It is a time of tranquillity for the New Republic. The remnants of the Empire now lie in complete disarray, and the reemergence of the Jedi Knights has brought power and prestige to the fledgling government on Coruscant. Yesterday’s Rebels have become today’s administrators and diplomats, and the factions that fought against Imperial tyranny seem united in savoring the fruits of peace.
But the peace is short-lived.
It’s difficult for Star Wars Expanded Universe authors — many of whom are easily interchangeable, officially-sanctioned fan fiction writers — to establish themselves as more than just a ghostwriter. To develop a new character that both fits in with the existing universe and has the potential to continue on as a franchise is the brass ring they all reach for: your Thrawns, your Daalas, your Corran Horns. No one’s going to give you a three-book contract for Prince Xizor or worse yet, Hethrir. Coming up with a wholly original, compelling character is not only difficult, it’s kind of a crapshoot.
Luckily, there was a natural opening for a main character in the Star Wars universe after the end of the original trilogy. The hero, Luke Skywalker, doesn’t have a viable love interest. Han and Leia are going to need someone to double-date with [obligatory joke about C-3PO and R2-D2 being in a relationship here].
One problem: by the end of The Return of the Jedi, Luke has been transformed into an almost completely sexless Zen-like figure (not that he was exactly a sexpot in A New Hope, mind you). What kind of romantic foil do you write for a vulnerable blonde from the middle of nowhere with puppy-dog eyes, an icy exterior, and daddy issues?
Enter a string of (more or less) plausible girlfriends.
Gaeriel Captison, The Truce at Bakura
What’s her deal? The Truce at Bakura, and Gaeriel herself, are both weird and self-contained, especially when compared to other installments in the EU franchise. She’s a senator on Bakura, a planet not far from Endor, and is a member of a religion that believes Jedis and Force-users like Luke disrupt a cosmic balance. She also dresses a lot like Stevie Nicks, all shawls and bare feet. The two of them don’t ever really stand much of a chance: they share a brief kiss after the battle of Bakura, but frankly Luke shows more interest in his doomed protege Dev Sibwarra.
Supposedly Kathy Tyers, one of the few female EU writers, based Gaeriel’s singular religious beliefs on her own experiences as a Christian science fiction author. She’d hoped to leave Gaeriel and Luke married at the end of Truce, but the Mara Jade train had already pulled out of the station, and it was not to be.
How’s it end? She sacrifices herself to destroy an enemy warship, the first but certainly not the last of Luke’s girlfriends to die a martyr.
Teneniel Djo, The Courtship of Princess Leia
What’s her deal? Skywalker girlfriends tend to come in two flavors: gentle, self-sacrificing little mice, and violent, wild-haired killers. Djo is the latter. Upon meeting her mother-in-law Ta’a Chume (spoiler alert, I guess, if you were hoping she was going to end up marrying Luke) for the first time, she says:
Let me assure you that I am not a pacifist. In the past two days alone, I have killed several people, and if you ever try to harm me or mine, I will force you to confess publicly all your crimes, and then I will execute you. I assure you, I find you to be that contemptible!
She is a Force-witch of Dathomir, which is very likely the greatest thing it is possible to be, and is so amazed that a “simple male” like Luke is capable of accessing the Force that she decides to make him her husband. It’s amazing. She drags him all over Dathomir, fighting Nightsisters and expressing bewilderment over things like “men’s rights” and wearing clothes and not stabbing things.
How’s it end? She changes her mind and marries Isolder, eventually becoming Queen Mother of the Hapes Consortium instead.
Mara Jade, Heir to the Empire
What’s her deal? It’s Mara Jade. It’s Timothy Zahn. His Thrawn trilogy sold over fifteen million copies, almost single-handedly revived the sputtering EU franchise. Jade is the standard by which all other Skywalker girlfriends are measured. She’s a classic redhead, all fire to Luke’s ice. She was raised to be Palpatine’s personal assassin — The Emperor’s Hand — and spends a fair amount of time trying to kill Luke before they eventually get together, which is delightful. She’s been a spy, a mechanic, a smuggler, a bounty hunter, a Jedi trainee, and oddly enough, a computer hacker. All-purpose sci-fi girlfriend, our Mara. Plus she’s got a lot of rage.
