Episode 3 of Ahsoka featured a character that was only seen at the end of Star Wars Rebels, so fans of the show may not be familiar with exactly who they are.
Near the start of Episode 3 of Ahsoka, it was revealed that Hera Syndulla was on board a New Republic frigate and had a meeting scheduled with Chancellor Mon Mothma as well as some other senators.
Her goal was to get the New Republic to aid Ahsoka and Sabine as they went on their way to find Thrawn, but the committee ultimately decided not to send it.
However, Mon Mothma did ask Hera about someone named Jacen, a character that Star Wars Rebels fans are definitely familiar with.
A few moments later, a young boy appeared on-screen calling Hera "mom," and at that moment, Jacen Syndulla made his live-action appearance.
Who Plays Jacen Syndulla in Star Wars: Ahsoka?
Jacen Syndulla was played by 13-year-old actor Evan Whitten in Episode 3 of Ahsoka.
Before Ahsoka, Whitten most notably played the child version of Rami Malek's Elliot in six episodes of the critically acclaimed Mr. Robot and portrayed one of the lead characters (Alex) in Netflix's 2023 fantasy movie Chupa.
Who Did Hera Syndulla Have a Son With?
Some fans may be surprised to see that Hera actually has a son, and may even wonder exactly who Jacen's father is.
Jacen was born in 1 BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) to Hera Syndulla and Jedi Knight Kanan Jarrus.
However, Kanan unfortunately did not get to meet his son, as he heroically sacrificed himself before Jacen's birth.
Even though it has not been confirmed, it is possible that Jacen is force-sensitive as a result of Kanan, a force wielder, being his father. Episode 3 teased that he could eventually become a Jedi when Jacen told Hera that he wanted to become one.
Why Is Jacen Syndulla Human?
Since Hera is a Twi'lek, it may be odd to some to see that her son, Jacen, is, in fact, human.
Technically, the boy is not actually human, but a hybrid between a Twi'lek and a human since his parents were each a different species.
Therefore, he appears human because Kanan is his father, and the most likely explanation is that his physical genes came from Kanan.
Why Does Jacen Have Green Hair?
It may have looked as though Jacen Syndulla had dyed his hair green in Episode 3 of Ahsoka, but that is actually the character's natural hair color.
Since Hera is a Twi'lek and she has green skin, that is the reason that Jacen's hair is the same color.
It is true that his hair is not as light in tone as Hera's skin, but that is where the green comes from in his hair.
Why Did Hera Name Her Son Jacen?
It may surprise viewers to learn that Jacen's name actually had nothing to do with Hera or Kanan and that his name was just a bit of fan service from Ahsoka and Rebels creator Dave Filoni.
In Star Wars Legends, Jacen is the first name of one of Han Solo and Leia Organa Solo's twins.
Back when Legends was known as the Expanded Universe, fans fell in love with the character and considered his story in the post-Return of the Jedi era to be one of the more captivating tales in all of the galaxy.
Filoni stated in an interview with Gizmodo that naming Hera's child Jacen and having a canon character with that name "honor[ed] the Expanded Universe" and also provided "a little bit of a wink" to fans of those stories:
"It seemed, in a very small way, naming him ‘Jacen’ was a way to honor the expanded universe character of Jacen Solo who just really isn’t there anymore as the timelines have changed. I thought that’s a little bit of a wink to people that I know that was an important character. And maybe, in some way, that lives on through this character. I don’t know yet."
It is also important to note that Jacen Solo was actually created by Timothy Zahn in his 1990s trilogy of novels known as the Heir to the Empire trilogy.
Those now-Legends novels are ironically inspiring the Ahsoka series on Disney+, bringing the entire meaning of Jacen Syndulla's name full circle.
Episode 3 of Ahsoka is available to stream on Disney+.
