Mara Jadeis one of the most popularStar Warscharacters from the originalLegends continuity, and there may be a way for her to gain a counterpart in the modern canon – though perhaps without her and Luke Skywalker’s romantic relationship. Mara Jade was introduced to theStar Warsmythos in Timothy Zahn’s 1991 novelHeir to the Empire, which breathed new life into theStar Warsfranchise, along with theDark Empirecomic series that debuted that same year.
Mara Jade was part of the officialStar Warscanon for over 20 years until Legends became an alternate timeline. Mara Jade’s background as the dark side-trained adopted daughter of Emperor Palpatine, her compelling redemption arc, and her eventual romance with Luke Skywalker made her one of the most popular characters in the Legends timeline.
Naturally, with the Legends continuity serving as a wellspring of inspiration for the modern canon, some viewers hope for a new version of Mara Jade to be introduced in the newer timeline. Although a strong case can be made for Mara Jade remaining exclusive to the Legends timeline, the modern canon has created a potential opening for a new iteration of the iconic Emperor’s Hand.
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The Inquisitors Are A Chance To Introduce New Dark Side Force-Sensitives
TheImperial Inquisitors– dark side-using Imperial Intelligence agents who assisted the Sith in hunting down the Jedi – were introduced in Legends, butStar Wars Rebelsreimagined them for the modern canon. The new version of Inquisitors – who are less powerful than their original incarnation and no longer part of Imperial Intelligence – are quite popular among viewers and have had major roles in modern canon materials.
The original Legends continuity’s Inquisitors could become exceptionally powerful, with the Inquisitor Jerec being one of the most likely potential replacements for Darth Vader. Jerec became a major threat to the New Republic in the year afterReturn of the Jedi.
Inquisitors are genuinely threatening toJedi who survived Order 66, yet are hardly a threat to the likes of Sith Lords like Darth Vader and exceptional Jedi such as Ahsoka Tano or Obi-Wan Kenobi. Given that Imperial Inquisitors consistently introduce new dark side users to the original trilogy era, it would be understandable to assume that a new version of Mara Jade might be a former Inquisitor.
While not impossible, this is most likely not the case, asall Inquisitors are former Jedi who fell to the dark side voluntarily or after prolonged torture. Making Mara Jade a former Inquisitor is an easy way to create a new iteration of her, but there is another way for her to join the newer timeline – one that connects her to the Inquisitors without making her one.
Star Wars Has Confirmed The Inquisitors Kidnapped Children
Before the Jedi Purge, Palpatine (as Darth Sidious) initiated a sinister scheme during the Clone Wars, in which the bounty hunterCad Banekidnapped Force-sensitive infants and brought them to a secret facility on Mustafar. Palpatine intended to turn the infants into dark side agents, but the plan failed, at least for a time. Once the Republic became the Empire, Palpatine restarted the project, deeming it Project Harvester and having his Inquisitors carry out the kidnappings.
Where Did Darth Vader’s Inquisitors Go? Shocking Star Wars Theory Reveals A Secret Order 66
The story of what happened to the Inquisitors once their mission was completed has never been told - and it may be one of Star Wars' darkest tales.
While some younglings were rescued during the Empire’s reign, it is unknown what became of those who were not so lucky. One possibility is that a new version of Mara Jade might be one such youngling. In her original Legends-era incarnation,Mara Jade was taken from her parents by Palpatine at an extremely young agedue to her astoundingly strong connection to the Force.
Mara was raised as an assassin and spy, with well-honed dark side powers by the outbreak of the Galactic Civil War. This aligns quite well with Palpatine’s intended use for the Force-sensitive children of Project Harvester, making it a natural place to introduce a new version of Mara Jade to the modern canon.
We’ve Never Seen Force-Sensitive Children Inducted Into The Inquisitors
NoStar Warsproperty has shown what happened to the Force-sensitive beings who were successfully kidnapped for Project Harvester. If a new iteration of Mara Jade is among them, she could end up having a similar upbringing to her original incarnation. If Mara Jade also has an exceptional connection to the Force in the modern canon, she might have been singled out by Palpatine and raised by him like she was in the Legends continuity.This would separate her from the other dark side agents of Project Harvesterand possibly explain her survival of the Empire’s downfall.
In the Legends timeline, Mara Jade remained a loyal spy and assassin for Palpatine up to the Battle of Endor. Once Palpatine died (for the first of several times) and the Empire quickly fractured into warlord factions, Mara Jade was betrayed by Ysanne Isard, who saw her as a threat to her own standing within the Empire. Mara Jade would not fully sever her ties with Palpatine until she learned that she was not his only dark side spy and assassin.
Mara Jade also grappled with a Force-powered suggestion from Palpatine to kill Luke Skywalker. Mara satisfied the command without actually killing Luke by impaling a Luuke Skywalker – a clone of Luke.
Mara Jade Could Even Still Be An Emperor’s Hand
Mara Jade’s original title in the Legends continuity was Emperor’s Hand, a position shared with other covert dark side agents. Some of the most dangerous and influential Emperor’s Hands were Lumiya – who would initiate the next Sith Order after the fall of Darth Bane’s dynasty – and Cronal – the conniving mastermind behind the Mindor campaign. Fascinatingly,the title of Emperor’s Hand carried over into the newer timeline, albeit with a different meaning.
While the modern canon’s Emperor’s Hands remain covert agents of Palpatine, they no longer need to be Force-sensitive, as the Mandalorian Gar Saxon was among them. A modern canon version of Mara Jade could have become an Emperor’s Hand after having been trained as a dark side agent following her abduction via Project Harvester.
Mara Jade’s training and position within the Empire could have made her one of Palpatine’s most valuable agents, perhaps even allowing her to survive the intentional destruction of the Empire following the Battle of Endor. While she still would not quite match her original incarnation in theStar WarsLegends continuity, this hypothetical new incarnation of Mara Jade would retain elements of her original background in the modern canon.
The Mandalorian and Grogu