Zahn spoke about how Lucasfilm dealt with the Skywalker/Jade arc over the course of several different series and authors in a 2000 interview with TheForce.Net:
At first they were unwilling to have Luke and Mara married, engaged, whatever. They wanted it left ambiguous. I said those were the two things I feel are needed for closure: if it wasn’t agreeable someone else could do the book, that’s fine, and it was one book originally. And they came back and agreed to let me do that. So it was immensely fun during the next few years to watch all the rumors starting that Luke was cursed, he could never get married because Lucasfilm had decided Luke would never be married, all the time knowing that, yes he WAS set up, and all the authors knew he was set up, and so they were bringing it that direction. So any woman they brought in would eventually be written out or put into “friendship mode” or whatever. So it wasn’t a matter of Lucasfilm was saying “no”, it was a matter that the other authors were aiming the same direction I was. And everyone was keeping it a secret. It was very well done.
How’s it end? They get married and have a son, Ben Skywalker. Eventually Mara dies fighting her nephew Jacen Solo after he turns to the dark side, but that’s a long way down the road.
Callista Ming/Cray Mingla, Children of the Jedi
What’s her deal? Quite possibly even more boring than Gaeriel Captison, which is really saying something. She’s a Jedi from the time of the Galactic Republic who uploaded her consciousness into an Imperial Dreadnought ship to fight the Empire, and somehow ends up falling in love with Luke as a computer, and then transfers her consciousness into the body of his (dead) student Cray Mingla.
It’s weird, and also boring. Probably the biggest romantic red herring in the Expanded Universe.
How’s it end? Once Callista enters Cray’s body, she loses her ability to access the Force except through the dark side, and leaves Luke to wander the universe alone. There’s a weird coda to their relationship about twenty or thirty years later, after Mara has died, when Luke runs into Callista again after her body has been taken over by Abeloth. Abeloth is an evil Force goddess, basically, and Luke gets to have a sweet little goodbye with the real Callista after defeating Abeloth in battle.
Akanah Norand, Before the Storm
What’s her deal? Another misandrist weirdo! Bless the EU authors for working in so many Amazon analogues, you know? Akanah pretended to have known Luke’s mother in order to obtain his help locating the other adherents of the White Current, and they have this totally guilty, conflicted affair that falls to pieces when she admits she used him.
How’s it end? She is also possessed by Abeloth! Luke also saves and kills her in battle, which is slightly less sweet the second time around.
[Images of Gaeriel, Teneniel, Mara, Callista, and Akanah via Wookiepedia]
Tags: lucasfilm, mara jade, romance, star wars, star wars expanded universe
Tell me more about Force-witchcraft.
yeah seriously this sounds like it might actually get me interested in Star Wars
The Force Witches of Dathomir are really only in one book, IIRC. No word on whether they menstruated on planes.
They show up in The Clone Wars animated series (not to be confused with the Clone Wars animated series) as well.
There they are more voodoo witches than the sort-of more hardish science fiction version portrayed in the books, though.
Like all things Star Wars, there were many complaints.
Force witchcraft is the VERY best. That book is (controversially) my favorite of the EU books, in large part because it gives you so much political and historical background of so many planets, and Dathomir is a very cool planet.
Mine too! I guess I should pay more attention to what people think of the SWEU novels because I didn’t know Courtship was that badly regarded (even though I spent most of high school hanging out on the SW dot com message boards).
But come on! NIGHTSISTERS. RANCORS. HUSBAND NAPPING. And Isolder, the intergalactic Fabio. And the idea that the dark Jedi BAMF Allya took over a planet and invented Force witchcraft. And then Tamith Kai and her awesome bondage gear in that one Young Jedi Knights book…
Intergalactic Fabio would be an awesome name for a mellow electronica band.
Is it badly regarded?
I just assumed that it was controversial as a favourite because TIMOTHY ZAHN. Nobody has a favourite EU book that isn’t TIMOTHY ZAHN.
I miss my copy of Courtship of Princess Leia. I think I will get it from the library, right now.
Mara Jade forever. Controversial statement, I know
How would one even pronounce Teneniel Djo (he said as though he did not own all of these books and have his own pronunciations for the names)?
Courtship of Princess Leia is the one EU book my wife read. She calls it Curse of Princess Leia. That’s probably fitting.
Also Mara Jade FTW!
I feel like the D is probably silent? But I don’t know. I pronounced Hermione “Hermy-own” until the movies came out.
how have I not heard of any of this? don’t make me hand in my nerd card 🙁
You have the next 6 months to read the following:
– Zahn’s ‘Heir to the Empire’ series
– The Rogue/Wraith Squadron books
Otherwise I’m afraid your nerd card will become null and void.
Potentially unpopular Rogue/Wraith sqaudron book opinions: Wraith Squadron books are better because Aaron Allston actually could string together a sentence.
