Star Wars Game Finally Brings Back Luke Skywalker's Wife, in the Legends Homage I Never Expected to See

Star Wars: Galaxy of Heroes continues to expand, bringing back Mara Jade Skywalker – Luke’s wife. Created by legendary author Timothy Zahn, Mara is one of the icons of the old Star Wars Expanded Universe. Unlike Grand Admiral Thrawn, though, her chances of becoming canon are minimal; Star Wars authors are on the record for having been told no by Lucasfilm, and it’s hard to see how many beats of her character arc would fit into the Disney Star Wars timeline.

But EA has officially announced Mara Jade Skywalker’s debut in Galaxy of Heroes, as part of the current “Myths and Legends” range.

Aligned with the Jedi and the New Republic, Mara’s kit reflects a high-damage Attacker who fights smarter as the battle progresses. She counterattacks when hit, applies debuffs to Stagger enemies, sets up mass assists, and reaches her full potential when paired with Jedi Knight Luke Skywalker. She amplifies the power of his granted ability, Heroes Arise, uplifting a Jedi Knight Luke-led squad that can stand on its own.

Mara is Designed to Work With Luke Skywalker

The design is absolutely stunning. We typically see Mara Jade in a standard catsuit, originally associated with her beginning as the Emperor’s Hand. This, though, is a later Mara; a character who’s committed herself to the light side of the Force, and who’s put the shadow of the Empire behind her. Note the purple lightsaber, traditionally associated with Jedi who have brushed a little too close to the dark side. This blade even appears to correspond with the deepest Legends lore; the hilt looks like the Skywalker saber itself, which she was given by Luke.

EA has given Mara the following abilities:

• “Two Halves” – Mara’s basic ability, dealing physical damage to enemies and gaining Protection. This is boosted if she’d partnered with Luke Skywalker, inspired by dialogue in Zahn’s novel Visions of the Future where Mara described the duo as “two halves of a single being.”
• “Always Play Fair” – a special that deals damage and inflicts Defense Down on opponents. Again, it’s boosted when she’s partnered with Luke.
• “The Last Command” – named after another of Zahn’s books, this is a high-damage attack that benefits if Luke is in the Leader slot.
• “A Galactic Union” – A Critical Chance and Critical Damage boost, making every hit count – especially boosted by Luke.

As a fan of the old Star Wars Expanded Universe, I’m often quite frustrated when Mara is reduced to just “Luke Skywalker’s wife.” This, though, is a kit desgned to represent that relationship – making it an absolute delight to see. It’s a far cry from Star Wars finally making Mara canon again, but this is nevertheless something I didn’t really expect to see; an official game release acknowledging Mara in 2026, perhaps signifying that the age of minimizing the old Expanded Universe’s significance is drawing to an end.

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