Anakin Skywalker MET Cal Kestis? (Before Jedi: Fallen Order)

Did You Know Anakin Skywalker Actually Met Cal Kestis?

No—we’re not talking about Darth Vader’s confrontation with Cal at the end of Jedi: Fallen Order. This encounter happened years earlier, when Anakin was still a Jedi Knight of the Republic.

A Brief Encounter in Brotherhood

In the canon novel Brotherhood, set between Attack of the Clones and Revenge of the Sith, the Jedi Order is reeling from the losses at the Battle of Geonosis. To bolster their ranks, the Jedi Council authorizes a rare mass knighting ceremony, promoting over a thousand Padawans—including Anakin Skywalker.

After the ceremony, Jedi Master Jaro Tapal approaches to congratulate the newly minted Knight. Standing at his side is a young, red-haired Padawan—Cal Kestis.

Anakin looks down and sees the boy giving him a wide-eyed, excited glance. It’s just a moment—a passing introduction. But it marks the first meeting between Anakin and Cal.

Years Later: From Jedi Knight to Sith Lord

Years after that encounter, Anakin Skywalker becomes Darth Vader. Cal, now a fugitive from the Jedi Purge, finds himself face-to-face with Vader in the depths of the Fortress Inquisitorius.

Did Vader remember that moment from so long ago? The wide-eyed boy beside Jaro Tapal? Or was that part of Anakin truly gone?

While we may never know, the scene is a haunting reminder of how deeply intertwined the lives of Jedi were—and how tragically many of those threads were severed by the fall of Anakin Skywalker.

At sabercouncil.com, we honor every Jedi’s story, from the hopeful Padawan to the last survivors. Shop custom lightsabers inspired by legends like Anakin and Cal.