Yesss. When I eventually divested myself of most of my Star Wars EU novels, I kept my Zahn books and my X-Wing books.
Is it heresy to say I prefer the Wraith Squadron books? Stackpole is such a stilted writer at that time, and while his stories are better than Aaron Allston, at least Alston could put together a paragraph that didn’t make me cringe
No because Wraith Squadron is objectively the best and anyone who disagrees is a communist.
One of my best friends is therefore a communist! I will have to tell him.
Yeah, the Wraith Squadron books are the best. I got a lot more re-read traction out of them than the other X-Wing books.
No, the Wraith Squadron books are CLEARLY better, plus also I once met Aaron Allston at a con and he was super nice. (… I’m sure Stackpole is nice at cons, too. But I don’t have PROOF.)
For serious, I can take or leave the RogueWraithBlahblah books but the Heir to the Empire trilogy is REQUIRED FUCKING READING.
Leia has a sidekick race of tiny assassins who call her “Lady Vader” and it’s amazing.
Yeah, I may have to eventually bribe my wife into reading that. I was always sad that most of the other books so sparingly used the Noghri.
I recently Kindle-bought the Thrawn trilogy (because even though I know I have them in a storage unit in another state, I had an irresistible NEED to reread them) and then made my boyfriend read each one as I finished it.
My favorite part was the planet where the wildlife figured out how to use the Force in predator/prey interactions. BECAUSE THAT WOULD TOTALLY HAPPEN, yay worldbuilding implications!
“The Courtship of Princess Leia” continues to be my favourite EU book. Mostly because of the Force-witches.
Man. Nerds LOVE their red-headed ladies (says the lady sporting L’Oreal Lightest Auburn).
Ce’nedra in the houuuuuuuse.
I love her breastplate with built in breasts.
The intensity of my feelings about this article have actually sent me BACK IN TIME and now I’m, like, ten or eleven, discovering “The Courtship of Princess Leia” in a box of books left curbside by a neighbor and getting my grandmother to buy me Mara Jade comics while my mother wrings her hands, all “Wouldn’t you rather read some Austen? Lawrence? Erica Jong is practically porn WORK WITH ME HERE.”
But also, yes, Luke is a sexless, Zen-like figure.
What I don’t understand about Force-witches is what is even the point of pseudo-Jedi powers if you don’t get a lightsaber.
Because you can call youself a Force-witch!
And you get to ride rancors!
And ride a rancor!
Oh geez I totally blocked out like, ALL of these women (except Mara Jade because how could you forget her, she has red hair!). The force witch! The sentient computer! Ahhh Luke you are so boring even they could not save you. Han/Leia all the way.
I haven’t even read this yet and I am pretty much hyperventilating with joy. I am a grown ass woman and I have STRONGLY HELD OPINIONS about many of the love interests of Luke Skywalker (for example, fuck you Callista).
My first steps into my love of science fiction were through the Star Wars EU… my first nom de internet was Mirax Terrik.
Also, props for the Xizor and Hethrir references.
Mirax was one of the best characterized women in the EU, other than Leia and Winter. And Jaina, I suppose, once she was old enough. She rocked!
I had a top-of-my-lungs debate with my roommate’s boyfriend about all the EU books and it made me The Happiest Ever. Mostly because he came in all bragging about how much he knew about Star Wars and I bested him completely.
Callista was weird yeah but also the most memorable (except for Mara Jade) of the love interests… I mean, come on, they had a virtual romance. Does not get better.
Refuse to believe Luke Skywalker ever had girlfriends, only boyfriends.
I’m late as hell to this but I was thinking he should just be gay and have a big gay legally recognized wedding. Is anyone gay in this universe? Real question, have not read.
Sooooort of? http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolpinchefsky/2013/…
An entire “pay-to-gay” planet? Ohhhh, what WILL they think of next?
Oh man, we were JUST DRUNKENLY TALKING ABOUT THIS at a barbecue in Watford. TENENIEL DJO AND THE DATHOMIR FORCE WITCHES FOREVER.
Also I super duper ship Mara Jade/Talon Karrde but that’s a Star Wars EU rant for another day.
I read some terrible fan fic where Luke ends up with Callista and Mara married Talon not out of love but out of… loneliness? Terrible. It kind of sunk that ship for me.
The Heir to the Empire series is literally the only Star Wars EU I have ever read. Huzzah Mara Jade!
I’m commenting on behalf of my husband, who for some reason, keeps getting his comments blocked.
