Mara Jade is one of the most popular characters in the original Star Wars timeline franchise despite not being canon (yet). While the Star Wars canon universe significantly differs from Legends, especially after Return of the Jedi, many characters and other elements from the old continuity have been brought into the current one (albeit with notable alterations). One of the best-known examples of this is Grand Admiral Thrawn, another popular Legends character who was brought into canon by Star Wars Rebels.
For several decades, the Expanded Universe was treated as the official Star Wars timeline by many fans. With countless comics, video games, novels, and other media seamlessly tied to the original six saga films, Star Wars viewers could enjoy the franchise in more than just movies. When Disney acquired Lucasfilm and announced a new slate of films, they gave themselves a clean slate to tell new stories and rebranded the Expanded Universe as alternate continuity called "Legends." making only the original six saga films and Star Wars: The Clone Wars as part of their canon and began expanding the universe in this new canon through new books, comics, shows, and etc. Nevertheless, Disney has kept the Expanded Universe alive by continuing to sell Legends novels and video games, as well as using elements from Legends as inspiration for new canon stories.
One of the best-known characters from Legends is Mara Jade. Raised as Palpatine’s adopted daughter, Mara was an extremely powerful Force user who The Emperor used as his personal assassin. Known as an “Emperor’s Hand,” Mara served her adoptive father faithfully until his first death during the Battle of Endor. With the Empire descending into factions and warlordism and turning on her, Mara fled the Empire, becoming a smuggler. During Grand Admiral Thrawn’s Campaigns against the New Republic, she encountered Luke Skywalker, eventually severing her ties with her dark side past, joining the New Republic, and training as a Jedi. Years later, she and Luke Skywalker gradually fell in love and got married. Mara and Luke’s son, Ben Skywalker, also became a Jedi. Many years later, Mara Jade was killed by Jacen Solo (Han and Leia’s oldest child), who had become Darth Caedus, the apprentice of the Sith Lady Lumiya. While there's no way her story could play out anything like the Mara Jade from the Expanded universe, there's still quite a few elements of the character that could be brought into canon.
The Emperor’s Hand is Canon
Mara Jade’s title of “Emperor’s Hand” was brought into canon by Star Wars Rebels, in reference to Gar Saxon, the Viceroy of Mandalore and Imperial loyalist. In Star Wars Legends, the Emperor’s Hand was a title shared by at least thirteen Imperials, all Force-sensitive and schooled in the dark side of the Force. The Legends Emperor’s Hands were each under the impression they were the only one, and Mara’s discovery of this contributed to her disillusionment with the Sith and her adoptive father.
In canon, Saxon was referred to as the Emperor’s Hand, but he isn’t a Force user. It appears the title has a different meaning in the new continuity, possibly referencing an elite member of Palpatine’s inner circle who enforces his influence. Nevertheless, the term is best associated with Mara Jade, and she would likely still use the title if she became part of the canon universe.
Grand Admiral Thrawn is Back in Canon
Mara Jade is not defined by her conflicts with Thrawn nor her romantic relationship with Luke Skywalker. Nevertheless, both are famous elements of her story in Legends and her first appearance was in Heir to the Empire, the first book in the Thrawn Trilogy. Grand Admiral Thrawn’s introduction to canon in season 3 of Rebels indicated Legends has a growing influence on canon, and fan-favorite characters and elements like Thrawn, Dark Troopers, Dash Rendar, and Jango Fett’s Mandalorian origins would be brought back.
Thrawn’s return has been teased in season 2 of The Mandalorian, and he could potentially be the main antagonist of Ahsoka’s upcoming Disney+ series. The Mandalorian season 2 and the Legends Thrawn Trilogy both take place nearly a decade after Return of the Jedi. The parallels could go even further if Mara Jade is introduced to canon in the same timeframe.
The Emperor Was Training Other Force Users And Competition For Vader
Darth Bane’s Rule of Two dictates that there can only be two Dark Lords of the Sith at a time, but it's apparent Palpatine wasn’t a strict adherent to the rule, as it did its job of allowing the Sith to enact their revenge through the Great Jedi Purge and the establishment of the Galactic Empire. While Sidious and Vader were officially the only Dark Lords, they both trained students of their own. Along with Mara Jade and the other Emperor’s Hands, this included the mysterious Cronal, the former Jedi Jerec, and the Imperial spy Shira Brie (who would go on to succeed Vader and Palpatine both as the Dark Lady of the Sith: Lumiya).
Disney canon has its own spin on the idea in the form of the Imperial Inquisitors, Jedi hunters (and former Jedi themselves) who were personally trained by Darth Vader. In canon and Legends, these dark side disciples were all potential candidates to replace Vader, should they become stronger than him. This was the way of the Sith: The apprentice constantly plots to overthrow their master, who in turn, constantly seeks a replacement for their apprentice. Like in Legends, Mara Jade could be one of the most likely of Palpatine's students to replace Vader, should she grow strong enough.
We Still Don’t Know What Happened to Luke’s Blue Lightsaber
Mara Jade used three lightsabers in Legends. The first was the lightsaber she used during her time as an Emperor’s Hand and lost during a duel with Lumiya shortly after the Emperor’s first death. As a Jedi, she alternated between her signature purple-bladed lightsaber (which she built as part of her Jedi training) and the blue-bladed lightsaber that once belonged to Anakin and Luke Skywalker (gifted to her by Luke at the end of The Last Command). Luke’s blue lightsaber has a long and fascinating history in both canon and Legends. While its Legends-era history is well-documented, the full story of how it went from Cloud City to Maz Kanata’s castle on Takodana is still unknown.
So far, canon has only shown a small portion of the weapon’s journey between trilogies. In the fourth issue of Marvel’s current Star Wars comics, an ugnaught retrieves the lightsaber from a junk pile in Cloud City, but if Mara Jade is introduced to canon, it’s possible for her to have acquired the lightsaber at some point between the comic issue and Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Mara Jade being involved in Maz Kanata’s eventual ownership of the weapon would finally make good on her promise of “a good story for another time.”
Will Mara Jade Exist in Disney Canon?
Considering her popularity and the many other elements of Legends being introduced into canon, it is very possible for Mara Jade to join Disney’s Canon. Due to the many differences between the two continuities, however, a true canon equivalent of Mara Jade would likely be quite different from her Legends counterpart, but some of the broad strokes of Mara’s characterization could be retained, including a version of her relationship with Luke.
The canon version of Luke is quite different from his Legends counterpart, but he might have made an exception to his rule of no-attachments in his generation of Jedi (as opposed to Legends, where his New Jedi Order simply omitted that rule) and married Mara. In this case, perhaps Mara is killed by Ben Solo, much like her Legends counterpart is killed by Jacen Solo. In this case, her death would make Luke’s loss of faith in his nephew more understandable. As with Grand Admiral Thrawn, it's too late for Mara Jade's Star Wars Legends story to play out in new canon, but that doesn't mean there's not a place for a version of the character to appear in Disney's Star Wars universe.