Skywalker is the most famous name in Star Wars. In fact, the name is so important in the franchise that the nine episodes that make up the main narrative have been named the Skywalker Saga. So, the question is, how many Skywalkers are there?
From both Star Wars Legends and canon, let's explore all the people who have officially had the name Skywalker.
Shmi Skywalker
The farthest back we can go on the family tree is to Shmi Skywalker, Anakin's mother, who lived as a slave on Tatooine. Presumably, she had a father and mother. It would not be unreasonable to expect that they were also named Skywalker, but since we know nothing about them, Shmi is considered the mother of the Skywalker line.
Anakin Skywalker
The man who would become Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker, had no father, so he was given his mother's surname. He would go on to become a powerful Jedi but would fall to the Dark Side and would cast aside the name of Skywalker. However, at the end of his life, he turned away from the Dark Side once again and died as Anakin Skywalker. Anakin was married to Padmé Amidala, though she isn't on this list because there is no indication that she ever took his last name. This was probably true, at least in part, because their marriage was a complete secret to almost everybody.
Luke Skywalker
The son of Anakin Skywalker, Luke kept his father's name, though he wouldn't know the true story of the man who was his father until he was much older. Like his father before him, Luke became one of the most powerful Jedi in the galaxy and is one of the primary reasons that the name Skywalker holds such weight in the world of Star Wars.
Leia Skywalker
Though we don't have any moment in the franchise where Leia is referred to as Skywalker, she was born with Luke on Polis Massa. Her last name presumably was Skywalker for a few hours before she was adopted by the Organa family and her last name was changed to help hide her existence from her father. She kept Organa as her last name until she married Han Solo, at which point she took his last name.
Rey Skywalker
Though not related by blood to any of the previous Skywalkers, Rey rejected her familial last name of Palpatine in favor of the last name of her Jedi Master, Luke Skywalker. She took on the mantle of Skywalker, continuing the name's legacy into the future of Star Wars.
While Rey is the final name on the list of Skywalkers currently canon, we can add a few more if we expand the list to the Legends canon. Check out our Legends Skywalker on the next page.