The Skywalker Lineage Displayed In This Beautiful Fan Art
With the release of Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker over a year ago, the franchise has seen the Skywalker saga come to a close. (For now, at least. I mean, come on. You think they'll keep that book shut forever?) Fan opinions vary on whether or not the film lived up as a conclusion to the Skywalker saga and whether it felt like it united the movies. Some people went in having expectations pertaining to Force ghosts, and the end result was not exactly like what some were hoping. Some people were hoping to see Hayden Christensen's Anakin Skywalker return as a visible ghost rather than just as a voice.
As one could imagine, fans have taken to the internet to share their own fan art of what they like to envision. Recently, a collaborative piece of art was shared on Reddit. The title reads, "'Skywalkers': A 'Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker' fan art collaboration by alcalafa and Riri19911." These two users created an illustration depicting the Force ghosts of Anakin Skywalker and his children Luke and Leia, all appearing before Ben Solo and Rey, who are holding hands. You can check out the artwork below.
The art here is very beautiful. It showcases the lineage of the Skywalkers, both by blood and in a spiritual sense. Rey was not a Skywalker by blood, but she carries on the spirit of the family, hence her adopting the Skywalker name at the (alleged) end of the saga. This moment at the end was a sticking point for some fans and became a hilarious meme, but I actually have no problem with Rey adopting the name, as it is something I had been wanting for a long time.
To me, the presentation of Anakin the father with his son and daughter reminds me of the Mortis arc of The Clone Wars, where the Force wielders known as the Father, the Son, and the Daughter are obviously meant to be analogs of Anakin, Luke, and Leia. Anakin's cloak may intentionally or unintentionally form the shape of Darth Vader's helmet, but the overall vibe here is that the characters presented are experiencing a moment in the light, without any darkness whatsoever. Ben looks already redeemed here. Perhaps this is even an alternate scenario in which Ben Solo might have lived, not needing to sacrifice himself for Rey. Understandably, some fans were upset that Ben's redemption had to be through death, as it was a repeat of Anakin Skywalker's path and, in the eyes of some, feels like it might unintentionally send the message that people cannot be redeemed if they continue living their lives. The magic of some of the best fan art is that it can present a scenario that is more ideal than what was given.
Of course, other users on Reddit chimed in with some comments. There was the question of Padme's absence, but of course, she was not a Jedi. Neither was Han Solo, hence his absence from this art piece. Same goes for Anakin Skywalker's mother, Shmi Skywalker. This is not meant to show every known member of the family, but rather the family members who are strong in the Force. Adding in other characters might have made it feel more cluttered, unless it were done in a different way. How it looks here works very well. I do not normally go out of my way looking for Star Wars fan art, but this one in particular turned out to be a really good find. As Grand Admiral Thrawn would say, "it was so artistically done."
Source(s): Reddit