Star Wars Execs Refuse To Let Writers Bring One Beloved Character Back

When Disney purchased Lucasfilm in 2012, a lot changed. Primarily, it came with the promise of new "Star Wars" movies and TV shows. It also meant that the old "Star Wars" Expanded Universe (which was composed of comic books, novels, video games, and so forth) would be re-dubbed the non-canonical "Star Wars Legends." And while various writers have since tried to bring one popular EU character back into the franchise's canon (as others have made the jump), Lucasfilm has repeatedly shot them down.

The character in question is none other than Luke Skywalker's once-villanous wife Mara Jade. Created by Timothy Zahn as part of the classic "Heir to the Empire" novel trilogy published in the early 1990s, she quickly became a fan-favorite, and many fans have been hoping she will be brought into the new canon. 

During the Writing the Star Wars Universe panel at MegaCon 2026 (via Popverse), author Claudia Gray ("Star Wars: Bloodline," "Star Wars: Lost Stars") revealed that she's pitched including Mara Jade in her books. "A couple of times I was like, 'Really? Really, no Mara Jade?' And they were like, '[Stern voice] Nope,' Gray explained. She isn't the only one, it turns out. "I asked them too," revealed Zahn, who was likewise present at the panel. Nevertheless, he, too, was told no.

This isn't the first time Zahn has mentioned this, either. At a panel at Dragon Con in 2024, the author was asked which Legends character he'd like to see brought into the new "Star Wars" canon. "The obvious one, Mara Jade," he said at the time (per Popverse). "I keep nudging Lucasfilm, asking them if I could write a book. The answers come back basically some place between 'no' and 'heck no.'"

Timothy Zahn and Claudia Gray are responsible for some of the best "Star Wars" books ever written. If Lucasfilm is telling them no, it's unlikely that anyone else is going to get a yes.

Moreover, it appears Lucasfilm has been consistent and stern on the matter, which itself begs the question: Why? Grand Admiral Thrawn, whom Zahn also created, was brought back into the canon in the all-time great animated "Star Wars" series "Rebels." He's since made the jump to live-action by serving as the big bad of "Ahsoka," and he may well be the villain in Lucasfilm boss Dave Filoni's as-yet unmade movie. In short: Legends characters have been brought into the canon before, so why not Mara Jade? 

Maybe it has something to do with her history. For those unfamiliar, she made her debut in 1991's "Heir to the Empire" and was a big part of that trilogy. At that point, she had already restarted her life after her time as a secret assassin for Emperor Palpatine. She eventually became the second in command of a smuggling organization as well. And while she was compelled to kill Luke Skywalker in her previous life, the Jedi saw past that and helped set her on a different path. The pair eventually got married, she became a Jedi, and they had a kid, Ben Skywalker. Ultimately, Mara appeared in various novels and comics before being killed by the Sith Lord Darth Caedus, aka her nephew Jacen Solo. 

Of course, this does not align at all with the aged, reclusive version of Luke we see onscreen in "The Last Jedi," and it's nearly impossible to imagine Mara Jade fitting into the actual film canon without a lot of effort. As it stands, it feels nearly impossible fit her into the canon Skywalker Family tree as it now exists, barring sweeping changes.

Still, who knows? Maybe Lucasfilm will change its position one day, but for now, Mara Jade is a thing of the past.