When most Star Wars’ latest installment (chronologically speaking): Cade Skywalker. So, who is Cade Skywalker?
Cade Skywalker is the main character of the Star Wars Legends comic series Star Wars: Legacy from Dark Horse Comics. This comic series takes place in 137 ABY (more than a century after the events of the original trilogy, and about a century after the events of the sequel trilogy). Every character fans know and love has long-since died, leaving only the next generation to take their place, with Cade Skywalker being a definite standout. Here are 10 things every fan should know about Star Wars’ lesser-known (yet arguably coolest) “Skywalker”!
10 Connection to Luke Skywalker
Cade Skywalker is a Direct Descendant of Luke Skywalker
The Skywalker family tree is shockingly vast in Star Wars lore (in both canon and Legends), meaning only a few ‘Skywalkers’ are direct descendants of Luke Skywalker himself - and Cade is one of those few. Luke Skywalker had a son with Mara Jade named Ben Skywalker, who had a family of his own, which led to the birth of Kol Skywalker, who is the father of Cade Skywalker.
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While the Solos (the children of Han and Leia: Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin) effectively ruled the Legends continuity as the Force-sensitive heirs of Luke Skywalker, Cade Skywalker stands out as a direct descendant of Luke Skywalker himself. This direct link to Luke (and, by extension, Anakin Skywalker) continues Star Wars’ “Skywalker Saga” trend, which gives Cade’s story the same level of significance as the film trilogies.
9 Prophesied Birth
Cade Skywalker’s Birth was Prophesied in a Vision During the Old Republic Era
Cade Skywalker’s story might take place more than a hundred years after the events of the original trilogy, but Cade's existence was foretold centuries before that, during the era of the Old Republic. In the 2006 Knights of the Old Republic comic, a Jedi Master seer named Q’Anilia has a vision of three of the most important people in the universe: Luke Skywalker, Darth Vader, and Cade Skywalker.
This vision is in Dark Horse Comics’ Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic #25 by John Jackson Miller and Scott Hepburn.
The vision showed the three Skywalkers as adults, fighting together on Coruscant. Since this is just a vision, it doesn’t take into the varied time periods between Luke Skywalker’s standing as a Jedi Master, and Cade Skywalker’s existence. However, what it does do is reveal that these three will, indeed, exist in the future, and their existence will impact the entire galaxy - and that includes Cade.
8 Addicted to Death Sticks
Cade Skywalker Used Death Sticks to Suppress His Connection to the Force
Fans might be familiar with Death Sticks after hearing them referenced in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones. Death Sticks are a lot like real-world hallucinogenic drugs, and they’re highly addictive and can be a leading cause of death for those who use them. However, there’s one thing that makes Death Sticks decidedly different: they can block the Force in Force-sensitive individuals - which is exactly why Cade Skywalker uses them.
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Cade Skywalker has been shown using Death Sticks since his first appearance, and the visual of him using drugs only adds to his overall punky aesthetic. But, as Star Wars: Legacy revealed, Cade didn’t do them to ‘look cool’, he did it to block out the Force after he committed himself to a life as a bounty hunter/pirate.
7 Battled the One Sith
Cade Skywalker Took On an Army of Sith Lords Known as the One Sith
The overarching villain in Star Wars: Legacy is a dark side cult called the One Sith, which is led by Darth Krayt. Darth Krayt (a fallen Jedi who survived Order 66) created a colony of Force-sensitive individuals on the planet Korriban, which was so strong with the dark side that it hid Krayt’s activity there. That’s how Darth Krayt was able to create the One Sith even during the age of the Empire, and how this cult became so strong by the events of Star Wars: Legacy.
Darth Krayt was originally a Jedi named A’Sharad Hett, and is a Tatooine native.
Cade Skywalker - being the ultimate “Skywalker Hero” of Star Wars: Legacy - was the only one who could defeat Darth Krayt and bring down the One Sith. And, in true Star Wars fashion, Cade Skywalker did just that.
6 Rare Force Abilities
Cade Skywalker has the Power to Resurrect Others with the Force
Being a direct descendant of Anakin and Luke Skywalker, Cade Skywalker is inherently powerful in the Force. However, the abilities he exhibits set him apart from practically every other Force- in the Star Wars universe. One of Cade's more impressive powers is the ability to resurrect others (which Cade did for his Jedi Master, Wolf Sazen). Also, an extension of that ability is manifested in the form of Force-healing, which can extend someone’s life indefinitely.
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The power to heal or resurrect others with the Force (either light or dark side) is incredibly rare, and was originally believed to only be the stuff of legend. Indeed, the lie that the Force could shield one from death is how Anakin Skywalker fell to the dark side in the first place. But, in Cade Skywalker’s case, that power isn’t just a thing of legend, but a very real ability.
