In the old EU I know Mara Jade had a lot of fans. I have little experience with the EU of Star Wars. There's little I've exposed myself to outside of the movies, cartoons, and video games. I am currently reading I, Jedi, which so far has featured Mara briefly as well, but other than that no real experience.
So, Mara Jade fans what makes her such a great character? If you've played the game I'm referring to does it misrepresent her? As a fan of the Dark Forces/Jedi Knight video game series I felt left down enough at this subpar installment let alone a character I liked, Kyle Katarn, being replaced by someone as hollow as who I got. So, knowing she's misrepresented would be comforting.
other than being... 17 years late or something? yeah 1998, nearly 18 years! this wasn't where she came from, it was a game with her in as a small expansion.
If you want to meet the character, read like Heir to the Empire. I honestly can't remember enough about Mysteries of the Sith to know how they depicted her. I played it literally half my life time ago.
I'm not really a fan of Mara Jade (I don't hate her or anything, just don't care for Jedi in general), but I'd say that fact that she is a she, has strength, is a force user, and started out as a villain (Emperor's Hand I believe?) made a potent storm of popularity.
Much like Bobba Fett, there's nothing in the official works that actually makes her compelling. It's only the fan-fiction (oh sorry, Extended Universe) that makes either character anything other than filler.
She was hot, from a time nothing else mattered. She was arm-candy for Luke and then she wore skimpy space outfits that showed off a bunch of underboob. You know, because SPACE!
Outside of that? I think she gets a lightsaber at some point, but its the expanded universe! Who the hell DOESN'T?!
She was hot, from a time nothing else mattered. She was arm-candy for Luke and then she wore skimpy space outfits that showed off a bunch of underboob. You know, because SPACE!
Outside of that? I think she gets a lightsaber at some point, but its the expanded universe! Who the hell DOESN'T?!
She was hot, from a time nothing else mattered. She was arm-candy for Luke and then she wore skimpy space outfits that showed off a bunch of underboob. You know, because SPACE!
Outside of that? I think she gets a lightsaber at some point, but its the expanded universe! Who the hell DOESN'T?!
Well, first if you're going to read the EU, prioritize the Thawn Trilogy starting with Heir to the Empire. Aside from being the highlight to the universe, I believe it is also the entry point for Mara Jade, or at least an important bit of it.
Anyways... I don't much care for her either, but the why she's popular is fairly obvious. She's effectively a cross between Han Solo and Boba Fett with boobs.
She was hot, from a time nothing else mattered. She was arm-candy for Luke and then she wore skimpy space outfits that showed off a bunch of underboob. You know, because SPACE!
Outside of that? I think she gets a lightsaber at some point, but its the expanded universe! Who the hell DOESN'T?!
Mara Jade? Now there's a name I have not heard in a long time...
She has a whole back story of being part of an assassin group, and is a bit of a femme fatale in that manner, so she gets quite a few kickass moments, I seem to remember her always being described/pictured as a hot redhead in very form-fitting revealing clothes as well, so that probably helped.
I was referring to the comics, where despite being a super badass take no prisoners jedi-kinda thing, she feels the need to show off some perky tats every other panel.
Spaceman Spiff said:
Really? I thought she wore flight suits and Jedi robes. I want to see some underboob.
Comics. And to be fair, its upperboob. Her standing outfit is a skintight, sleeveless black jumper with a hefty V cut out at the neck. Think Arkham City catwoman but sleeveless and with red hair.
You might be thinking of one of the Solo kids' friends at Luke's academy. I don't recall her name off the top of my head.
Edit:
Tenel Ka Djo. Had her lightsaber malfunction during a sparring match, resulting in her friend cutting her arm off above the elbow and her lightsaber hilt exploding in her severed arm's hand so it could not be reattached.
Nah, that was Tenel-Ka, a friend of the Solo twins and fellow student Jedi who's lightsaber shorted out in a training exercise causing it to be cut off by Jacen Solo. She was also a red head, so I can see the mix-up.
Mara was, and is, popular because of who she is. When she first appears, she is a smuggler who has a deep hatred of Luke, although Luke can't figure out why. She is shown to be capable, and while she is attractive, that is not her defining trait at all. She is bitter and sarcastic, but not cruel and mean. She was not afraid to stand up for herself, and she didn't swoon when Solo talked to her (like every other woman did), nor was she impressed with Luke. Plus, she showed Force talent and had a lightsaber, something that was unheard of back at the time.
This was a woman that clearly had a past, but we didn't know what it was. She was mysterious, but not for the sake of being mysterious. She sounds like a walking Mary Sue, but she is so much more.
Later, we find out that she was the Hand of the Emperor--a specialist assassin the Emperor would deploy when Vader was too heavy handed. She dealt with corruption in the Empire, but here's the trick: She thought she was working for the good guys. The people she took out were terrorists--real terrorists, not so much the Rebels--or corrupted Imperial officials overstepping their bounds and making power plays against the Empire. People dreaded her arrival more than Vader's, because Vader you could see coming. Mara was a whisper in the dark. But she was not above mercy and kindness. Once, she pretended to be drunk at a party to sneak into a restricted area and an Imperial officer was making moves on her, thinking she was an easy mark. Mara could have easily handled herself, but another Imperial stepped in and protected her like a gentleman. Later, when the Emperor was about to bring the hammer down, Mara asked that he spare the nice Imperial because he showed her a kindness, and the Emperor did.
