Anakin Solo was a major protagonist in the New Jedi Order series until his death in Star by Star, at which point, his brother Jacen Solo took up the mantle of main protagonist.
He is the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, younger brother to Jacen and Jaina Solo, nephew of Anakin and Mara Jade Skywalker, and cousin of Ben Skywalker. He is named after his grandfather: Anakin Skywalker, but feared in becoming a Sith like his namesake. He died during the Yuuzhan Vong War, causing him to be mourned by his family and friends. Following his death, Anakin appeared twice as a ghost: first in Traitor, then in Fate of the Jedi: Abyss. After his brother's fall to the dark side, Anakin became the namesake for Lord Caedus's flagship. Leia named her son Anakin to 'redeem' the name of her father through her son. She wanted her son to become the man his grandfather failed to be, and Anakin certainly lived up to the task.
He was created by Tom Veitch, and first appeared in the second book of the Jedi Academy Trilogy: Dark Apprentice in June of 1994.