50 Best Female Characters In Star Wars
By Elaine Tveit
6. Mara Jade
Image Credit: Lucasfilm
Mara Jade is arguably the most popular Legends character. And for good reason.
Mara was known as the Emperor’s Hand during the Dark Times. She was not as powerful as a Sith lord, but her limited Force abilities and her purple lightsaber got whatever task Palpatine needed doing done. Her last order from the Emperor was to kill Luke Skywalker. She almost succeeded, but was thwarted at the last moment. Shortly after, the Second Death Star was destroyed along with her master. Mara was forced to find a new path in life.
She eventually joined the smuggler organization run by Talon Karrde. Her paths crossed with Luke Skywalker in the Heir to the Empire trilogy by Timothy Zahn. By this time Mara had changed, and through a series of adventures she and Luke became friends. She attended his Jedi Academy on Yavin IV for a time before striking off on her own. When the two were thrown together again some years later, they fell in love and married.
The couple led the Jedi with their respective strengths. Luke was the calmer, more austere of the two. Mara was hands-on and sarcastic. She also became a powerful Jedi in her own right. In the end, she was only defeated by her nephew, Jacen Solo, who turned to the dark side.
We adore Mara for her incredible story arc. She experiences many trials, and she faces every one of them down with grit and sarcasm. Her personality is as fiery and vibrant as her flaming red hair. For these reasons, she ranks as the 6th best female Star Wars character.