#and it's definitely not mara's apprentice

[warsavant]

the good news is since his current allies in force users are dathomir witches and a... former inquisitor? who is very content with his apprentice, thrawn is highly unlikely to attempt to kidnap leia organa, and in this case her small son, this time around.

[aratribow]

Warning: MCD (it will be that is)

It's supposed to for an angst au with one of the major chars being one of my frnd's oc! (I have ¼ custody of him as well)

The jy over there is actually my frnd @kaviolli 's oc hyeon, who's a nekomata and a butler to the jy household (he was gifted to the hcq by teng xiao). So uhh the plot takes place quite a few centuries later with hyeon have stolen jy's skin (it was on jy's order though when he got mara struck). So now hyeon lives away in a faraway place, living as jy because it was an order, and it's definitely not out of pity and love (there's a lot of psychological horror conflict themes attached to it)

So this scene takes place around the end of the story, where jl being the only one to discover him (she raised jy after all, she knows) ends up granting him the peace he was seeking for so long

......

"When she was about delivers the final blow, she stares down at the body of her son apprentice's copycat. Hesitating, questioning, begging herself to snap out of it. That this is just an illusion made up in her mind. Lies that the mara spread so she has the heart to kill her own student.

Cat like eyes stares into her blood red one. This is not Jing Yuan. Her Jing Yuan never have those eyes. Her heart and soul howl over how wrong those eyes looks in his face. That's the only reassurance she needs to end this abomination, yet..

For just a second, she thought she saw Jing Yuan staring up at her with a soft smile gracing his tired face. He looks at her like she has hung the moon and back. Full of adoration and reassurance.

Silent tears path their way down her cheeks as she closes her eyes. Her sword plunging down right at the heart of the nekomata. Not daring to see her own sword penetrating his body.

A silent thank you can be heard from beneath her as Hyeon takes his last breath and Jingliu mourns."

-@kaviolli

[gffa]

Everyone has my absolute sympathy for trying to sort this stuff out, because there is so much source material to sort through and so much of a game of Telephone being played (ie, one person says something they believe to be true, the next person picks it up as hard fact and repeats it as such, then the next person also believes it but adding a bit of their own assumptions to what the previous posts said, on and on until we get to where we are now in fandom) that it can be hard to sort it all out. My best advice is to just start paying attention to sources on things--like when someone posts a quote from Wild Space, I automatically think, okay, that's in the Legends continuity, because I've looked up which books are in which continuity enough to know that.  Once you start doing that often enough, you start naturally understanding what comes from what continuity. Like, for a specific example--the idea of Jedi aging out at 13, when someone posts about that, where does that come from?  It's always sourced back to the Jedi Apprentice books, so, okay, that's a Legends thing!  Can you think of any time that came up in the movies or in TCW?  If not, then it's not Lucas' continuity and it never happened there.  In fact, The Clone Wars (Ahsoka's 14 in the movie and said to be on the young side for being a Padawan) + Disney (the Dooku: Jedi Lost audiodrama has a 16 year old Initiate who will have to wait another year before trying to be a Padawan again) both show that's not part of those continuities. That's pretty much it, I just constantly go after the source, figure out where something is from, and if I can't find a source, it's probably Legends or fanon.  (Which is no shade!  People should do what they want!  But I do like knowing what's fanon and what's not.) For the Jedi stuff, I can definitely help you out--I have a Jedi reference project, which is a collection of citations from Lucas continuity + Disney continuity (if it's quoted from Lucas, the movies, or TCW s1-s6, then it's Lucas continuity, everything else is Disney on that list) and Part II has an intro section that lists the different continuities as I see them. But I would say the primary differences between Lucas/Disney and Legends Jedi are: (None of these are value judgements!  I have read so many good fics that mix and match all of these things and I hope people continue to do what makes them happy, re: what goes in which continuity!) - Aging out does not seem to exist, the AgriCorps do not exist in the same fashion if they exist in Disney canon. - While Bant and Siri have been recanonized, Garen and Reeft do not exist in Disney canon, nor does Feemor or Komari.  Rael Averross is Dooku's other Padawan in Disney continuity, he does not exist in Legends. - Male Cereans are not endangered, Ki-Adi-Mundi is not married in Lucas or Disney canon. - The post-ROTJ world is massively, massively different, like Luke married Mara Jade and they had a son, Ben Skywalker, Han and Leia had three children (Jacen & Jaina the twins, Anakin their youngest son), Luke trains more Jedi as adults, while in Lucas' views and in Disney, he trains younger students. - The clones are not Mandalorian, in Lucas canon and Disney canon, they consider Kamino their home and they've never spoken any Mando'a.  Honestly,  I'm not sure any Mando'a has ever been spoken in any of Disney's stuff?  (Also, Mando'a was heavily linked with Karen Traviss' writing and, given that she's a Trump supporter and anti-BLM irl, some people really don't want to touch her stuff.) - The Jedi meditation mantra of "there is no emotion, there is peace" is purely a supplementary canon thing, it started in an '80s roleplaying book for the OT, then made its way to PT Legends stuff, and is referenced in Disney's continuity, but it does not exist in Lucas' continuity at all.  Also the "emotion yet peace" version is a prequels era thing, a lot of people will say it's an "older version" of the Jedi Code, but the only time we see it is during the Clone Wars (from the Kanan comics' flashbacks). - Grey Jedi do not exist in Lucas Canon or Disney canon.  I’m not sure if they’re around in some form in Legends (a lot of wild stuff happened in Legends), but they seem to be actively impossible to have in these canons, given the story group’s commentary about how you cannot use the dark side without consequences.�� You can’t be a Jedi and use the dark side, pretty much. Oh, no, I'm kind of stuttering to a stop on trying to think of more major differences between the continuities, because honestly I'm better at answering direct questions than trying to come up with something.  (And even then, if I can't write a 25k essay, I feel bad, like, "Is this enough??  Or am I FAILING  here??" because sometimes Star Wars just Does Not Give Us Answers.  orz)

