Lit SOB: Save Our Ben, Ben Skywalker

Trust me, its in FOTJ that Luke actively thinks about Ben and his future as Grand Master one day. I simply can't remember which book it was in. I don't have my novels on me, but i'll see if I can find a quote online somewhere.

 

I suppose one way of saving Ben would have been keeping him from joining the military at the tender age of 12(or was it 14), becoming an assassin, killing off his mother, and then being tortured by his cousin.....ok that's more than one but still

The character had the unrealistic tendency to face adult choices before reaching a proper drinking age

DarthJenari, I think it's the third book with the mindwalkers. Cause I distinctly remember Anakin Solo disapproves of their being one Skywalker taking over the grand master mantle.

 

Well, it doesn't particularly surprise me anymore. I couldn't see Ben as he is now as GM. Maybe, as he matures, it could happen, but as he is now he'd fit more as (as I've said) head of a Jedi Investigation Force and, eventually, a member of the Jedi Council.

 

Think you're right on that, but I can't find it online or a pdf of it to skim through so whatever. Not gonna worry about it.

I agree. Not that I have a problem with him becoming Grand Master, as his father was, and his descendant Kol was also a prominent member of the Order before his death, I simply didn't like the idea that Luke had already pegged him as one, and was basically choosing his destiny for him. A similar thing kept popping up with the Solo children, and I was happy when Anakin finally called everyone out on it in Abyss, pointing out that the Jedi can't wait for some great and powerful leader to come along.

 

I never felt Ben ever had the chance to grow to be his own character, due to all the crazy events that happen right before and during his teenage years

 

Yeah. Anakin's appearance in Abyss was sheer, unadulterated awesome. One of the best moments in Denning's books, and in FOTJ overall it may have been in the Top 5 moments. Especially since he told Ben not to let anyone expect him to be the big, ultimate hero of the Jedi. When they do that, things usually end badly. Anakin dies, Jacen goes dark , and Ben's an accident waiting to happen as soon as he has a kid, unless the authors wise up and realize that heroes don't always have to die tragically or have something bad happen to them! What's with that. We've had the emotional-baggage heroes. Now, let's just have a hero who gleefully punches evil in the face for a change.

 

ironically it well for Luke when he became the hero

 

Wait, are you saying the emotional baggage worked for Luke or that gleeful-beat-up-the-bad-guy worked for Luke?

 

Could not agree more. Anakin Skywalker was emotionally unbalanced, haunted by his past, visions and a need to rebel. Luke Skywalker's spent his life trying to undo his father's mistakes, and plagued by the tolls being a Jedi will take on a person's life. Anakin Solo spent is his early years fearing he'd become like his grandfather, and his later years blaming himself for everything that went wrong. Jacen....Jacen was constantly questioning his place in the galaxy, and eventually cracked under the pressure of his visions and went insane. Jaina's probably had the easiest time, and that's because she spent so much time focusing more on her military career than her Jedi one (Same goes for her mother). We've seen what happens to Skywalker's in the future; a strung out junkie
that can barely function, and who's constantly seeing ghosts from his past and his family's past.

Let's have Ben be different and just enjoy being a lighthearted Jedi hero. His relationship with Vestara's sure to leave a mark, but without trying to sound like a jerk, he's young and will bounce back. If anything, i'd want him to be similar to Obi-Wan Pre-Order 66, able to crack jokes and loved for his wry wit. Anakin, Luke, and NJO Jacen are some of my favorite characters in Star Wars history, but it gets tiresome seeing heroes have so much crap shoved into their lives.

 

IT IS INEVITABLE

 

Revanfan1 actually I was saying that Luke was destined to be the hero like his father and unlike his predecessor or his descendants he didn't become Sith, died, or almost become nuts. Jaina look like she was just about to inherit the mantle and be just like her uncle. a sign that the hero can be that gleeful beat up the bad guy type person without their being negative consequences

 

Agreed. Anakin in Edge of Victory rocks because there's not too much emotional baggage aside from wanting to save Tahiri; he wants to whoop Vong butt and save the girl because it's the right thing to do and he's a karking hero, and someone has to do it. Yes, pre-O66 Obi-Wan would be ideal for Ben's attitude. Fun and witty, but also able to be deadly serious when the time comes. Like Conviction shows, Ben can be totally serious when he believes his dad may be in trouble (he glared at the guy in a way that suggested if he even hurt Luke, Ben would make him pay). But he can also be quite humorous 99% of the time (searching through the scientist's closet and asking if he owned anything but black, to which Vestara says "You're one to talk!").

Yeah, Luke and Jaina are more fun than Dark Nest Jacen, who, while still portrayed as the hero, is kind of depressing to read. Ben needs to keep away from any emotional baggage that will make him "emo dude girls swoon over because dark past."

 

Revanfan1, right now being a idealistic hero is a refreshing change of pace. It work for Captain America and his character, and it will work for Luke's son be it Ben or whatever child he has in ST

 

I don't see the distinction between Dark Nest Jacen and Luke and Jaina in LOTF-FOTJ.

 

Jaina in FotJ followed the traditional approach of being a jedi, like I actually started liking her and her portrayal in the story, she gone from bug nut, to love triangle fluff, to an actual jedi and character with a set moral compass. LotF is another story . Jacen on the other hand started to follow the "if the ends justify the means" from DN on and I would argue from Traitor but I dont want to derail the thread.

 

TOO LATE!


Edit: I'd make a SOJ thread or something but I know where that road leads.

 

Actually in Omen Luke says Ben has no Friends. So we know it is fact.

 

I won't derail the thread either, but I'll just say I disagree. Three words dispel that idea: Force Heretic trilogy. In these he is actually unwilling to accept Zonama Sekot's help if it means wiping out the Vong.

Right, because dads never joke with their teenage sons.

 

To be honest it sounded like he was making fun of him for having no friends, so either it was a bad joke ( I didn't find it funny any way, more mean) or it was the truth.

 

Well, I don't think Luke is the type to be as cruel as making fun of his son for having no friends, but that's just my opinion.

 

Neither did I, so maybe he was trying to tell him to socialism more.

Or

Luke has been replaced by an evil/stupid clone after NJO and the real Luke is off with the real Jacen in some lab some where.

 

I like to think that real!Luke and real!Jacen are actually solving all the issues going on in the background while the protagonists of these stories blunder about thinking that they're doing it. It's like Inspector Gadget.

 

So Zahn's "Apology" was canon?

 

Luke makes for a fine Penny

 

I think in "An Apology" Luke died in TLC. I think it's escaped clones from another Thrawn cloning facility in the UR that took Luke and Jacen's places; the place Jaden found was a Site B.