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Timothy Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy is one of the most beloved pieces of Star Wars media, but there’s one piece of lore from those books that Lucasfilm seems to wants to avoid - or is seemingly resistant to revisit, at least.

In 1991, Bantam Books published Heir to the Empire, the first installment of Timothy Zahn’s iconic Thrawn Trilogy. The novel not only revived the public’s interest in Star Wars, but it also introduced some new characters and concepts to the franchise, such as the villain Grand Admiral Thrawn and Mara Jade. Thrawn would go on to become one of the most celebrated villains in Star Wars, and Mara would eventually marry Luke Skywalker and give birth to a son named Ben.

When Disney bought Lucasfilm in 2014, the Star Wars franchise was given a continuity shakeup, and novels like Zahn’s Thrawn Trilogy were classified as non-canonical 'Legends.' However, certain characters like Thrawn have found a home in the new Star Wars canon, appearing in the Rebels animated series and the Disney+ series Ahsoka. With Thrawn back in continuity, could this mean Mara Jade is next? Don’t count on it.

“A couple of times I was like, ‘Really? Really, no Mara Jade?’ And they were like, ‘[Stern voice] Nope,’ Star Wars: Bloodline author Claudia Gray revealed during the Writing the Star Wars Universe panel at MegaCon 2026. “I asked them too,” Mara Jade creator Timothy Zahn added - and similarly, he was told no. 

In the past Zahn has acknowledged that George Lucas disliked Mara Jade. The author has also tried to bring Mara back on other occasions, but Lucasfilm has always said no. Unless Zahn or Gray can learn how to do a Jedi mind trick, it looks like Mara Jade will be staying in Legends for quite some time.

Get to know, understand, and love the Star Wars franchise more with our Star Wars watch order, guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies & TV shows, and all the Star Wars movies and Star Wars TV shows ranked.