[astudyinimagination]

Okay, okay, so what I'm hoping in the future is to return to my Star Wars AUs, and these are all going to take a lot of planning, but I'd like to continue them and actually finish them. Because, looking back at them, there's some good stuff in there! I want these finished just for me! :D

But if you guys want them, too, here's what I hope to get back to:

Legacy of Thrawn: AU to the Hand of Thrawn duology, wherein Thrawn's clone wakes up before Luke and Mara can kill him, and convinces them to let him help them restore order to the galaxy. This one is VERY old — I dropped it in 2010 and never finished it. It's so old that I am a significantly different person with significantly better writing skills, and I have a desperate need not just to finish the thing but rewrite it. I just... I know so much more than I did when I was twenty. xD

The Gentleness That Comes not from the Absence of Violence: My "Padmé Lives" AU. Padmé survives childbirth and takes her twins, Obi-Wan, and several of her handmaidens with her into hiding. This was my last NaNoWriMo project, and I think it's one of the best things I've ever written. The story isn't just about how Padmé's survival changes events, but how she copes with everything that's happened to her. She and Obi-Wan and the handmaidens... and eventually Ahsoka. (It was also written before the Padmé novels, so it's not rooted in the novels E.K. Johnston wrote, with all due respect to her.)

The Hermit and the Orphan: The "Obi-Wan adopts Mara" AU. Nine-year-old Mara Jade discovers that her beloved Emperor murdered her parents, and runs away... and right into Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine. They proceed to adopt each other, and Mara becomes best friends with Biggs Darklighter and Luke Skywalker.

Where Light Can Be: The "Mara joins the Rebellion" AU. Same starting point, different age — Mara makes her life-changing discovery a year after the destruction of the first Death Star, and defects to the Rebellion. She ends up joining Rogue Squadron, and joins Luke on his quest to learn more about the Jedi, hoping to learn how to use her abilities in ways that don't remind her of Palpatine. Of course, she and Luke fall in love, which will have a significant impact on the aftermath of Bespin...