5 Left the Jedi to Become a Bounty Hunter/Pirate
Cade Skywalker Abandoned the Jedi Order to Become a Bounty Hunter/Pirate
Cade Skywalker isn’t just the direct descendant of Anakin and Luke Skywalker, but he’s the son of Kol Skywalker, a Master of the New Jedi Order who once sat as a member of the High Council. After Luke Skywalker re-established the Jedi Order, it stood the test of time all the way until the era of Star Wars: Legacy. Cade was raised in the Jedi Order, and his father was a prominent member. But even still, Cade rejected it.
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Cade Skywalker turned his back on being a Jedi, even after spending his entire childhood and early adulthood studying the ways of the Force and lightsaber combat. Cade started smoking Death Sticks to block out his connection to the Force, and he decided to become a bounty hunter/pirate (which is how fans meet him at the start of Star Wars: Legacy).
4 Arguably the Strongest Jedi in Star Wars
Cade Skywalker’s Power is Beyond Anything Darth Krayt has Ever Seen
As previously mentioned, Cade Skywalker has exhibited the power to resurrect and heal others with the Force. Wolf Sazen was fortunate enough to experience this power for himself when Cade brought him back, but the Jedi Master wasn’t the only one. Darth Krayt wanted to take advantage of Cade’s Force-healing ability, as that was the only way to sustain his unnaturally long life. However, Force-healing/resurrections are far from Cade’s only Force-abilities, and only scratch the surface of why he’s considered so powerful.
Cade Skywalker has also exhibited some other incredible Force abilities, including creating a Force-bubble to shield him from an explosion, summoning Force-lightning powerful enough to down seasoned Sith Lords, and a Force-scream that Darth Krayt himself was impressed by. Truth be told, Cade might be the strongest Skywalker in his family.
3 Briefly Fell to the Dark Side
Cade Skywalker Trained as a Sith Under Darth Krayt
When Darth Krayt learned of Cade Skywalker’s Force-healing ability, he knew he had to use Cade to keep himself alive. However, he couldn’t just abduct Cade and force him to use his power, Cade had to use the ability willingly. So, Darth Krayt used one of his Sith Lords, Darth Talon, to seduce Cade Skywalker to the dark side. Talon showed Cade that the One Sith wasn’t just an ‘evil cult’, but a society with history and culture. The One Sith fostered artists, believed in self-sacrifice, and recognized the beauty in the darkest parts of the cosmos.
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After seeing things from a different point of view, Cade Skywalker briefly fell to the dark side. He trained as a Sith, gained the ability to Force-choke and summon lightning, and even briefly wielded a red lightsaber.
2 Regularly Visited by Luke Skywalker
Cade Skywalker Formed a Relationship with Luke Skywalker’s Force Ghost
Just because Luke Skywalker had long-since died during the Star Wars: Legacy era, doesn’t mean he didn’t make regular appearances in the series, or that he didn’t play a role in Cade Skywalker’s life, as he most certainly did - and he did so as a Force Ghost. After Cade Skywalker had turned away from the Jedi to become a pirate, leading to his temptation to the dark side, Luke Skywalker took it upon himself to complete Cade’s training.
Luke Skywalker made his first appearance to Cade Skywalker as a Force Ghost in Star Wars: Legacy #3.
Luke Skywalker’s Force Ghost became such a prominent figure in Cade’s life that the two of them actually formed a Master/Padawan relationship. This is especially noteworthy, as it not only means that Cade is a descendant of Luke, but that he is his Padawan as well, making their connection even more significant. Plus, Cade was friends with R2-D2, which is a fun continuation of another 'Skywalker Saga' trend.
1 The Last Skywalker
Cade Skywalker is Chronologically the Last Skywalker in Star Wars
As previously mentioned, Cade Skywalker is the last Skywalker in Star Wars lore when considering the series in chronological order. Star Wars: Legacy takes place in 137 ABY, which is the furthest in the future Star Wars has ever gone. Until other stories venture even further into Star Wars’ future, where there will assuredly be descendants of the Skywalker line, Cade Skywalker stands as the official ‘Last Skywalker’ - making him an even more prominent figure in Star Wars lore.
Clearly, Cade Skywalker is a member of the Skywalker family that Star Wars and its fans should pay more attention to. He’s insanely powerful, has an interesting story, and is the official ‘Last Skywalker. In other words, Cade Skywalker might be the ‘coolest’ member of his very famous family, and is someone every Star Wars fan should know about.
- Created By
- George Lucas
- Cast
- Mark Hamill, Grant Feely
- First Appearance
- Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope
- Died
- Star Wars: Episode VIII - The Last Jedi
- Alliance
- Jedi
- Race
- Human
