Who is Darth Caedus in Star Wars? He might be the most captivating Sith you’ve never heard of, but we’re about to uncover the truth behind this character.
The Star Wars galaxy is full of bad actors. From Darth Sidious’ manipulation of young Anakin Skywalker to Grand Admiral Thrawn‘s militaristic machinations, there’s no shortage of Dark Force users keen to lean into anger, hate, and suffering. But not all Star Wars villains are created equal.
Some of them sought out the ways of the Sith to heal their wounds, some are eventually pulled back from the black abyss by Jedi, and the best Star Wars characters dabble in a little of both, if you ask us. Here, we delve into the the tragic history of Jacen Solo and the rise of Darth Caedus.
Darth Caedus in Star Wars explained
Darth Caedus is a Sith Lord from Star Wars Legends who mostly appears in comic books. He was born Jacen Solo, and was the son of Leia and Han, perhaps serving as an inspiration for Kylo Ren in the movies.
Jacen eventually became a Sith Lord, turning against his family and friends. Once a Jedi who was invaluable in ending the Yuuzhan Vong War, he desperately wanted to protect the galaxy, which led to an increasing willingness to achieve that safeguarding at any cost.
Unsurprisingly, fans of the franchise’s written material who appreciate a good Sith tragedy often say he’s one of the great Star Wars villains.
Darth Caedus’ backstory explained
In Star Wars Legends, Darth Caedus grew up under threat due to his parents being Leia and Han, and his personality got more extreme over time, which eventually led him to the dark side.
Born in 9 ABY, Jacen (given name) was a part of multiple kidnappings and schemes targeted at Han and Leia. When he was thirteen, he and his twin sister Jaina attended the Jedi Praxeum on Yavin 4, where Luke Skywalker began to train them in the ways of the Force. There, he met the Hapan princess Tenel Ka Djo, whom he would go on to be romantically involved with. In 24 ABY, he and his younger brother Anakin became Jedi apprentices.
During the Yuuzhan Vong War war, Anakin Solo was slain and Jacen stepped up to lead a strike team to take out the voxyn queen (the genetic template of all voxyn). This team was successful, but he was captured by the Yuuzhan Vong. Jacen spent nearly a year in their grasp, being tortured. During this time of immense suffering, he felt the pull of the dark side momentarily before he escaped with Vergere, a former Jedi.
From there on, he spent years visiting and learning from several Force-using sects. During his time with the Mind Walkers, he saw a vision of an insidious figure ruling the galaxy and became committed to preventing it. He returned to the Jedi Order with a more merciless attitude, willing to accept sacrifices for the greater good. He descended into the dark side over time, turning against the Jedi and his family bit by bit as he grew more radical.
After his turn, he killed Mara Jade Skywalker (Luke’s partner), tortured his former apprentice Ben Skywalker (Luke and Mara’s son), and took on a new apprentice in the form of Tahiri Veila. He then ascended to Sith Master and was given his title. Eventually, he was killed by Jaina, who had to take out her twin brother.
Darth Caedus’ powers and abilities explained
Jacen had a talent for fencing in his youth and became one of the best lightsaber duelists. He also had an aptitude for Force speed, which he used often after becoming Caedus.
By the time he was a Sith, he was deadly with a lightsaber, able to fend off multiple Jedi at a time, and frequently used Force speed in battle. Caedus considered himself second only to his uncle Luke.
Sounds a little bit like our old pal Kylo Ren, right? Well, it seems the New Trilogy took a little of Jace and Ben’s first name from the Legends Skywalker family tree and ran with it to create something for its new movies. Play spot the difference when you next rewatch the Star Wars movies in order.
But he’s not a planned Star Wars cast member, at least not in this current on-screen canon. For now, though, let’s look ahead to the future Star Wars series and new Star Wars movies with the Andor season 2 release date and our story on how Anakin Skywalker’s Force ghost sets up Ahsoka season 2 perfectly.