Star-Crossed: The hardest of all of these. Sherlock Holmes in the Star Wars universe fusion. What do an orphan-turned-Jedi, a Chiss healer, a Queen, and a Senator-turned-Chancellor have in common? Oh, that they're a private consulting detective, a former army doctor, the doctor's wife, and a mathematics professor in another universe...

Unnamed Leia time-travel AU: Double Agent Vader AU, never started. Sometime before the Battle of Hoth, Leia falls back in time to the Clone Wars, to meet General Kenobi and his former apprentice who seems eerily familiar. When she finally meets Padmé Amidala, the mysteries of her biological family and her mentor Ekkreth finally start to fall into place. Permission to write the AU given by Fialleril years ago, and I had forgotten that until recently! And now that I have some pieces of the story in my head, I am not letting this one go again!

So that's... it, I'm pretty sure. That's the stuff that I've started, mostly within the past decade, that I really want to continue. And I'm hoping to have time this coming winter to do it. (I have... other commitments plus family stuff that is definitely going to keep me from fic writing until then.)

But in the meantime, if you want to come chat with me about stuff, ask me questions... I would be so happy to talk about all the ideas I've got that are hopefully going to all make it onto AO3 someday!

[siennadraws]

10, 20, 40 and +1 from the fifty rook questions?

Hi!! Thanks so much for the ask, and for making the list!

10. Does Rook know their history? Do they know of the HoF, Hawke, the Inquisitor?

They definitely know their history!

Firstly, the Hero of Ferelden is Shaera Mahariel Sabrae. All the southern Dalish kids know about her, especially the hunters. Since Wenalen's clan, Clan Lavellan, was from Ferelden before the Blight, they also probably met each other at some point.

Mara Hawke they know the basics of. They know enough people that knew her to make her basically an acquaintance. Varric, Merril, Morrigan, Terys.

Now, the Inquisitor, Wenalen definitely knows. His best friend, they were born at the same time from different parents in the Clan, raised side by side, inseparable until Terys Lavellan took the mission to spy on the Conclave. They were even lovers for some time.

If her time as Inquisitor hadn't broken her so much and separated her from him, he wouldn't have broken too. If she hadn't traveled to Tevinter, alone, Wenalen would have never tried to follow, wouldn't have reached Minrathous and freed those slaves, changing his life with that action, wouldn't have met the Mercars and the Shadow Dragons.

Wouldn't have become Rook.

20. What’s it like to see them smile? Their laugh?

His smile is bright. Like the sunlight in your eyes it cuts through you, and you can't help but smile back. The way his eyes wrinkle, and then how his cheeks start to hurt but how he can't stop his smile, you know there's no lie in there.

When it’s with someone dear to him, his smiles are shyer but begging to show his teeth.

His laughter escapes from him, surprising even himself when it bursts, but if you know him, you know he never tried to keep it hidden. It's not a loud laugh, but it is warm, like hot and sweet chamomile tea in bed. If he loves you, it never stops.

30. What is Rook’s class? Did they choose it?

He's a warrior, and he didn't really choose it.

Wenalen became a hunter's apprentice as a teen, and being as tall as he was (an half-elf who's 1,86m/6'1ft tall as an adult), the hunters decided to train him with a sword and shield, besides the bow and arrow.

He enjoys it, wouldn't have liked to be trained in the Crow skills of his padre, like Terys was, anyway. And there's something fulfilling about protecting his clanmates, and then his friends and allies, with his shield. He's there, he's real.

+1 What does Rook smell like?

Wenalen has a woody smell to him, with amber notes. It's very warm, and with a hint of sweetness.

[icharchivist]

I'd definitely love to see the character you create

omg....

all my screenshots are on my harddrive so i can really access only to them

and also yeah the designs look similar enough lmao i'll def try to do different things next time. maybe.

Dragon Age: Origins

Kurai Mahariel, a Warrior Dalish Elf who romanced Alistair. Headstrong but gentle, she took into her new job as the Warden diligently, head standing high as the remembered her people back home.

Laven Tabris, a Rogue City Elf who romanced Zevran. Cocky and impulsive, her circumstances made her more abrasive and she won't hesitate to intimidate people rather than taking the peaceful route. Punch first ask question later type.

