Who Is Jacen On Ahsoka? Why The Green-Haired Kid Is Vital To Star Wars Lore
This post contains spoilers for "Ahsoka" episode 3: "Time to Fly."
The latest episode of "Ahsoka," directed by Steph Green and written by Dave Filoni, adds more intricacy to the web of conspiracy surrounding the whereabouts of Grand Admiral Thrawn (Lars Mikkelsen) and his potential return. Ahsoka (Rosario Dawson), alongside close confidantes Hera Syndulla (Mary Elizabeth-Winstead) and Sabine Wren (Natasha Liu Bordizzo), tries to edge closer to the truth of Ezra's disappearance alongside Thrawn, while weeding out Imperial loyalists hiding among the ranks of the fledgling New Republic. A connective tissue between the animated series, "Star Wars: Clone Wars" and "Star Wars Rebels," and the events of the sequel era are woven here, with familiar faces returning or reintroduced, including Chancellor Mon Mothma (Genevieve O'Reilly).
Amidst the thrilling dogfighting and the tense, slow-burn dynamic between Ahsoka and Sabine, the episode introduces a live-action Jacen Syndulla (Evan Whitten), who makes a quick yet meaningful appearance that anticipates a future that may or may not be written in stone. The green-haired kid first made his appearance in the series finale of "Rebels," titled "Family Reunion — and Farewell," introduced as the son of Hera Syndulla and the late Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus (who was an integral part of the Ghost crew and lost his life during the liberation of Lothal). While not much is known about Jacen just yet, "Ahsoka" has the opportunity to flesh out this character, who is bound to play a vital role in the history of the galaxy.
Here's what we know about Jacen so far, and what might happen to him down the line, keeping the timeline of sequel canon and various other factors in consideration.
The origins of Jacen Syndulla
The name "Jacen" is a tribute to Jacen Solo, Han and Leia's eldest son in the decanonized "Star Wars Legends" stories, who served as a primary influence for Kylo Ren in the "Star Wars" sequels. Filoni wished to pay homage to this celebrated character in what was then known as the Expanded Universe (interestingly, Jacen Solo was created for the "Thrawn trilogy" of novels by Timothy Zahn). While Jacen Syndulla does not share a personality DNA with Jacen Solo yet, the connection cannot be overlooked completely, as Jacen could end up embodying some of the tragic aspects of Jacen Solo's fate in ways that are relevant to the evolving story.
While Jacen never met his father, as Kanan had died even before the kid was born, he seems to have a healthy support system in place due to the presence of Sabine, whom he referred to as "Auntie" in "Rebels," and Chopper, the cranky, moody droid C1-10P, who aided Hera since she was a child. While Jacen is part-human and part Twi'lek, it is unclear whether he is Force-sensitive like his father. However, he does express the desire to train as a Jedi in the latest episode of "Ahsoka," to which Hera replies with a bittersweet "Of course you do."
On the one hand, Jacen becoming a Jedi would honor his father's legacy, but being a Jedi at this point in history is a dangerous choice, as it opens up a path marked with tragedy and loss. Ezra's absence, combined with Ahsoka's history with the Jedi Order, contributes to these feelings of uneasiness, and Jacen's childlike hope about becoming a Jedi seems rather heartbreaking in this context.
?Marked for tragedy
Jacen's brief appearance in "Ahsoka" makes sense, as Hera is pretty integral to the events that are unfolding, and her personal relationships are bound to play a role sometime in the near future. Even if "Ahsoka" chooses not to flesh out Jacen's personality just yet, his presence sets the stage for potential stories down the line — ones that take on an alarming significance in the context of the "Star Wars" sequel trilogy's revelations. Jacen's enthusiasm for being a Jedi hints at a path that could lead him to Luke Skywalker's Jedi Temple, which is doomed to destruction by Ben Solo aka Kylo Ren. Along with burning down the temple, Ben also kills most of Luke's Jedi pupils.
Ahsoka is already acquainted with Luke, and the two even spoke about Grogu's training in episodes of "The Book of Boba Fett," where Luke is seen seeking students for his Jedi Academy. It is not far-fetched to assume that Jacen might be enrolled soon, and his age places him as Kylo Ren's senior by only a few years. Will Jacen be one of many Jedi ripped away from the world prematurely?
The implications are pretty grim. However, Jacen could alternatively also be homeschooled by Ahsoka, who is currently retraining Sabine as her padawan. While this might take some time to happen, it seems like the safest bet for Jacen, who definitely holds the potential to be a formidable Jedi in the future. Attachment is an obstacle that might hinder Jacen's dreams, but many Jedi have loved and lost and fought on without losing sight of who they truly are. Hopefully, Jacen can accomplish this as well.
Episodes of "Ahsoka" are currently streaming on Disney+.