Character Bio
Mara Jade, later Mara Jade Skywalker, was introduced in Timothy Zahn's novel,
Heir to the Empire (along with another fan favorite,
Grand Admiral Thrawn.) She is introduced as the Emperor's Hand, a lone operative under the personal direction of
Emperor Palpatine. She served as a bodyguard, spy, and assassin for Papatine until his death aboard the second
Death Star at the hand (and stump) of
Darth Vader. During the five years between the end of
Return of the Jedi and the start of
Heir to the Empire, she had operated on her own, plotting to kill
Luke Skywalker under the belief that it had been Luke that killed her former master. The novel's story forces them to work together for a time, and by the end she revokes her vow to kill Luke. Over time, they end up being close friends and eventually marry. Luke and Mara later have a son, Ben Skywalker, named after the late, great
Obi-Wan Kenobi. Along the way, Mara attends the Jedi Academy on
Yavin IV, later becoming an instructor and Jedi Master.
In Games
Mara Jade is one of the two playable characters in the expansion to
Dark Forces II: Jedi Knight. In this expansion,
Mysteries of the Sith, Mara Jade and
Kyle Katarn are taking part in a rare kind of Jedi mutual instruction, similar to a traditional master/student relationship but with each participant being a student and teacher simultaneously. Kyle Katarn goes missing, leaving Mara to track him down. As in other games in the Jedi Knight series, the player employs standard
Star Wars weapons, including blasters, thermal detonators, and, of course, the
lightsaber. In this game, Mara's lightsaber features a purple blade.
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