Mara also promised that she would rescue the kidnapped child of a Governor after she killed him (I don't think she ever actually killed him, he died another way), because the child had been taken and was being used as leverage to make the Governor betray the Empire, even though he didn't want to.
Mara is a complex character and easily the best written one in all of the Expanded Universe, and quite possibly Star Wars itself. And when she joins the Jedi and marries Luke, she doesn't lose any of her identity. She is still fierce, still independent when the matter calls for it, and isn't above killing for the sake of protecting others.
If you really want to understand why she is so beloved--and why many fans are upset (rightfully so, in my opinion) about her being axed--read The Thrawn Trilogy, and then the Hand of Thrawn books. She was created by Timothy Zahn, and he writes her better than anyone else could ever hope to.
other than being... 17 years late or something? yeah 1998, nearly 18 years! this wasn't where she came from, it was a game with her in as a small expansion.
If you want to meet the character, read like Heir to the Empire. I honestly can't remember enough about Mysteries of the Sith to know how they depicted her. I played it literally half my life time ago.
I'm always late to everything. The Dark Forces/Jedi Knight series was 1 of my favorite video game series when I was younger, but I never got to play this game, which you're right in that it is the expansion to the 2nd game in the series. I heard it wasn't very good, but I wanted to play it anyway. So, when the series was on sale on Steam I bought it for a friend (because I already owned all the games except this expansion) and played it via Steam Family Sharing or whatever it's called.
I know it isn't where she came from, but it doesn't give a good impression. The book I mentioned, I, Jedi, shows Mara Jade in a different light. They don't seem like the same character; even so, she didn't impress me much in that book either. My OP is a little misleading. While I have next to no experience with the EU I have heard/read things here and there...mostly from Wookieepedia and TVTropes, more than I probably should have without having actually read the related stories first. So, I know she is supposed to be this badass villain to...smuggler...I think(?) to hero to Luke Skywalker's wife. That doesn't come across very well in the game.
Here's something to refresh your memory:
Jadak said:
Well, first if you're going to read the EU, prioritize the Thawn Trilogy starting with Heir to the Empire. Aside from being the highlight to the universe, I believe it is also the entry point for Mara Jade, or at least an important bit of it.
Anyways... I don't much care for her either, but the why she's popular is fairly obvious. She's effectively a cross between Han Solo and Boba Fett with boobs.
I don't know if I'm going to read the EU. The only reason I'm reading I, Jedi is because I saw it at my local goodwill and said to myself, "Eh. Why not?".
Yeah, I know enough about her from what I've heard and read, mostly from Wookieepedia and TVTropes, to say that sounds about right. Mixed with force powers.
Hero in a half shell said:
Mara Jade? Now there's a name I have not heard in a long time...
I was hoping you would contribute. I've seen you around the forums mentioning Mara Jade when it's relevant. The female role model topic comes to mind. Anyway...
Yep. The only reason she's there is because of her popularity in the EU. They needed someone to grab people to make up for the fact it's an expansion pack to the second installment to the game series rather than a main game. Ah, expansions. Those were the days. To get a taste of her in the game just go to the top of this post where I reply to [user]Hoplon[/user]'s hazy memory of the game with one of the scenes. Or, hell just look up all the cutscenes. It's pretty damn short.
Sniper Team 4 said:
Plus, she showed Force talent and had a lightsaber, something that was unheard of back at the time.
She dealt with corruption in the Empire, but here's the trick: She thought she was working for the good guys. The people she took out were terrorists--real terrorists, not so much the Rebels--or corrupted Imperial officials overstepping their bounds and making power plays against the Empire.
Maybe for Star Wars that's something unique, but person who thinks they're working for the good guys but actually is working for the bad guys is a pretty common trope. Not much of a trick. There were some awkward moments in I, Jedi regarding that since the main character interacts with Mara Jade here and there. He didn't want to offend her regarding that, especially since he didn't have any personal encounters with her when she was still with the Empire and didn't know her personally until now, but he also knew some people he knew were on the receiving end of what she did when she worked for the Empire. Or, something like that. I already forgot the details. The aura of those moments were more important than the minutiae anyway.
Sniper Team 4 said:
If you really want to understand why she is so beloved--and why many fans are upset (rightfully so, in my opinion) about her being axed--read The Thrawn Trilogy, and then the Hand of Thrawn books. She was created by Timothy Zahn, and he writes her better than anyone else could ever hope to.
I've heard Thrawn and Timothy Zahn get thrown around a lot. I'm not sure how much interest I have really. I just was a bit perplexed on her depiction in this game compared to her pedestal among EU fans. If I'm satisfied with I, Jedi I might read more of the EU and get around to Thrawn.
oh god yeah that is nothing like her in the Thrawn trilogy, which where about the only good books in the EU. of course i was about 14 when i read those books so "good" is not a set measure.
I have to think also the reason Mara is so popular is that she gives Luke a true romantic interest that the previous EU books more or less dropped the ball on. Aside from the other EU things mentioned here. The best literary sources on her are the Timothy Zahn books, considering Mara is his creation it makes sense.
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