Lit Anakin Solo in the EU

Ok. I again would describe a group of that scale as mass murder.

You doubting it doesn't really hold up with the fact that she did indeed name him Anakin, and explain why she did it lol. I'd agree however as it's a heavy responsibility to place on a child, but then again Leia already acknowledged that failing of the name choice in NJO.

Agreed. It's a bit of a cathartic experience for the entire family.

 

Wikipedia:
"According to the FBI, for individuals, mass murder is defined as the person murdering four or more persons during a particular event with no cooling-off period between the murders."

I think Leia is written out of character in a lot of post Endor EU. I can't for my mind see her as such a bad mother (while of course Mara is shown as Mrs. Perfect). Hopefully the ST will fix this. Plus this thread asked if we agree with the authors choice to name the character Anakin. Imo it was a stupid decision like so many others.

 

Well can't argue with wikipedia!

I don't see that as Leia being the worst mother in the world. It's not the best name choice, but then no one's perfect and she also owned up to the fact it did place a lot of pressure on Anakin. Also, I hardly ever saw Mara as a perfect mother or wife for that matter. It's interesting actually, due to her political duties Leia couldn't spend as much time with her children as she wanted to, while I always felt Mara was too overprotective of Ben if anything, and would blind herself to possible problems where he was concerned.

Well if you want to focus on your opinion that's fine, but if you're going to debate with others and comment on the opinions of others then people will obviously respond. One person pointed out Anakin and Vader as different people, you chose to point out that that doesn't absolve him of his sins, and now i'm pointing out that though it doesn't, the distinction's still important from a storytelling standpoint as that's been shown to be how his children remember him as well, which will of course have an effect on how they act. Leia naming her son Anakin directly relates to that fact, as well as her own experiences with her father Post-ROTJ. It shouldn't be treated as her naming him after Darth Vader when she herself doesn't actually see it that way. Decisions such as these should be taken with the context in mind. Leia as she was at the end of ROTJ wouldn't have done it, after everything that happened over the following years though she learned more about her father and grew more accepting of him, which led to her choice.

Though of course you don't like then you don't like it.

 

It's not the best name choice? Yes right. It is the worst name she could conceivably chose. You'd think a politician like Leia knows that having the wrong name can cause a lot of trouble, but apparently not? The whole thing feels so out of character.

Yea, but this isn't only about Leias relationship to her father. It is also about the question whether it is in character for an intelligent person like Leia to name her child after a mass murderer - because guess what, sooner or later Anakin Solo will interact with people who have personal reasons to hate Vader/Anakin.

 

As i've pointed out, Leia owned up to the fact the name choice did indeed place a lot of pressure on Anakin. And in terms of people coming after him only because his name is Anakin, that's ridiculous when they'd come after the whole family for being related to Vader anyways in such a case. Having the name doesn't really make that any more likely. As his children, both Luke and Leia would be larger targets for persecution, however it actually hasn't ever been shown to be a major issue and so doesn't matter regardless. No one ever specifically came after Anakin because of his first name.

 

Not saying anyone would order a hit on Anakin. But it would be a very awkward for him to deal with those who lost family members to the empire or Vader directly. Anakins victims could think he disrespects them because he carries the name of the one who murdered their loved ones. It's almost political suicide to give your child such a name, grandfather or not.

 

No more than it would be for the actual children of the man who caused it. Anyone descended from Vader would be subject to the same amount of weirdness and possible ridicule. And once again, it was never even an issue for anyone else that Leia had named one of her children after Vader.

 

It's not my fault politics are as badly portrayed as they are and nothing makes sense in the banana Republic. But I like to think Leia is smarter than Borsk Failure and his companions, as smart as she was in the movies.

There is "dealing with ridicule and misunderstanding" and there is "provoking ridicule and misunderstandings" like naming your child Anakin.

 

It's ok, I guess, but I have trouble believing it.

My biological father was a pretty messed up individual, and while I can forgive him, I'd never name my child after him. And he didn't kill my adoptive family (and billions of others) like Vader did Leia's. Forgiveness I can wrap my head around (with some effort), but naming your offspring after him? Hard to believe.

Of course I'm basing this on my own experience - everybody's different.

 

If he had the name Han wanted to give him, he might still be around today. Han Solo Jr,. Jedi badass has a nice ring to it.

 

I do wish we can see someone taking Anakin Solo's lightsaber out of that tree on Kashyyk sometime soon. Pity Jaina didn't do in LOTF against Caedus

 

Never bothered me. No one alive remembers Anakin and it's just aname, of only personal significance. The fears thing is stupid because none of them knew a thing about Anakin or what influenced him. An old liar that had his certain POV doesn't really jibe with what happened.

