Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Legacy of Vader #10
Since Disney took over in 2012, the Star Wars franchise has seen a key Jedi argument becoming more prevalent, redefining how we see the guardians of peace and justice and what it means to take on the identity in the first place. Rather than ancient legacies, powerful bloodlines, and “chosen ones”, Star Wars has been shifting toward a different era.
As seen in movies like the sequels, shows like 2023’s Ahsoka, and even in recent canonical comics, Star Wars has been presenting one compelling idea: the definition of a Jedi doesn’t come from their power or lineage. It’s about choice, compassion, and conviction, and a new Star Wars comic helps prove Disney isn’t backing down anytime soon.
In The Past, Star Wars Has Mostly Followed The Most Powerful Jedi Legacies
For decades, Star Wars has revolved around the galaxy’s most powerful Jedi and Force users. From Anakin Skywalker as the prophesied Chosen One to his son Luke’s rise as the last hope of the Jedi.
The sequels’ Ben Solo also had a similar arc of corruption and redemption as his grandfather, continuing the family legacies, destinies, and great power in both the light and dark sides of the Force.
That’s not to say that those major Star Wars stories weren’t compelling (that absolutely are). Watching the Skywalker lineage grapple and grow with their power is a large part of what has made the Star Wars franchise so legendary since 1977.
However, it can be argued that those near-mythic legends created this sort of unspoken idea that only a select few, those born with immense strength in the Force or a famous lineage, could truly matter in the grand scheme of the galaxy and the will of the Force. After all, those were who the franchise was mainly focused on.
That being said, more recent Star Wars stories in the Disney era have been working to break that mold and the true definition of a Jedi in some fascinating ways.
Ahsoka Proved A Jedi Is Not Defined By Power
One of the clearest examples of this shift came from 2023’s Ahsoka, which confirmed that being a Jedi isn’t defined by an individual’s raw strength or great ability to tap into the Force, but rather by one’s commitment, choice, and willingness to learn.
After all, the Mandalorian Sabine Wren, who had little to no natural aptitude in the Force, was still taken on to become Ahsoka Tano’s Padawan all the same.
Through Sabine’s training, it was emphasized that the Force “lives in all things,” and that being open to it is what truly matters. Sabine’s journey wasn’t about becoming the most powerful Jedi of all time, nor was her decision to become a Jedi wasn’t defined by her lack of ability.
It was Sabine’s willingness and determination to walk the Jedi path anyway that gradually unlocked a greater ability she’d previously lacked by the season’s end. 2023’s Ahsoka reinforced a key truth about Star Wars: that the Force doesn’t belong to a chosen few. It flows through everyone, meaning anyone can choose to become a Jedi (no matter how faint their connection may seem at the onset).
Rey Proved A Jedi Isn’t Defined By Lineage (And Luke Just Took It Further)
We’ve also seen that lineage matters even less than aptitude when it comes to becoming a Jedi, as was seen in the Star Wars sequels with Rey. Whether she was “Rey Nobody” or “Rey Palpatine,” her journey wasn’t about bloodlines. It was about choice, and her decision to embrace the light side of the Force as a Jedi.
Luke Skywalker’s Force ghost has since reaffirmed this philosophy in Marvel’s new and canonical Legacy of Vader #10, set between The Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker. Confronting his late uncle in the Netherworld of the Force, Kylo Ren demands to know why Rey was so special and why Luke would ever deign to teach her.
Luke tells his unbalanced nephew that he trained Rey simply because “she wanted to learn.” That simple single line cuts to the heart of this more modern Jedi ethos: being a Jedi isn’t about who you are or where you come from. It’s about what you choose to become.
Even Rey’s controversial decision to take the Skywalker name fits within this narrative. While the execution of the scene was certainly divisive, the symbolism is quite powerful all the same.
Rey didn’t inherit the Skywalker legacy through blood; she earned it through conviction. To Rey, “Skywalker” represents hope, compassion, and the enduring desire to do good: all qualities that define what it means to be a true Jedi.
As such, it’s very cool to see Luke’s Force ghost reaffirm this idea in this new comic, further supporting the greater argument we’ve been seeing across a variety of different Star Wars projects.
- Cast
-
Mark Hamill, James Earl Jones, David Prowse, Carrie Fisher, Harrison Ford, Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, Ian McDiarmid, Ewan McGregor, Rosario Dawson, Lars Mikkelsen, Rupert Friend, Moses Ingram, Frank Oz, Pedro Pascal
- TV Show(s)
-
The Mandalorian, Andor, Obi-Wan Kenobi, The Book of Boba Fett, Ahsoka, The Acolyte, Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, Lando, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars Rebels, Star Wars: The Bad Batch, Star Wars: Resistance, Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures, Star Wars: Visions
- Movie(s)
-
Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace, Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope, Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back, Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi, Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens, Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi, Star Wars: Episode IX- The Rise of Skywalker, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Solo: A Star Wars Story, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Star Wars: Dawn of the Jedi, Star Wars: New Jedi Order
- Character(s)
-
Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, Rey Skywalker, Emperor Palpatine / Darth Sidious, Obi-Wan Kenobi, Ahsoka Tano, Grand Admiral Thrawn, Grand Inquisitor, Reva (The Third Sister), The Fifth Brother, The Seventh Sister, The Eighth Brother, Yoda, Din Djarin, Grogu, Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader, Leia Organa, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
