between the Fel Empire and the Galactic Alliance, the successor to the New Republic. When the GA lost, the Sith then overthrew Emperor Roan Fel and seized control of his Empire, bringing the galaxy under their rule once more. They then wiped out half the Jedi Order while forcing the other half into hiding. One of whom was a Jedi Padawan named Cade Skywalker, son of Master Kol Skywalker, who did not survive the Sith onslaught. Broken by the trauma, Cade forsook his Jedi heritage and became a pirate, wanting nothing to do with his family legacy.
Fate had other ideas. In 138 ABY, Cade got caught up in the war between the Sith and the remnants of the GA and the Fel Empire. The Sith wanted to convert him to their side, make him one of them, because he had a Force power that was unheard of: he could bring those who had recently died back to life with the Force.
Despite trying to run from his past and the literal ghosts of his family, Cade couldn’t keep himself out of the fight forever. After many adventures, pain, and losing his uncle, Cade ultimately accepted his role as a Jedi. In the final battle against the Sith, it was Cade who slew their Dark Lord, Darth Krayt. AKA, the man that Jacen had seen in his visions many years ago.
A New Age, and a New Solo
With the Dark Lord dead and the Sith routed, the galaxy could rebuild as one entity. Emperor Roan didn’t survive the war, but his daughter, Marasiah, rose to take his place as the new Empress. As for Cade, he went off on his own to find peace. But the story wasn’t done just yet.
In another part of the galaxy lived Ania Solo, a descendant of Leia and Han. Despite not being as high-profile as her ancestors, Ania would end up getting dragged into the fight between the Jedi and Sith. After getting the attention of the Sith, Ania found herself in the center of an insurgency led by a rogue Sith Lord. In the battle that followed, all of the Sith were wiped out, with Ania personally putting a blaster bolt in the head of their leader, ending the threat of the Sith.
Following the battle, Marashiah offered to make Ania the captain of her guard, but she declined. She wanted to continue exploring the galaxy alongside the friends she made, and set off on her own.
That was the latest we hear of the Skywalker bloodline before Disney axed the old EU.
A True Legacy of the Skywalkers
If you were to compare the impact and legacy of the Skywalker family in the new Disney canon and the original Expanded Universe, you’d find them to be vastly different. In the Disney canon, the family died with Ben Solo. Rey could only take up their name in honor of them. In contrast, the old EU saw the descendants of Anakin Skywalker grow and shape the galaxy for the next 140 years. They did everything from rebuild the Jedi, become war heroes, and serve as leaders on a galactic scale. However, they also experienced numerous tragedies, losing friends and loved ones and continually struggling with the Dark Side. Despite the actions of Anakin Skywalker and his grandson, Jacen, though, the Skywalker family left the galaxy a better place than what they found.
With Disney having declared the old EU non-canon, though, most of these people will likely never return to Star Wars. Disney may bring them back as an alternate version of them, but unless Rey has kids, they won’t be part of the Skywalker lineage. While Star Wars is more than capable of continuing without them, one can’t help but lament the tragedy behind the family that, for forty years, has served as the heart and soul of the franchise. For all its faults, the old EU did know how to make sure they remained an integral part of the franchise long after the film’s ended. Maybe that’s why some of the older fans prefer the old EU over the Sequel Trilogy.
