The term Skywalker hasn’t been used for just Luke and Anakin in Star Wars, but recently was used in a Timothy Zahn novel for a different purpose.
When the title of Star Wars: Episode IX was revealed, Skywalker immediately conjured thoughts toward Luke and Anakin. We’ve known for decades, Skywalker related to actual characters.
But if you have read the latest canon novels, Skywalker meant something entirely different for another race of aliens. While this may not be spoiler because we’re unsure if it has anything to do with the Episode IX, it’s still an interesting bit to take away — so read ahead at your own risk.
More from Star Wars Episode IX: The Rise of Skywalker
- How many Oscars has Star Wars won?
- Looking back at 10 years of Star Wars: The films
- Domhnall Gleeson up for returning as General Hux
- Star Wars fan’s epic poster is The Rise of Skywalker ending reimagined
- Star Wars 25 features the first post-Rise of Skywalker canon story
In Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn: Alliances, Thrawn describes Chiss children born with force powers as incredibly strong, but as they get older, they gradually lose their abilities. But their amazing ability is that the Chiss don’t need hyper lanes to travel through space.
They can fly at lightspeed, but the children are so adept with the force that they can sense what’s ahead before the ship reaches it – even in lightspeed — and navigate temporary hyper lanes. These children are called – when translated – ‘sky-walkers.’
This description in Thrawn: Alliances doesn’t explain just what The Rise of Skywalker means, but it doesn’t feel like something that is just a throw away. Lucasfilm is so involved in everything that is put out for Star Wars canon, there is no way this is something that was carelessly thrown in for the sake a shock value.
We visited Batuu in Thrawn: Alliances and it turned out to be the setting for the Galaxy’s Edge theme parks.
While I’m not sure what it means in the greater scheme, it’s still an interesting piece to add to the puzzle. The Chiss children who have Force abilities don’t show other powers more than precognition, which is why they are able to navigate the ships.
We have also seen Jedi with precognition – just not usually an explicit strong point, but it explains why they are able to adeptly block blaster shots and get out of the way just moments before something happens.
Does this mean there is the rise of a new more explicit power? Or does the title really just refer to the family we have known for 40-plus year and we’re just grasping at straws.
How does the information from Thrawn: Alliances change your view of the Star Wars: Episode IX title?