Entertainment
The Star Wars Icon Disney Keeps Hiding Was Inspired By Darth Vader's Twisted Plan
By Chris Snellgrove
| Published
Among older Star Wars fans, there are few (if any) Expanded Universe characters more popular than Mara Jade. Introduced in Timothy Zahn’s amazing Thrawn Trilogy of books, Jade was a character as we had never seen before. A former apprentice of Emperor Palpatine who lost everything when he died, Mara had to rebuild her life, completely from scratch. Thanks to a final Force command from her old mentor, she knew exactly who to blame: Luke Skywalker, the Jedi hero of the Rebellion and the man she was sworn to kill.
Mara Jade is such a cool and original character that fans are always curious about how Zahn managed to come up with her. Did she come to him in a Force vision, or was she maybe inspired by one of his other characters? As it turns out, he was inspired by the coolest plot twist in all of Star Wars. No, not the “I’m your father” bit, but the revelation that Darth Vader wanted Luke Skywalker’s help to defeat the Emperor. According to Zahn, Jade was the answer to a very simple question: what if Palpatine knew that Vader wanted to betray him?
Star Wars Gets Jaded
In the climax of The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader reveals something genuinely horrifying: that he is secretly Luke Skywalker’s father. He then makes a very unexpected sales pitch to the young, would-be Jedi. Vader offers Luke the chance to team up and overthrow the Emperor. Then, as he so memorably says, they “can rule the galaxy together as father and son!” Obviously, Luke refuses the offer, and Palpatine seemingly never learns about Vader’s betrayal. At least, by the time he finally appears in the flesh in Return of the Jedi, he doesn’t openly have a grudge against Vader for the whole planning his murder thing.
Timothy Zahn decided that, one way or another, the most powerful man in the galaxy was going to find out what happened at the end of The Empire Strikes Back. What would happen when Palpatine learned that Darth Vader was plotting to team up with one of the most powerful Force users in the galaxy? Zahn’s answer was that Palpatine would have his own Force-wielding secret agent whom he could dispatch to kill Luke Skywalker before the boy became a larger problem.
Inspired By Star Wars’ Coolest Plot Twist
In an interview with IGN, Timothy Zahn said, “Mara was originally my thought of how Palpatine would have reacted to Vader offering Luke an alliance at the end of The Empire Strikes Back, that he might want to get rid of Luke and send an agent to deal with him when he showed up to rescue Han at Jabba’s.” While her character was not yet fully fleshed out, this intriguing notion “was the nub of an idea that eventually became Mara.”
Zahn retroactively added Mara to Jabba’s Palace during the events of Return of the Jedi, where she was posing as a dancing girl in an attempt to find and kill Luke Skywalker. However, the Hutt refused to let her on his sail barge, and when she tried to use the Force on him, he realized that she wasn’t who she claimed to be. Mara later regrets her failure because this was her last real shot to kill Luke before the death of the Emperor. Years later, they cross paths but are forced to fight against a common enemy (Thrawn), and Mara eventually overcomes her personal demons by fighting and killing a clone of Luke Skywalker (no, really).
From Imperial Assassin To Jedi Wifey
Sadly, Mara Jade was removed from canon when Disney bought the rights to Star Wars. Zahn and other writers have confirmed that, despite intense fan demand, execs have forbidden bringing Mara back into canon. One possible reason for this is that her character has become superfluous. Now, Inquisitors do everything Mara did: they wield immense power, operate autonomously, and hunt down rogue Jedi on behalf of the Emperor. Another possible reason to freeze Mara out is that she married Luke Skywalker in the EU, a plot that is now nearly impossible to fit into modern Star Wars canon.
Long after Mara Jade was introduced to the Expanded Universe, a Star Wars video game expanded major lore about Darth Vader’s intentions towards Palpatine. The Force Unleashed (which is, sadly, no longer canon) revealed that Luke Skywalker wasn’t even the first Jedi that the Sith Lord had tried to recruit. Previously, he recruited Starkiller (real name: Galen Marek) to help assassinate the Emperor and anyone else who gets in the way. In this way, Starkiller was like Vader’s own Mara Jade: a Force-sensitive ace up the sleeve that he could use to dispose of foes halfway across the galaxy.
Suffice it to say that Mara Jade is one of the most popular and influential additions to Star Wars since the Original Trilogy. Timothy Zahn created this fan-favorite character to reveal what Palpatine would do if he knew Vader was scheming against him. This permanently ties her origin to The Empire Strikes Back, the absolute best Star Wars film ever made. Now that her one-time foe Grand Admiral Thrawn has been brought back into the fold, we EU fans can only cross our fingers (or should that be lightsabers?) that she sneaks her way back into canon.
Entertainment
The best HBO Max deals and bundles in May 2026
The best HBO Max deals and bundles in May 2026:
Looking for some exciting new films or shows to watch this spring? HBO Max is the place to find them. With a new season of Euphoria dropping weekly on the platform and a brand new season of House of the Dragon coming in June, there’s plenty to watch right now.
If these have caught your eye, the good news is that HBO Max has a few different bundles available at the moment that are worth checking out, including a popular bundle with Disney+ and Hulu. With streaming prices on the rise, a bundle like this can be a great way to save some cash while retaining access to your favorite services.
Alongside bundles, we’ve also broken down HBO Max’s standard plans in case you’re interested in its service on its own.