 

Anakin Solo postmortem is a substantial improvement over the living incarnation of the character. His characterization in the initial half of New Jedi Order does not stand out, and Anakin is not aided by Edge of Victory's laborious quality. As a metaphor for a better past, Anakin is a substantially more interesting individual. The prostitution of Anakin's memory in Legacy of the Force is a superior read than another litany of Anakin saves the day stories. The force of George precipitated a change in direction for the character, but the brain trust's course correction made the results better than the original plan.

 

that's your opinion.

 

I'm all for the naming of Leia's son Anakin. To be honest Anakin Solo was my favorite character in the EU. Only thing I did not like about Anakin Solo was his death. I still think they should bring him back. In fact I think that us fans should do something about bringing Anakin Solo back. I would start a petition, I just don't even know where to start in making one. Also emailing the people behind the stories would be a good idea. Whether that be Del Rey or the authors of the books so they can write his return. I just think with how much they screwed up his death it is only fitting. The hole thing of Tahiri telling Anakin to come back for the kiss was juat begging for Anakin to come back. So if you are like me and think Anakin Solo should come back lets do something about it.

 

I find it ridiculously IN-CHARACTER.

Leia is a Jedi Knight by Dark Empire and that was the intent of the work. She's deeply aware of the fact that her third child is effectively Force Jesus 2.0. The entirety of the early EU goes on and on about Anakin's ridiculous force-sensitivity.

Waru and Hethrir go "meh" about Jaina and Jacen but oogle over Anakin. The Imperials want Anakin and the other twins are sort of consolation prizes in KJA's work. Anakin in the Corellian Trilogy is displayed as a force prodigy on a MASSIVE scale. Finally, Palpatine wants Anakin as his new body because his midiclorian count is over NINE THOUSAND!

In short, Leia is aware that Anakin Solo is never going to have a normal life. Whether you name him John or Billy or Bob, he's still going to be Force Jesus. By naming him Anakin, Leia let's it be known to everyone in the galaxy she's aware that her youngest son is the grandson of Darth Vader and she is UNAFRAID of that. She's not going to hide behind the past but she's flat-out embracing it. Darth Vader was her father and she's not ashamed of it--he was a horrible man who redeemed himself in the end.

Redeemed himself she's PROUD to call him her father. It silences anyone who would bring this up to her face.

It's also a nice warning to Anakin Solo as he's growing up as we see in the Junior Jedi Knights series. He's constantly surrounded by the Force and it's potential for abuse even as a boy. Being aware he's named after Darth Vader gives the boy something of a stepping stone for being more mature than his carefree siblings.

Note: Anakin grows up to be the most normal of the Solo children and, arguably, Jedi-like. Leia made a smart choice. She retook the name and heritage and made it her own.

Edit:

Leia is plucky this way.

"So you're naming your son John Wilkes Booth?"
"Yep."
"That's horrible. People will abuse him for it."
"Yeah, but he'll have to toughen up to deal with it and he IS John Wilkes Booth's son."
"That makes it worse!"
"Well, his Dad also killed the Evil Confederate Vampire King after killing Abe Lincoln. That makes up for it."
"NO IT DOESN'T."
"I SAY IT DOES NOW BACK OFF OR I'M NAMING HIM SUE!"

 

The spirit of Anakin Solo has never died.

I believe he will always exist, somewhere, someplace, somehow.

That place is, the European Union.

Anakin would love to spite his brother in his love of animals ... Anakin would savor the delicacy of frog's legs for example.

 

I never minded the name Anakin, although Bail would have been more appropriate. "Bail Solo" doesn't sound as good as "Anakin Solo," though.

I also want to know in which series Mara Jade was portrayed as being a perfect mother, because I certainly missed that boat.

 

Nah. He would have been completely derailed too in LotF.

The "Unholy Matrimony" with Tahiri might have been interesting... forget it, Denning would have ruined that even more.

 

Denning lacks effervescence...

 

This is a good point.

That being said, I still find it a questionable decision on the part of a parent. It put an unnecessary burden on Anakin Solo, and IIRC it caused him frequent anxiety in the EU. He shouldn't have to live with such a weighty heritage -- whether it's that of Darth Vader or that of Anakin Skywalker the uber-Jedi: he should be allowed to have his own identity.

 

The convention of naming your child before he or she gets a say in the matter is unfortunate even before you consider that it gives parents the power to place undue burdens on an individual-to-be.

tl;dr: parents can be @h0le$ when it comes to naming kids. Leia is no exception.

Consider that the galaxy knew Anakin as a hero and Vader as a villain. There's no need to redeem the name, but Leia screws with his head anyway, because Anakin is privy to information that the general public won't have for years.

 

I'm sure Palpatine would have appreciated the name.

 

Anakin felt a burden because that's the direction the story went. They could have easily decided to go the other way.

Also, considering that most people in the galaxy still considered Anakin Skywalker to be a hero of the Clone Wars at the time of Anakin's birth -- it was NOT yet well known that Anakin had become Darth Vader -- Leia wouldn't have ever had to consider other people's reactions to that name.