Force Sensitive Human female - Red-gold Hair, Green Eyes

Planet of Origin: Unknown

Affiliation: First: Galactic Empire, Later: New Republic and Jedi Alliance

Weapons: Lightsaber, Blaster, and small hideaway blaster kept in a wrist holster.

Ships: Jade's Fire, Jade's Sabre, Jade Shadow

Family: Parents are Unknown. Wife to Luke Skywalker, mother to Ben Skywalker.

Mara Jade was taken from her parents by the Emperor at a young age. Their fates and identities are unknown. The Emperor recognized that he could train her and use her Force ability to his own advantage. She became his agent, the Emperor's Hand, carrying out his will and supporting his rule throughout the Empire. His training allowed her to hear his voice through the Force no matter where she was.

She had respect and position, and trusted the Emperor implicitly. Her true status in the Empire remained secret to all but a select few. Therefore, when the Emperor died suddenly at Endor, she lost everything. She had no connections, and no one to remember her once prominent position. Before he died, the Emperor left her one last command: "You will kill Luke Skywalker!"

Alone and bitter, that last thought remained in her mind. She blamed Luke Skywalker, but she also blamed herself. She had been sent to kill Luke at Jabba's palace, but she failed.

After the Emperor's death, Mara drifted from place to place, doing odd jobs and struggling to get by. She was haunted by the ghosts of the past, and hiding out on backwater worlds.

It was on one of these backwater worlds that she found opportunity to come to the rescue of the smuggler and information broker Talon Karrde. He found her to be "decorative and competent", and hired her for his organization. He began grooming her as his second in command. Their partnership would last for a number of years. The fringes of society were perfect for her, the Empire she once served was gone, and she hated the new Republic. Karrde's goal was to remain strictly neutral.

During her affiliation with Karrde's organization, Grand Admiral Thrawn began to reenergize the Empire. Soon, Karrde's organization was caught right in the middle. Of more importance, Mara Jade found herself face to face with the man she blamed for destroying her life: Luke Skywalker. Events necessitated keeping him alive, at least that is what she told herself. She was still determined to kill him, and believed that desire was her own. However, in the final battle with Joruus C'baoth, and the clone "Luuke" he had created, she finally had opportunity to carry out the Emperor's last command. She killed the clone, and his voice was silenced within her forever.

Luke and Mara had a tumultuous relationship over the next several years. She no longer hated him, but their paths took different courses. She didn't complete her Jedi training, partially because she didn't agree with his views.

However, there paths crossed again during the crisis of the Caamas document. Together, they discovered and disabled a Chiss outpost: the Hand of Thrawn. During their time together, they bonded, and found their true feelings. Luke asked Mara to marry him, and she said yes. She made a sacrifice to destroy the alien base, her ship the Jade's Fire, which she loved because it gave her freedom. This sacrifice allowed her to become a full Jedi.

She and Luke were married, and some time later, she gave birth to their son, Ben Skywalker. She and Luke fought side by side through several battles and continued to be caught up in the galaxies continuing struggle for peace. Battles were won and lost, friends fell and became traitors. On a quest to stop a rising evil, and protect her son, Mara Jade was killed, and became one with the Force.

"I always play fair. Exactly as fair as my opponents." - Allegiance (Timothy Zahn 2007)

"Don't like it, do you? It's not easy to suddenly lose everything that once made you special, is it?"
- Heir to the Empire (Timothy Zahn 1991)

"We all want things we can't have." - Heir to the Empire (Timothy Zahn 1991)

"I said thanks already, what do you want, a medal?"
- Heir to the Empire (Timothy Zahn 1991)

"You happened to me, you came out of a grubby sixth-rate farm on a tenth-rate planet and destroyed my life." - Heir to the Empire (Timothy Zahn 1991)

"You don't leave an enemy at your back. Not if you like living." - Dark Force Rising (Timothy Zahn 1992)

"He (the Emperor) taught me a great many tricks. How to deal with traitors was one of them." - Dark Force Rising (Timothy Zahn 1992)

"So. You want to get off me, or where you just getting comfortable?" - Specter of the Past (Timothy Zahn 1997)

"You acknowledge your mistakes, and learn from them. Then you pick up and move on." - Vision of the Future (Timothy Zahn 1998)

"Oh, come now. When have I ever made anything easy for you?" - Vision of the Future (Timothy Zahn 1998)

"Luke, I'm a fighter. I've always been a fighter. The few times when I have been at leisure, I've been miserable. I want challenges, I crave them." - Dark Tide 1: Onslaught (Michael A. Stackpole 2000)

"Oh, Jedi sarcasm. I'm wounded." - Dark Tide 2: Ruin Michael A. Stackpole 2000)

Luke: "How long before we get to sleep through the night again?"
Mara snorted and patted his hand fondly. "If this one is anything like the Solo kids, I'd say at least another twenty years." - Edge of Victory II: Rebirth (Greg Keyes 2001)

"I get the proverbial bad feeling about this." - Bloodlines (Karen Traviss 2006)

For a great list of more Mara Jade quotes visit Wookieepedia

Model Shannon McRandle has portrayed Mara Jade a number of times for the Star Wars role playing game and promotions for Wizards of the Coast. The first time she was seen was on the cover of Star Wars Insider.

Many artists have based their renditions of Mara Jade on Shannon, and used the same costume. This can be seen in the pictures below.