Basically, Star Wars books brought us together. He loaned me his copy of the Courtship of Princess Leia (which I always call The Curse of Princess Leia, because it feels more right and now I just don’t care what the right title is) and I thought it was terrible. Apparently he knew it was terrible and owned it anyway? I don’t really get that. But I will always have fond memories of a terrible book because of him.
He’s really hurt btw that my comment made it through and his won’t. He is chomping at the bit to comment on this!
Another tidbit, when we moved in together he gave away all his Star Wars books (shelves full) to a friend and then downloaded them all to his Kindle. Kind of a lateral move, no? But at least they’re not clogging up the living room?
(I am also having issues with comments getting through, as a data point! Sometimes they go into the moderation queue and become visible a few minutes later, and sometimes they just disappear.)
Yeah I wish I knew why that happens! I don’t. But I try to approve everything I can as fast as I can.
Nice, but what about Shira Brie from the Marvel comics….she was a babe.
yeah what a nice babe
babe nice she babed real good
Well. As someone who runs a Star Wars blog named after Mara Jade and has actually met children that I could tell that I fought in the Skywalker ship wars with their mothers (ahh, the 90’s) I’m just a little surprised to see this on a ‘general’ site. Happy, but surprised. EMBRACE THE NERDERY.
That said, my advice to anyone who wants to jump into the further Expanded Universe: It’s not worth it! Just read the Thrawn trilogy, because that’s about as good as it gets. (I mean, yeah, there is other good stuff, like the X-Wing books and anything by Matthew Stover, but a lot of it… Is not.) It’s too late for me: Save yourselves!
I agree that it doesn’t get better than Thrawn, but I think “I, Jedi” is quite good and worth a read.
I think the Jedi Academy trilogy are some of the absolute worst things in the EU, so I COMPLETELY understand why I, Jedi was necessary but UGH, first person. Corran Horn is kind of a douche.
Oh Dunc, I was hoping you’d see this post. 😀
I SEE ALL. 😀
Oh how cool! I was obsessed with Club Jade in my youth. Nice to see you still on the internet!
Teneniel and Mara Jade were pretty badass, but Gaeriel Captison spoke to my Model UN/student government-loving, classical music-obsessed, awkwardly-attracted-to-the-unattainable middle school self. Also, she was part of the Empire, but conflicted about it, which made her Super Interesting.
And then “Truce at Bakura” ends and she disappears for a lot of books, and then shows up in the Corellia trilogy, where she gets stuck on a ship and then dies. Way to die, Gaeriel. Way to die.
Same response as snaxstax-suddenly I am eleven again. I went as Jaina Solo for three consecutive Halloweens. Basically I just wore army fatigues and a lightsaber. People thought I was GI Jane. Also, Mara and Luke getting engaged in “Visions of the Future” made me giggle with girlish delight for several years. It was the most romantic thing I could ever think of happening in the entire world. I was 13 (through 16). I had to stop reading EU books when they (spoiler alert) killed off Anakin Solo because I thought he was my long-lost twin brother and HAN AND LEIA, MY TRUE PARENTS, were coming back for me! (it feels good to be finally admitting some of this stuff…on the internet).
Also, the toast is the ONLY website on the internet where I allow myself to read the comments. Because they rock. Over at hairpin, afficianados are called ‘pinners. Are we toasters?
Toasters like the slang for cylons on BSG? I like it.
Completely misread that Mara Jade was a *snuggler* and was like “MY PERFECT WOMAN”.
Luke: Boy, it’s lucky you have these compartments.
Han Solo: I use them for snuggling. I never thought I’d be snuggling myself in them. This is ridiculous.
Oh my God, I didn’t know until reading this that the Mara/Luke pairing was PLANNED FROM THE VERY START! I don’t know why but this is turning my world upside down. Now I feel that I have to re-read the entire EU with that in mind.
Oh my God, I didn't know until reading this that the Mara/Luke pairing was PLANNED FROM THE VERY START! I don't know why but this is turning my world upside down. Now I feel that I have to re-read the entire EU with that in mind.
Sooooort of? http://www.forbes.com/sites/carolpinchefsky/2013/…
Mara DOES NOT die. The Expanded Universe ends at the end of Vision of the Future and everyone lives happily ever after, and you can’t convince me otherwise. All those New Jedi Order books and whatnot are figments of your imagination.
I am so disappointed that I can only upvote this once.
My early attraction to ROTJ Luke Skywalker instead of Han Solo was an ominous foreshadowing of my fear of, um, anything overtly sexual. Let’s all upload our consciousness to computers! *sigh*