Star Wars: Did Luke Skywalker Ever Marry Anyone? Only True Fans Know
We all know the iconic love story of Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and the smuggler, Han Solo (Harrison Ford). Fun fact: The "I know" line was actually Harrison Ford's idea. What some might not know is that they aren't the only fan-favorite characters to embark on an epic, romantic journey. In fact, Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) is no stranger to love in the old Expanded Universe.
In official "Star Wars" canon, Luke spent the years following "Return of the Jedi" dedicating himself to rebuilding the Jedi Order, searching the galaxy to learn more about Jedi lore, and teaching a new generation of students the ways of the Force. As depicted in "The Book of Boba Fett," he established a Jedi Academy on the planet Ossus, which stood until his nephew, Ben Solo, turned to the dark side. Unlike Anakin, Luke seemingly never pursued a serious romantic relationship (though he expressed interest in various canon publications). However, there is a book series called "The Thrawn Trilogy", written by Timothy Zahn, that presents a very different Luke.
Zahn's works introduced Mara Jade, a Force-sensitive woman who serves Emperor Palpatine and is instructed to kill Luke, a command given to her via the Force. Though she is fully committed to following this order, the two become close, fall in love, and eventually get married, despite Luke's Jedi oath.
Luke and Mara's relationship
Mara, considered one of the most impressive women in "Star Wars," is originally driven by revenge, falsely believing that Luke and Vader turned on her master. Palpatine's telepathic command, "You will kill Luke Skywalker," intensifies her initial hatred. This haunts her as she tries to fulfill her mission.
She comes into the employ of the smuggler Talon Karrde, who is eventually arrested by stormtroopers. Mara journeys to Jomark, where she meets Luke and convinces him to help her rescue Talon from the Imperial prison. Despite her feelings toward the Jedi, the rescue is successful, and they realize they make a good team.
Mara slowly begins to respect Luke and learns that everything she thought to be true is a lie. They fall in love, though they don't realize their feelings until a mission on Nirauan. After infiltrating Thrawn's base, they are trapped, surrounded by rising water. Before finding a way to escape, Luke confesses his love to Mara, and she accepts his subsequent proposal. They wed in the graphic novel "Union." Mara later becomes a Jedi Master in her own right and eventually gives birth to their son, Ben. Sadly, Luke and his wife do not have a happily ever after because she is ultimately killed by her nephew, Jacen Solo, a Sith apprentice.
Though Luke and Mara's relationship is considered non-canon, there is no denying that their story makes for a very interesting enemies-to-lovers romance.