By the end of his reign, tension between the upper and lower classes as well as inbreeding among the small number of noble families led to the loss of the Lords' influence over the common people.
Shortly after, in the middle of the ninth century, the Classic Mayan cities collapsed due to deforestation, soil depletion, drought, over-hunting, and overpopulation.
A fictional portrayal of Yax Ahau Xoc is found in the young adult novel in the form of a diary, Lady of Palenque: Flower of Bacal by Anna Kirwan.
In the novel, the author gives Yax Ahau Xoc the fictional personal name Shana'Kin Yaxchel Pacal ("Green Jay on the Wall").
The Lady's husband, Lord Fire Keeper, died at age 46 after thirteen years of marriage and left his kingdom to his 12-year-old son.