Best Disney+ bundle deal
$19.99/month with ads, $32.99/month ad-free
Why we like it
The HBO Max, Disney+, and Hulu bundle is a top-tier choice for those looking to have access to some of the biggest streaming services around. Starting at $19.99 per month, this bundle grants you access to Hulu, Disney+, and HBO Max’s streaming services for a much lower price than what you’d pay for them on their own. If you’ve already got Disney+ and Hulu subscriptions, this bundle is worth every cent. If you’re interested, there are two plan options to choose from:
Best Hulu bundle deal
Add HBO Max to your Hulu base plan from $10.99 per month
Why we like it
If you’re not interested in the Disney+, Hulu, and HBO Max mega bundle, you can just get Hulu and HBO Max together if you already have a Hulu base plan, which starts at $11.99 per month. HBO Max Basic with Ads can be added onto your plan for $10.99 per month, or you can splash out on the HBO Max Standard plan for $18.49 per month.
Best student deal
Students save 50% on HBO Max Basic With Ads
Why we like it
It’s always nice when streaming services have a deal for students, and HBO Max’s offer is definitely worth taking advantage of. Students who can verify their status with UNiDAYS are eligible to get the HBO Max Basic With Ads plan for just $5.49 per month. That’s a 50% discount off its $10.99 monthly price. After verifying your status, you’ll receive a unique code that can be used to redeem the discounted plan on HBO Max.
HBO Max’s monthly plans
HBO Max offers a few different subscription plans. If you don’t mind having to sit through ads, HBO Max’s Basic With Ads plan starts at $10.99 per month or the annual plan runs for $109.99 per year. If you can’t stand ads and don’t mind throwing down a bit more cash, the Standard plan will cost you $18.49 per month or $184.99 per year. If you really want to go big on an HBO Max plan, you can spring for the fancy Premium plan, which costs $22.99 per month or $229.99 per year.
Below we’ve broken down what comes with each of these plans, per HBO Max’s website, so you can know a bit more before you buy.
Basic With Ads — $10.99 per month, $109.99 per year
Mashable Deals
Standard (Ad-free) — $18.49 per month, $184.99 per year
Premium (Ad-free) — $22.99 per month, $229.99 per year
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Stream on four devices at once
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4K Ultra HD video quality (as available)
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Dolby Atmos immersive audio (as available)
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100 downloads to watch on the go
If you’re wondering where to start once you’ve set yourself up with a HBO Max subscription, we’ve got an excellent selection of recommendations to point you in the right direction. Looking for a great TV show to kickstart your next binge-watching session? Have a look through our roundup of the 20 best TV shows streaming on HBO Max. Or if you prefer movies, we narrowed down the 25 best movies on HBO Max to make your next movie night a spectacular one.
Entertainment
Ive tested dozens of earbuds. I like these 3 AirPods alternatives.
Folks who prefer earbuds with a stem, people who want great ANC for under $100, anyone looking for excellent battery life, and anyone who wants an all-around pair of earbuds that make as much sense at the gym as they do in the office should opt for the EarFun Air Pro 4.
Most similar to: AirPods 4 with ANC
The EarFun Air Pro 4s are a no-brainer pick as an affordable AirPods alternative — they are Mashable’s favorite ANC earbuds under $100 after all. Performance-wise, they’ll sit more in line with the AirPods 4, but fit-wise, they’ll be more similar to the AirPods Pro 3, thanks to the silicone ear tips that situate more firmly in the ear canal. Honestly, that’s a plus — the AirPods 4 can be much more hit-or-miss at fitting different ear shapes. Beyond the design, these earbuds have impressively adept ANC powered by six internal microphones. Plus, it’s adjustable. I can’t say I noticed massive differences between the various levels, but still, I appreciated that the flexibility was there. Much like the Sony XM6 buds, EarFun shows up Apple when it comes to the customization of the sound profile, thanks to the custom equalizer and presets. Especially for the price point, the sound is surprisingly robust, clear, and dynamic. Maybe not quite on Apple’s level, but not too far off, either. Finally, you’ll get between seven and a half to eight hours of battery life per charge, plus 27 and a half additional hours with the case, making them a great option for anyone who finds themselves using their earbuds round the clock and running down the battery more often than they’d prefer.
Affordability: These earbuds are already $79.99, but almost always go on sale for $62.99, and occasionally even lower to $53.99.
What you might miss: Despite the similarly stemmed design to AirPods, EarFun opts for touch controls on these earbuds, which are mildly consistent at best and straight-up inconsistent at work. During my testing of the buds, I ended up toggling the touch controls off because I found them a little too frustrating to use. The case is also on the bigger side, making the earbuds not quite as portable as AirPods.
Entertainment
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 17, 2026
Today’s Connections: Sports Edition will require some sports and pop culture knowledge.
As we’ve shared in previous hints stories, this is a version of the popular New York Times word game that seeks to test the knowledge of sports fans.
Like the original Connections, the game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier — so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for the latest Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections: Sports Edition?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has launched in association with The Athletic, the New York Times property that provides the publication’s sports coverage. The sports Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words, and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake — players get up to four mistakes before the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Mashable Top Stories
Here’s a hint for today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
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Yellow: NFC North
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Green: Allegedly an East Coast-based conference
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Blue: Too many Jalens in the NBA
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Purple: Caps. financial or fashionable
Here are today’s Connections: Sports Edition categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections: Sports Edition #601 is…
What is the answer to Connections: Sports Edition today?
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An NFC North Athlete: BEAR, LION, PACKER, VIKING
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An ACC Athlete: CAVALIER, EAGLE, HOKIE, MUSTANG
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Ja(y)lens in the NBA: BROWN, BRUNSON, DUREN, GREEN
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___Cap: BASEBALL, GUARDIAN, RALLY, SALARY
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new sports Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? See hints and answers for today’s Strands.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to today’s Connections.
Corbin Carroll helps Diamondbacks beat Rockies with 2-homer game
The best HBO Max deals and bundles in May 2026
