George Lucas never brought one of the best characters from Star Wars to the cinema

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George Lucas never made Luke Skywalker a husband in the original Star Wars trilogy. But in the Expanded Universe he found the woman of his life. She is such an interesting character that she deserves to appear in films and series.

Which character is it? In the Expanded Universe, which takes place outside of the original film trilogy in books, comics, video games and other film and series formats, Luke Skywalker is married to Mara Jade Skywalker.

She was first mentioned in Timothy Zahn’s 1991 novel Heir to the Empire. She carried out missions for Emperor Palpatine and was trained in the use of the dark side of the Force. Her final mission for the Emperor was to kill Luke Skywalker.

But she couldn’t kill him and instead became his wife. She was also trained as a Jedi, had their son Ben Skywalker and was given a seat on the Jedi Council. She was a real power woman who found her own way.

One of the currently less popular series adaptations is The Acolyte:

The Acolyte takes place decades before the Star Wars films

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George Lucas never wanted her in the movies

Why did she never appear in the movies? Skywalker’s evolution from villain to heroine makes her an interesting character. But Lucas has spoken disparagingly about the Expanded Universe, which includes Mara Jade, in several interviews.

In a 2008 interview, Lucas explained that in the novels that go beyond the events of Episode 4, things happen that he himself never planned (via Star Wars News Net). In the commentary for the Original Trilogy Special Edition DVD, he makes his displeasure clear:

The Expanded Universe stories are another author’s interpretation of what I created and should not be seriously considered as what actually happens in the Star Wars world.

George Lucas, Flannelled One, March 2008, via Wookieepedia

Lucas did not consider the Expanded Universe to be part of his vision for Star Wars. Luke Skywalker’s vow of celibacy (a chosen celibacy) did not fit with the character Mara Jade, as former Lucasfilm editor JW Rinzler explained (via The Resistance Broadcast).

Could we see Mara Jade in newer series? Thanks to the newer Star Wars adaptations, characters from the Expanded Universe are suddenly appearing. This includes Grand Admiral Thrawn, who can be seen in Ahsoka. The series fulfilled a nerdy wish of Anakin Skywalker actor Hayden Christensen. But Mara Jade’s chances are worse because her marriage makes her incompatible with George Lucas’ original vision.

There are some characters that come close to Mara Jade’s story:

  • Shin Hati from Ahsoka has some similarities with Mara Jade. They are both strong fighters who have connections to the Dark Side of the Force.
  • Asajj Ventress from The Clone Wars and The Bad Batch also switched sides. She had strong ties to the Dark Side, but then freed herself from her thirst for vengeance and became an ally of the Jedi.

    • But neither of the two characters could replace Mara Jade. So it remains to be seen whether there might be a series in the future in which Mara Jade appears in a parallel universe.

    George Lucas is extremely strict about his vision of Star Wars. He took legal action against the Chilean version because it advertised beer: In one version of Star Wars, Obi Wan treated himself to a beer – George Lucas had to intervene

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