Mara Jade (Dark Force Rising) — Star Wars The Black Series 50th Anniversary

Overview

Mara Jade (Dark Force Rising) is a Fan Channel exclusive in the Black Series 50th Anniversary sub-line, released in March 2023 at $27.99. The figure is based on Timothy Zahn’s Dark Force Rising — the second novel in the Heir to the Empire trilogy, set five years after Return of the Jedi — and represents Mara Jade as she appears during that period: Emperor’s Hand turned independent smuggler, operating in a galaxy reshaped by the Rebellion’s victory.

The photo-real portrait is among the best in the Black Series. The five accessories provide genuine configuration options. And if you’re a fan of Zahn’s 1990s novels, this figure is worth your consideration — it’s the most complete Black Series Mara Jade to date.

Articulation

21 joints. Barbell-jointed neck, ball-jointed lower neck, butterfly-jointed shoulders, swivel-hinged shoulders, swivel-hinged elbows, swivel-hinged wrists, ball-jointed upper body, swivel-hinged waist, barbell-jointed hip, swivel thighs, double-hinged knees, rocker ankles.

The butterfly shoulders give forward arm sweep for dynamic lightsaber and blaster poses. The double-hinged knees provide good leg range. Notably, the arms look clean aesthetically — besides the elbows there are no other joints in the arms that would be visually distracting, which is a considered design choice that preserves the figure’s sleek look without sacrificing function.

Accessories

5 accessories. Lightsaber hilt with removable purple blade, blaster, removable harness, removable goggles/scarf combo.

The lightsaber hilt hangs from the belt. The purple blade detaches cleanly, though Mara Jade holds the saber only loosely in the right hand. The blaster is a better fit — she has a good grip on it and it fits snugly into the holster.

The harness and the goggles/scarf combo are both removable, but there’s a specific process: you need to pop the head off first to remove either piece. The goggles and scarf are sculpted as a single combined piece rather than separate accessories — and this piece can only hang down at the front, not sit up on the head the way the packaging art depicts. An additional hat-and-goggles-up version would have allowed the packaging cover pose, but only the one configuration is included.

The Portrait

The photo-real print on the face is non-pixelated in person and is described as among the best in the Black Series so far — a meaningful statement given how many figures the line has produced. The head sculpt itself is impressive. This is the level of portrait quality that makes a figure worth displaying face-forward.

The Belt Inaccuracy

One specific issue: the belt is not accurate to how Doctor Aphra — no, Mara Jade — appears on the packaging. The packaging art shows two large pouches hanging from the front of the belt; the figure’s belt doesn’t have them. This is a minor accuracy gap but it’s visible when comparing figure to box.

Mara Jade in the Expanded Universe

Mara Jade is Timothy Zahn’s creation — introduced in Heir to the Empire in 1991, she arrived in the Star Wars expanded universe as one of the most immediately compelling new characters: the Emperor’s Hand, his personal assassin operating outside the official Imperial command structure, programmed with a last command to kill Luke Skywalker. When Palpatine dies at Endor, that command becomes an obsessive mission she can’t silence.

By Dark Force Rising, the period this figure covers, she’s operating as a trader and smuggler — no longer serving the Empire, not yet anything else, carrying the programming she can’t shake while trying to build a new life. Her eventual path to Jedi Knight and marriage to Luke Skywalker across Zahn’s subsequent novels is one of the Legends continuity’s most complete character arcs.

The 50th Anniversary release captures the Dark Force Rising configuration — the specific in-between period that makes her interesting rather than the fully-formed Jedi she becomes. The harness, the smuggler-operative outfit, the combination of lightsaber and blaster that reflects her dual capabilities: it’s the right configuration for the story moment.

Fan Channel Acquisition

Fan Channel exclusive at $27.99, March 2023. No variations recorded. Figure provided by Entertainment Earth for review.

Secondary Market

Fan Channel exclusive 2023. Secondary prices typically $35–60, sustained by the strong Zahn novel fanbase and the quality of the portrait and accessories.

Verdict

Mara Jade (Dark Force Rising) is the definitive Black Series Mara Jade — an outstanding photo-real portrait, butterfly shoulders, five accessories with a cleanly functioning holster and belt-hung lightsaber, and the specific Dark Force Rising configuration that Zahn novel fans have wanted for years. Pop the head to remove the harness or goggles, and note the goggles can’t be displayed up. The belt doesn’t match the packaging art. All of that is secondary to the portrait quality and the accessory loadout. Fan Channel exclusive, $27.99.

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Part of Star Wars The Black Series | 50th Anniversary. Related: Doctor Aphra (Comic) P4-50A-DAC | Luke Skywalker & Ysalamiri (Comic) P4-50A-LYS.