The only character who can actually save Star Wars

By Chris Snellgrove | Published 13 seconds ago

As a child of the 80s, I grew up in this interesting time in between Return of the Jedi And The Phantom Menace. It was a time when all new Star Wars content was available in the form of books, comics and video games.

This led to the creation of some fantastic original characters, including two fan favorites from author Timothy Zahn: Grand Admiral Thrawn and Mara Jade. After Disney destroyed the past (Kylo Ren would be proud) by removing the Star Wars Expanded Universe from canon, they brought back Thrawn in a big way, but if Disney wants to save Star Wars, they need to bring back Mara Jade too.

Who is Mara Jade, you ask? Introduced at Zahn Heir to the EmpireJade is a talented woman whose intelligence and Force sensitivity led her into the Emperor’s service as Hand of the Emperor. Her life is thrown into chaos when the Emperor dies, and she is later forced to reluctantly work with Luke Skywalker (whom she blames for Palpatine’s death) against Thrawn and his resurgent Imperial forces.

Jade’s popularity with fans helped her become one of the most recognizable Star Wars EU characters and she became Luke’s wife and mother of his child. Based on everything we know about Luke’s life afterward Return of the Jediit looks like the reclusive Jedi Master didn’t have time for love. But Disney+ could easily adapt the rest of Mara Jade’s story for future shows and films, and this kind of olive branch to older fans could be all that can save Star Wars.

Where do we start with why Star Wars needs saving? The sequel trilogy was a confused mess that left most fans dissatisfied, and most Disney+ TV shows were mildly disappointing (The Book of Boba Fett) to offensively boring (The Acolyte). After the solo Rey film lost writer Steve Knight, it seems clearer than ever that Disney doesn’t really know what it’s doing with a franchise it paid billions to secure from George Lucas.

However, making Mara Jade the focus of her own solo films and TV shows could help right this sinking spaceship, and that’s not just my fanboy’s nostalgia. Jade is similar to Grand Admiral Thrawn in that she is a known quantity. The character does has Legions of fans thanks to her cool backstory. It’s safe to assume that her story will also gain new fans, especially thanks to her cool connection to Palpatine and the Force.

Additionally, reintroducing Mara Jade into the Star Wars canon would mean Disney has a strong female character, something the franchise has struggled with recently. Daisy Ridley’s Rey was supposed to be that recruit, but her character divided audiences instead of uniting them. With the Solo Rey film’s production difficulties potentially jeopardizing that film’s release, there’s no better time for Star Wars to focus on a female protagonist without as much controversy or baggage.

Since Mara Jade was a spy for the Empire long before she became a smuggler, it would be easy to place her in any Star Wars period. For example, she could easily be introduced Andoris the final season as an Imperial agent since Palpatine recruited her as a young child. Alternatively, it could be during the period of shows such as: B. show up The Mandalorian As someone who balances the Empire, she once proudly served against the ragged remnant it has become.

Speaking of which The MandalorianSome fans believe that the series has already secretly introduced Jade in the form of Elia Kane (Kate M. O’Brian), someone whose name and apparent loyalty to Moff Gideon could both be cover stories. This would require some adjustment to Jade’s background from the books, but Disney would be lucky to have a cast member as talented as O’Brian (who is best known for his excellent performances). Love lies bleeding) play one of the most famous characters in Star Wars.

No matter who plays her or how she is introduced, Mara Jade needs to become an official part of the Star Wars canon again. She’s a great character with unlimited storytelling potential that has won over the fan base long before the release of the prequels. With her on the roster, Disney could do something that now seems almost impossible: create good Star Wars content again.