The One Character Who Can Actually Save Star Wars

By Chris Snellgrove
| Printed 13 seconds in the past

As an ‘80s child, I grew up throughout that fascinating time interval between Return of the Jedi and The Phantom Menace. It was a time when all new Star Wars content material got here within the type of books, comics, and video video games.

This led to the creation of some superior authentic characters, together with two fan-favorites from author Timothy Zahn: Grand Admiral Thrawn and Mara Jade. After Disney destroyed the previous (Kylo Ren could be proud) by eradicating the Star Wars Expanded Universe from canon, they introduced again Thrawn in an enormous manner, but when Disney hopes to avoid wasting Star Wars, additionally they have to carry again Mara Jade.

Who’s Mara Jade, you ask? Launched in Zahn’s Inheritor to the Empire, Jade is a gifted girl whose intelligence and Pressure sensitivity led her into Imperial service because the Emperor’s Hand. Her life is thrown into chaos when the Emperor dies, and she or he is later compelled to reluctantly work with Luke Skywalker (whom she blames for Palpatine’s dying) towards Thrawn and his resurgent Imperial forces.

Jade’s reputation amongst followers helped make her one of the crucial outstanding Star Wars EU characters, and she or he went on to turn into Luke’s spouse and mom to his baby. Now, based mostly on the whole lot we learn about Luke’s life after Return of the Jedi, it appears to be like just like the hermit-like Jedi Grasp had no time for love. However Disney+ may simply adapt the remainder of Mara Jade’s story for future exhibits and movies, and this type of olive department to older followers could also be all that may save Star Wars.

As to why Star Wars wants saving, the place can we begin? The Sequel Trilogy was a muddled mess that left most followers sad, and many of the  Disney+ TV exhibits have ranged from mildly disappointing (The Ebook of Boba Fett) to offensively bland (The Acolyte). Now that the solo Rey film has misplaced author Steve Knight, it appears clearer than ever that Disney doesn’t actually know what it’s doing with a franchise that it paid billions to safe from George Lucas.

Nonetheless, making Mara Jade the middle of her personal solo movies and TV exhibits may assist proper this sinking starship, and that’s not simply my fanboy nostalgia speaking. Jade is like Grand Admiral Thrawn in that she is a recognized amount. The character already has legions of followers because of her cool backstory. It’s an affordable wager that her story will win over new followers as nicely, thanks primarily to her cool connection to each Palpatine and the Pressure.

Moreover, re-introducing Mara Jade again to Star Wars canon would imply Disney has a powerful feminine character, one thing that the franchise has lately been battling. Daisy Ridley’s Rey was imagined to be that rent, however her character divided audiences reasonably than uniting them. With manufacturing difficulties of the solo Rey movie probably placing that film’s launch in jeopardy, there isn’t a time like the current for Star Wars to concentrate on a feminine protagonist with out as a lot controversy or baggage.  

As a result of Mara Jade was an Imperial spy lengthy earlier than she grew to become a smuggler, it could be straightforward to insert her into any Star Wars time interval. For instance, she may simply be launched in Andor’s closing season as an Imperial agent since Palpatine recruited her as a younger baby. Alternatively, she may pop up within the time interval of exhibits like The Mandalorian as somebody weighing the Empire she as soon as proudly served towards the ragged remnant it has turn into. 

Talking of The Mandalorian, some followers assume the present has already covertly launched Jade within the type of Elia Kane (Kate M. O’Brian), somebody whose title and obvious loyalty to Moff Gideon may each be cowl tales. Whereas that may require tweaking a little bit of Jade’s background from the books, Disney could be fortunate to have a performer as gifted as O’Brian (greatest recognized for the superb Love Lies Bleeding) play one of the crucial well-known characters in Star Wars.

Regardless of who performs her or how she is launched, Mara Jade must turn into an official a part of Star Wars canon once more. She’s an excellent character with limitless storytelling potential, one who gained over the fandom lengthy earlier than the prequels got here out. Together with her on the roster, Disney would possibly be capable to do one thing that now appears almost not possible: create good Star Wars content material once more.