Who Is Mavra Zane In Star Wars? The Yellow Lightsaber Wielding Jedi Explained
It takes a lot of sacrifice to become a Jedi Knight. You must train in the ways of the Force and be a model guardian for justice. Most importantly, a major tenet of the Jedi Order is to pass down all that you have learned to the next generation. The rule of master and apprentice is the key building block that keeps the foundation of the Jedi Temple from falling down on top of Jocasta Nu's head. There is also the art of learning how to design and wield your very own lightsaber.
Obi-Wan learned from Qui-Gon, Ahsoka learned from Anakin, Luke learned from old Ben Kenobi and Yoda. And Luke told Rey to leave him alone. But wannabe Force users learned how to use their lightsaber from another teacher: Mavra Zane. If you were a "Star Wars" fan and a nimble gamer during the spring of 2012, chances are you know exactly who Mavra Zane is. Carrying a rare yellow-bladed lightsaber with an elegant hilt, Zane was a core character in "Kinect Star Wars" for Xbox. The game allowed players to learn how to use a lightsaber in a new and unique way at the time. Here's the official synopsis:
"Kinect Star Wars" brings the Star Wars Universe to life like never before. Harnessing the controller-free power of Kinect for Xbox 360, "Kinect Star Wars" allows fans to physically experience training as a Jedi, using the Force and battling with a lightsaber. Using full body motions, players can live out the ultimate Star Wars fantasy, no controller required.
With "Kinect Star Wars," player movement was key. Mavra Zane instructed the Padawans, showing them all how to pull off basic moves after picking out their chosen lightsabers, and mirroring what the players themselves are doing. More than Yoda himself, Mavra Zane was their favorite teacher in the ways of the Force.
Dark Side Rising
Within the "Kinect Star Wars" game campaign, Mavra Zane fits in rather seamlessly with established Jedi Masters like Yoda, Obi-Wan and Mace Windu. During the game's training sequences, Zane comes across as a more relatable instructor with a cool, calm and collected demeanor that makes her a little more fun to hang out in class with. Portrayed by famed video game voice actress Jennifer Hale and motion-capture actress Michelle Lee, there's a lot of life breathed into the character. She feels like a real part of the Star Wars universe from the second you press the start button.
The game begins sometime after the events of "The Phantom Menace," and the opening crawl provides a little more context:
DARK SIDE RISING
"It is a time of uncertainty. Alarmed by the encounter with the Sith Lord Darth Maul on Naboo, the Jedi Council has begun strengthening the ranks of the Jedi Order by opening training outposts to instruct a new generation of Padawan."
The story takes off from there. Mavra Zane is sent to the Wookie home planet Kashyyk to train a new generation of Jedi. (Playing the game, you got to tag along from the comfort of your own living room.) The official campaign for the game starts when the Trandoshans attack Kashyyk as part of a sinister plot to hurl the Galactic Republic into a full-scale war. Zane and the other Padawans eventually meet up with Chewbacca where she and her students are captured and taken to a prison outpost circling the planet Felucia. While there, they discover a secret plan devised by the Commerce Guild to attack one of the Core Worlds. Zane leads the fight and encounters two Dark Acolytes of the Force as she races back towards Coruscant to stop the Commerce Guild's fleet before it's too late.
Having not played Star Wars Kinect myself, just watching this plot unfold in story mode is a pretty thrilling experience that really makes Mavra Zane feel like part of the fabric of "Star Wars." Sadly, after her heroics, she is presumed dead after the events of Order 66.
The significance of Mavra Zane's yellow lightsaber
As most "Star Wars" fans already know, every lightsaber is powered by a single kyber crystal that can be molded or "bled" into a certain color depending on the wielder's own balance with the Force. If you're on team Dark Side, it's red; if you serve the light, it's green or blue. For Ahsoka Tano, her white blades signify no allegiance whatsoever. Astute viewers watching the new "Ahsoka" series may also have noticed the orange-bladed lightsabers that Baylon Skoll and Shin Hati are in possession of, that also have their own hidden meaning.
The yellow lightsaber has mostly been seen in the hands of the Jedi Temple Guards on Coruscant, who appear multiple times in "Star Wars: The Clone Wars" and "Star Wars Rebels." In that context, the yellow hue is a symbol of anonymity. The color yellow works as a political symbol in a way, allowing the Temple Guards to remain completely neutral. They are representatives of the Jedi Order and cannot be swayed to any one side.
The reason why Mavra Zane is in possession of a yellow lightsaber is something of a mystery. It immediately sets her apart from other Jedi instructors, and could signify loyalty to the Jedi Temple itself instead of a particular dedication to the light side of the Force. She is a teacher first, and a Jedi second.
Her weapon is clearly visible in "Star Wars Kinect," and the swirling pattern on the hilt shows that her blade isn't just a generic lightsaber used by the Temple Guards. Mavra Zane has made modifications to the blade, it seems. One character in "Ahsoka" that's new to live-action, the architect droid Huyang (David Tennant), has constructed lightsabers for thousands of years and would definitely be able to offer up an explanation about the origins of Mavra Zane's blade if ever given the chance.
Mavra Zane is in good company
Although Mavra Zane isn't considered a pivotal character in the "Star Wars" galaxy, she is an important part of the prequel era for the younger generation of fans, regardless of whether or not she is part of the official canon. Wielding a yellow lightsaber also places her in very good company, with the likes of Luke Skywalker, Rey, Asajj Ventress, and Ahsoka Tano, who possessed a yellow-green lightsaber at one time.
The yellow lightsaber may become even more significant down the road when "Ahsoka" comes to a close and we start to learn more about "The Acolyte," the Disney+ series that will finally explore a new era in "Star Wars," 100 years before "The Phantom Menace." A clue was already planted about this in the sixth issue of Marvel Comics' "Star Wars," where Luke is shown carrying a High Republic-era yellow lightsaber from the planet Tempes. In the recent novels set in the time of the High Republic, there are a number of Jedi who carry yellow lightsabers such as Indeera Stokes who is found in the pages of "Light of the Jedi."
It's assumed that as the Force became more unbalanced over time, the more neutral yellow lightsaber was slowly phased out of the Jedi Order to combat the emergence of the Sith. When "The Acolyte" finally premieres sometime (hopefully) in 2024, the yellow blade may become much more prominent in live-action. Up until now, "The Rise of Skywalker" is the only example, showing Rey — the Jedi with no name — igniting one as the twin suns set on Tatooine.
As far as Mavra Zane is concerned, there may be more of a connection established between the yellow lightsaber's relationship to the Force and the mysteries hidden inside the Jedi Temple that could make her a more integral part of the "Star Wars" legacy, if you choose to go that deep into the lore.