Who is Jacen Syndulla in Ahsoka? Why Hera's son could have a dark future ahead in Star Wars
Hera and Kanan's son has a very significant name
Who is Jacen Syndulla in Ahsoka? Hera Syndulla's son was introduced in Star Wars Rebels, but he could end up having a big role in Ahsoka – and possibly the rest of the Star Wars saga.
Below, we've taken a deep dive into Jacen Syndulla himself, as well as his Legends namesake, and what that means for both the youngster and the potential future of the saga. In fact, there could be a very dark path lying in wait for young Jacen.
But, before we go any further, a warning that there are light spoilers for Ahsoka episode 3 ahead!
Who is Jacen Syndulla?
Jacen Syndulla is the son of Hera Syndulla and the late Jedi Kanan Jarrus; Kanan sacrifices himself towards the end of Star Wars Rebels to save his friends. Jacen is introduced in the Rebels epilogue narrated by Sabine Wren – at that time, all we learn about the youngster is that he has a talent for flying like his mother.
What is Jacen Syndulla's connection to Star Wars Legends?
Here's where things get interesting. Jacen's name is very significant – in the now defunct Star Wars Legends continuity, Han Solo and Leia Organa's son was named Jacen Solo.
Jacen Solo was taught by Luke Skywalker (as was his sister Jaina and younger brother Anakin Solo), but ultimately Jacen turned to the dark side and became the Sith Lord Darth Caedus. He might be reminding you of a certain Ben Solo, AKA Kylo Ren, right about now.
Making Jacen's fall all the more tragic is the fact that he had good intentions, but his desire to save the galaxy is what led to his turn to evil in a belief that the ends justify the means.
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Why could Jacen Syndulla have a dark future?
Considering Jacen Syndulla shares his name with Darth Caedus, things aren't looking great for the youngster's Jedi path. In fact, Dave Filoni has hinted before that the two characters might share a connection beyond the shared name.
"It seemed, in a very small way, naming him 'Jacen' was a way to honor the expanded universe character of Jacen Solo who just really isn't there anymore as the timelines have changed," Filoni told io9 following the Rebels finale. "I thought that's a little bit of a wink to people that I know that was an important character. And maybe, in some way, that lives on through this character. I don’t know yet."
Maybe the name is an innocent Easter egg, or maybe it's foreshadowing a dark future to come. We'll just have to wait and see.
Is Jacen Syndulla in Ahsoka?
Jacen Syndulla made his live-action debut in Ahsoka episode 3, still with that same green hair. So far, he hasn't had much of a role in the plot, but he does say he wants to be a Jedi – and Hera's reaction suggests this isn't the first time he's said that. Here's hoping his Jedi Master keeps an eye on any dark side tendencies…
Prior to his appearance, a Lego set featuring a Jacen minifigure revealed the youngster would be showing up in the Disney Plus show.
Ahsoka is currently dropping a new episode weekly on Disney Plus. For much more on the show, check out our deep dives on:
- Who is Ahsoka Tano?
- Who is Grand Admiral Thrawn?
- Who is Ezra Bridger?
- Explaining the mystical realm of the World Between Worlds
- The history between Anakin and Ahsoka explained
- Everything you need to know about Star Wars Rebels
- The Ahsoka end-credits clues explained
- The Nightsisters of Dathomir explained
- Who is Clancy Brown playing in Ahsoka?
- Huyang explained
- Who is Inquisitor Marrok in Ahsoka?
- Where have we seen Morgan Elsbeth before?
- What to watch before Ahsoka
- How to watch Star Wars: The Clone Wars in order
- The Ahsoka timeline explained
- The Ahsoka release schedule
I'm a Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering all things film and TV for the site's Total Film and SFX sections. I previously worked on the Disney magazines team at Immediate Media, and also wrote on the CBeebies, MEGA!, and Star Wars Galaxy titles after graduating with a BA in English.