Star Wars: Is The Solo Family Better In Canon Or Legends Canon?

Quick Links

Who Is In The Solo Family In Canon?

Who Is In The Solo Family In The Legends Canon?

How Different Is Kylo Ren From His Legends Canon Counterparts?

There are many legendary figures in the Star Wars galaxy, but the Solo family are among the most significant. At various key points in the history of Star Wars, someone from the Solo family has risen up to take on impossible odds or to welcome a great wave of evil. Han Solo and Leia Organa are easily the most famous members of the family, but both in-universe and in the Legends Canon, they had children.

Whether it was Ben Solo (known better as Kylo Ren), or one of Jaina, Jacen, and Anakin Solo, this family has been a delight and terror for the galaxy. Kylo Ren has his fans thanks to his impact in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, but many will argue the Legends Canon Solo family is the better interpretation. With interesting storylines in each canon, it’s worth seeing which version of the Solo family is superior.

Star Wars: Who is Kyle Katarn?

Kyle Katarn is a fan-favorite Star Wars character from the games, so is it time for him to be made canon?

Who Is In The Solo Family In Canon?

Members Of The Solo Family In Canon:

Ovan Solo
Han Solo
Leia Organa Solo
Ben Solo (Kylo Ren)

Leia & Han

Not much is known about the Solo family in the current Star Wars canon. All that is known is Han’s rather unremarkable father Ovan, his wife Leia, and their son Ben Solo, who would later become Kylo Ren. Fans will already be familiar with Leia Organa Solo. She's the sister of Luke Skywalker, daughter of Darth Vader, and a key figure in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire in the original Star Wars film trilogy. As for Han Solo, Leia actually provides the best description of him in the expanded novelization of Star Wars: The Last Jedi:

"Han fancied himself a scoundrel. But he wasn't. He loved freedom — for himself, certainly, but for everybody else in the galaxy, too. And time after time, he was willing to fight for that freedom. He didn't want to know the odds in that fight — because he'd already made up his mind that he'd prevail. And time after time, somehow, he did."

Ben Solo

Ben Solo is the son of Han and Leia, whose life is covered quite extensively in the Star Wars sequel trilogy. Initially a promising Jedi under the tutelage of Luke Skywalker, Ben would eventually turn his back on the Jedi Order thanks to the pull of the Dark Side being orchestrated by Darth Sidious, and the actions of Luke Skywalker. From there, Ben would become the powerful Kylo Ren, a key figure in the First Order and a pawn in Darth Sidious’ plan to once again rise to power. Thanks to his connection to Rey, Kylo Ren would eventually defect from the Dark Side to help her defeat Sidious, though he would give his life for hers in a demonstration of just how powerful Ben Solo was in the ways of the Force.

Who Is In The Solo Family In The Legends Canon?

Important Members Of The Solo Family In Legends Canon:

Han Solo & Leia Organa Solo
Jacen Solo
Jaina Solo
Anakin Solo

The Solo family as a whole has been explored in much more depth in the Legends Canon. There are only a few named members of the Solo family in the main canon. But in the Legends Canon, the family name goes back generations from Han Solo to Jonash Solo, who was actually the king of the Corellian Empire. It then goes forward to the distant relative (it isn’t fully known how distant the relation is) Ania Solo. Of course, those are the distant family members. The most important members of the Solo family in Legends Canon are the always impressive Han Solo and Princess Leia, but also their children, Jacen, Jaina, and Anakin.

Jacen Solo

The male twin to Jaina, Jacen Solo is the most intriguing of the Solo family for many fans of the Legends Canon. One of the biggest reasons is that while Jacen is a fantastic hero in his own right, even aiding in the massive Yuuzhan Vong War, he also goes on to follow in the footsteps of his grandfather Anakin, and turns to the Dark Side. Jacen eventually becomes the powerful Sith Lord Darth Caedus and goes on to do horrific things to ensure his vision for peace in the galaxy is realized. After working against his family for quite some time, his own twin sister Jaina is the one to put an end to his reign of terror over the galaxy.

Jaina Solo

Jacen’s twin, Jaina Solo, is one of the most important female Jedi to ever grace the Star Wars franchise. It might be safe to say she wasn’t quite as strong as her twin brother, especially considering he did or could have gotten the better of her in their most climactic duels. She went on to defeat her twin after he’d turned to the Sith, and helped Luke Skywalker deal with the biggest threats in the galaxy, including the horrors of Abeloth. She was a right-hand to Luke Skywalker for many years, serving as one of the most compassionate and skilled warriors in the galaxy.

Anakin Solo

The younger brother to the twins, Anakin Solo was another pivotal Jedi during the era of the Yuuzhan Vong. While skilled, he ultimately sacrificed himself during a mission on Myrkr in which he took on hordes of the Yuuzhan Vong alone. He was unable to handle them all, going out in a blaze of glory, but his death was a catalyst for things to come. With their younger brother dead, both Jacen and Jaina began to struggle more and more with the Dark Side. Jaina eventually became a master of the light, and Jacen fell into a dark spiral.

How Different Is Kylo Ren From His Legends Canon Counterparts?

Kylo Ren	Born with limitless potential in the force, turned to the Dark Side, was redeemed, and returned to the light but gave his life with a sacrifice.
Jacen Solo	A powerful Jedi whose drive to keep the galaxy safe was so strong that he fell to the Dark Side, eventually being defeated by his own sister.
Jaina Solo	A Jedi with a lot of heart who studies under Luke Skywalker, assists in the Yuuzhan Vong war, defeats Darth Caedus, and helps to defeat Abeloth.
Anakin Solo	A young Jedi who is powerful in the ways of the force, but sacrifices himself for others and is killed during the struggle against the Yuuzhan Vong.

While it is hard to say that Kylo Ren (Ben Solo) is exactly like three different characters, the character does seem to have been created with the past in mind. Multiple aspects of Kylo Ren suggest that the creatives behind the scenes took inspiration from at least Jacen and Anakin Solo for both his personality and his overall story arc. With that said, it is also hard to say Kylo Ren is an amalgamation of the three in terms of personality. It is at least possible to make that argument, even if it is a bit of a stretch. Kylo Ren is his own character with a unique backstory, but many aspects, like his fall to darkness, promise in the Force, and sacrifice all feel reminiscent of the history of the Legends Canon Solo family.

Star Wars is available to stream on Disney+.

Star Wars

Star Wars is a multimedia franchise originally created by George Lucas and Lucasfilm Ltd with the 1977 motion picture. The science fiction franchise follows the adventures of characters (both humanoid and alien) in outer space including those who can wield a mystical power known as the Force. Since the release of the original trilogy of movies, the franchise has expanded to include multiple films and branched out to other media like comics, video games, tv shows, theme park attractions, and more. The IP and Lucasfilm were sold to Disney in 2012.