I’ve always had a soft spot for Mara Jade Skywalker, the Emperor’s Hand who became Luke Skywalker’s wife in Star Wars Legends, but I never expected Disney to release this stunning lightsaber replica. Best known as Luke Skywalker’s wife in the old Star Wars Expanded Universe, there’s so much more to Mara Jade than that. A wonderfully sardonic character, she transcended light and dark, serving the Emperor for years before ultimately finding her way to the light. I’ve always loved Mara, discovering her in Timothy Zahn’s iconic “Thrawn Trilogy” all the way back in 1991.

You can imagine my delight when I read the latest report from ComicBook.com, revealing Disney is releasing a new Mara Jade Skywalker lightsaber replica hilt replica sold at the Parks and The Disney Store. Only 3,500 of these lightsaber blades will be produced worldwide, making this one of the ultimate collectibles; the hilt will be based on the iconic weapon that Mara used in Legends, and “The Emperor’s Hand Limited Edition Legacy Lightsaber set” is designed to represent Mara’s journey.

A Legacy Lightsaber Blade will illuminate purple when attached to the hilt. This stunning hilt will be available from the Disney Store from 8.00am PT / 11.00am ET on Saturday, March 8th, priced $325.

Mara Jade Remains One Of Legends’ Greatest Heroes

She’ll Never Be Forgotten

Disney erased the old Expanded Universe from canon back in 2014, and I understood the logic; by this time, the EU spanned literally a century after the Skywalker saga, meaning it would have been impossible to make a sequel trilogy featuring any of the OT heroes. Since then, many of the most memorable characters have made the jump into canon; the most notable is Grand Admiral Thrawn, who made his debut alongside Mara in 1991. Mara, sadly, is a harder fit for canon; I’m not sure that she can easily be adapted, which is such a shame.

That said, this lightsaber hilt serves as a reminder of her legacy. Mara is easily one of the greatest Legends characters, and her journey – from Emperor’s Hand to Jedi Master – is so very compelling. It’s easy to forget that Star Wars seemed to have dwindled until the ’90s, when the franchise was essentially reborn through Zahn’s novels and the Dark Empire comics. Lucas himself was drawn back to Star Wars in part because of these successes.

Mara Jade Skywalker’s Lightsaber Will Be On Sale In Disney Parks

Anyone wanting to buy this online will have to move quickly, because Mara Jade Skywalker‘s lightsaber will also be on sale at Disney Parks, meaning only limited stocks are available through the Disney Store. I can’t help finding a trace of joy in this, though; the Parks are technically canon, so this allows me the pleasant fiction of imagining Mara one step closer to canonicity. What a delightful, unexpected twist.

Source: ComicBook.com