Jacen and Jaina Solo

Jacen Solo and Jaina Solo, the ill-fated twins of Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa-Solo. Older brother and sister of Anakin Solo who died turning the tide for the Jedi in the Yuuzhan-Vong war. Jaina would, sadly, later have to kill Jacen when he falls to the Dark Side - not everyday that a twin has to commit fratricide.

This particular pair is actually very hard to find and is the first time the twins were cast into action figures despite having been around for quite some time (Hell Jacen's dead already for crying out loud). It's actually quite surprising that these two have come quite late. Unsung members of Rogue Squadron and countless background Jedi were cast into figures before these two. Because of this they are very hard to find - even on Amazon where they retail each for  US$ 22.99 to US$25.99 from their original US$ 7.99. They're among the last figures of Hasbro's Legacy collection that was released in early 2010.

So when I saw them on Ebay Philippines, at that price I grabbed them for Christmas. They're extremely hard to find. If you chance upon them, and you're a Star Wars die-hard like me, it's well worth the black-market PhP 1,000.



Jaina Solo:

After the death of Anakin Solo, Jaina Solo and the Jedi survivors of the Myrkr mission to destroy the Jedi hunting Voxyn were officially recognized in a formal ceremony as Jedi Knights. While being knighted, Jedi Grandmaster Luke Skywalker was prompted by the Force to say the following "I name you the Sword of the Jedi. You are like tempered steel, purposeful and razor-keen. Always you shall be in the front rank, a burning brand to your enemies, a brilliant fire to your friends. Yours is a restless life, and never shall you know peace, though you shall be blessed for the peace that you bring to others. Take comfort in the fact that, though you stand tall and alone, others take shelter in the shadow that you cast."  


At that time, Jaina thought that it meant that she would be in the fore-front of the Yuuzhan Vong war - which she was - but later she realized that it was a premonition of the fact that she was the one who would have to put a stop to Darth Caedus - her twin brother, Jacen Solo. 


Jaina inherited Han Solo's maverick cow-boy fighting style along with his mechanic abilities and was so sly that eventually the Yuuzhan Vong thought that she was the incarnation of their trickster goddess Yun-Harla - which she exploited to the hilt. She was the Jedi who took down Yuuzhan Vong Warmaster Tsavong Lah.


Jaina Solo is a an ace pilot and accomplished mechanic. She is the third Jedi to become a member of Rogue Squadron where she was given the call-sign "Sticks" referring to the fact that she had two sticks: the joy-stick and her lightsaber when she flew. For a while she even commanded Rogue Squadron. She was also the commander of Hardpoint Squadron and Twin-Suns Squadron (Luke Skywalker's personal elite squadron. He turned over command to her to better build her "goddess" status during the Yuuzhan Vong war reasoning that  if the Vong found out that the Jedi Grandmaster Luke Skywalker was following her command, then she truly must be goddess), and a member of Rakeshell Squadron.


Her romantic life is just as colorful and she has a thing for bad boys, having "dated" shadow-academy (Sith) member Zekk, and the Jedi Master who once tried to destroy the universe Kyp Durron. She is currently the paramour of the leader of the Imperial Remnant (Yes, her parent's old enemies) Head of State Jagged Fel. 


And she is the second known Jedi to use a purple lightsaber. The first being Master Mace Windu. 

 Jacen Solo:


Also known as Darth Caedus. The ironic thing about Jacen Solo's life is that his fall to the darkside was brought about by the fact that he was a pacifist. Despite the best efforts of his master - Luke - to whom he was first apprenticed, he could not accept violence as a solution to protect the universe. So he spent most of his time thinking and in his studies. Jacen had a natural affinity for the Living Force and could practically communicate with animals - where his sister could "talk" to machines. 


But violence did come and fight he did have to. He was present in the jedi raid of Myrkr where his younger brother Anakin Solo sacrificed his life so that his fellow jedi - including his sister Jaina, could escape. Jacen was captured after killing the queen of the Voxyn and cut off from the force. He was, for all intents and purposes, dead. 

He spent nearly a year being tortured by an ex-jedi who served the Yuuzhan Vong, Vergere. Vergere planted the seeds in Jacen that there is no true Light side or Dark side. Power is power. How you use it and why you use it is what matters. Everything is gray. Everything is permitted. It can be said that Jacen grew to embrace the Darkside while in captivity without really becoming a Sith. He eventually escaped and rejoined the war, eventually killing the only Yuuzhan Vong Force sensitive, Onimi during the 2nd battle of Corruscant. His affinity for animals served him well as he was actually able to command and control the amphistaffs of his enemies, turning them from living weapons to living armor.

After the war he disappeared, studying different philosophies, embracing as much knowledge as possible. Unfortunately he also started having dark visions about the future and a coming dark menace. He returned with the strong belief that sacrifices had to be made to save both the universe and the ones he loved - specifically his daughter Allana who is his love child with fellow Jedi Tenel Ka Djo - who was now Queen of Hapes and who lost an arm because of Jacen (He cut it off accidentally when they were younger). He became the sith apprentice of Lumiya, a Sith and former emperor's hand, master of the Light-whip, who had a severe grudge against Luke Skywalker. Under her tutelage he realized that if he did not turn to the dark-side or use the dark side more and more, he would kill Luke Skywalker and the galaxy would fall into darkness.

Apparently having inherited his mother's knack for politics, Jacen rose to power and eventually became the head of the Republic. Among his crimes are, the deaths of Mara Jade-Skywalker - his aunt, and Luke Skywalker's wife; and Ailyn Vel, Boba Fett's daughter; he fired on - and nearly destroyed the Millenium Falcon while both his parents were in it; and he tortured Ben Skywalker - Luke's son - in an attempt to turn him to the Dark Side in the same way he was turned.

His mad rampage was eventually stopped by a galactic civil war and his twin sister Jaina Solo. By the time he became Darth Caedus, he had lost all affinity for animals.

His actions would lead to the later exile of Luke Skywalker due to his failure to detect and stop Jacen's rise to power.

In terms of their value as action figures, please note the following:

- Jacen feels like a repaint of an old Luke Skywalker (Bespin uniform) with a Han Solo head attached

- Jaina's skirt limits her poseability.

But otherwise, great action figures and a crowning must have for any Star Wars collection