Legacy has always been a cornerstone of Star Wars. Legacy is why Darth Vader turned against Palpatine. Legacy is why Rey took on the name Skywalker, and it’s why she’ll later go on to rebuild the Jedi Order. But within the post-Original Trilogy era of The Mandalorian and Ahsoka, legacy has a much more literal meaning: trying to build a better world for the next generation.
In Ahsoka Episode 3, we see this quite literally with the live-action debut of Jacen Syndulla, son of Hera Syndulla. But Jacen’s history is far deeper than just this appearance, and it makes his one scene all the more heartbreaking. Here’s everything you need to know about this green-haired tyke, and why he’s important to the Star Wars universe.
Who is Jacen Syndulla in Ahsoka?
Jacen is the son of Hera Syndulla and Kanan Jarrus. The couple formed the de facto parental figures in the found family of Star Wars Rebels, which explains why Jacen refers to Sabine as “Auntie” despite them not being blood-related.
Jacen never knew his father, as Kanan was lost in action before he was born. That’s why Hera seems so sad when her son tells her he wants to train as a Jedi: she’s had two family Jedi family members, Kanan and Ezra. Now, they’re both gone. With Sabine starting up her Jedi training again, that trauma is being brought back to the surface.
Does Jacen become a Jedi in Star Wars?
We don’t know what will happen to Jacen in the future, but there is one clue hiding in plain sight. The name Jacen is taken from Jacen Solo, the son of Leia and Han in the non-canon Legends timeline (he’s basically the pre-Disney equivalent of Kylo Ren). With that in mind, if Hera allows Jacen to be trained, it’s likely he’ll attend Luke’s Jedi Academy, where he would be four years older than Kylo.
Anyone who’s seen the sequel trilogy knows how that ends for Luke’s students. Will Jacen fall at the hand of his quasi-alternate self? If so, how would Hera react to having yet another Jedi ripped from her? Maybe Hera’s hesitation at the thought of Jacen being formally trained is well-founded, and his best bet is a little Jedi homeschooling with Ahsoka instead of boarding school with Luke. Who knows, this may just be our first glimpse of a new great Jedi.
