A new Star Wars theory suggests a popular Legends character, Mara Jade, played a secret role in Return of the Jedi and is set to appear in Ahsoka. The Star Wars Legends continuity, formerly known as the Expanded Universe, was the Star Wars franchise’s official canon before its rebranding as the alternate Legends timeline in 2014, yet it continues to have a strong influence on the current canon’s lore. Despite being more niche than the current Star Wars canon, some elements of Legends are popular enough to gain counterparts in the new timeline.
The Expanded Universe was rebranded as "Legends" to maximize creative freedom for the then-upcoming Star Wars sequel trilogy, but Legends went on to inspire many elements of the sequels – including Palpatine's controversial resurrection. Looking beyond the movies, Grand Admiral Thrawn – a ruthless Imperial strategist created by author Timothy Zahn back in the '90s – was brought back into canon in Star Wars Rebels and will be introduced in live-action in Ahsoka. A new theory suggests another character from Zahn's novels, Mara Jade, could also make her canon debut in Ahsoka.