Lyra Amell, a Circle Mage Human who romanced Leliana. Teasing and calculating, she approaches most situations lightly, going at the beat of her own drums, unless it is about magic where she takes the severity of everything very seriously.

Ellaria Cousland, a Human Noble Apostate. (i used a mod to make it possible), who romanced Alistair. Ngl i did this specifically because i kept hearing the Cousland and Alistair's romance was so good. And i hated every second of it LDKJFKDLFJ Ellaria came out as extremely ruthless and angry, bloodthirsty in her revenge. She doesn't care much for what is at hand as long as she can screw over the people who screwed HER family over.

They're all about 20yo.

Dragon Age 2

Mara Hawke, A Human Rogue who romanced Anders, Diplomatic Personality. Trying to do everything to keep her little sister safe, she involved herself with the mage rebellion trying to navigate every situation analysing how much she needs to nudge people in the right direction. However she will be cutthroat and not tolerate it if people try to use her. Let's say one of the final choice of the game didn't go well with her temperament.

Ariel Hawke, A Human Apostate Mage who romanced Fenris, Charismatic Personality. As the illegal mage, Ariel takes everything lightly in order to lay low. Invested in the Mage Resistance still and really caring for her friends, she still puts her family first even if there's tension with her brother. Personification of "if i make jokes through a bad situation at least this would turn into a joke."

I replayed Ariel many time lmao both are 22 when the plot starts.

Dragon Age: Inquisition

Leana Trevelyan, Ex-Circle Mage & Human Noble who romanced Cullen. Careful and Anxious, the whole burden of having to lead the Inquisition is just one alarm after the other to her. basically *screaming inside* type of person.

She's 28 at the beginning of the game. I replayed this route a few times.

Ithena Lavellan, Mage Dalish Elf and Ex Apprentice Keeper, who romanced Solas. As an apprentice to the Keeper she always tried to stay level headed and trying to approach every situation with wisdom and curiosity and also a huge respect for her culture. She wears the Vallaslin of Mythal as a reminder of being understanding but also Just.

She's 30 at the beginning of the game. I keep replaying this route lmao.

Renan Lavellan, Mage Dalish Elf and Ex Apprentice Keeper, who i was planning to romance either Dorian or Cassandra with, but i didn't go far into this specific playthrough. I don't really know the grasp i have on his personality because of that. Probably teasing and Charismatic considering who i decided he should date but mhmmmmm i'll see if i ever continue this playthrough. IDK his bday but since Dorian is 29 and Cassandra 36 i'll probably have him stand in the middle until i sort my things out

Other Things

And that's my characters for ya 🫡 in term of beliefs i keep choosing my own morality level lmao, so it's still mostly Pro-Mage/Pro-Elves and all sort of things like that.

Also i heavily use mods, esp for the haircuts, so don't worry about it.

My Main Timeline when i go into DAI is Lyra as the Warden and Ariel as the Hawke, but i've planned for my first DA4 playthrough to use as a background Laven, Ariel, and Ithena.

so yeah 🫡 the more u know!

[kanerallels]

Never read Bloodlines, and now I DEFINITELY won't. That doesn't sound like Jaina at ALL. It sounds highly enraging.

And my sister was the same way with the Alphabet books-- or at least about the make better choices bit. Alphabet Squadron really does that to you, though.

I was less like that, since I was prepared. Except when Wyl Lark challenged Soran Keize to a duel. Then I lost it.

@kanerallels

The. The what trilogy? Is…. is that the actual name?

The actual name of the trilogy is The Dark Nest Trilogy by Troy Denning. It takes place after the end of the New Jedi Order megaseries and before the beginning of the Legacy of the Force megaseries.

The explanation for the Artoo thing was simple enough. Legends was not allowed to use Padme until after RotS was released and these were the first books to come out then.

As for the A plot being about Jacen, Jaina, Zekk, Raynar and a few other characters who I can’t remember off the top of my head getting dragged into a bug driven mind meld and having orgies… they gave him extensive creative freedom with this trilogy and he sure did make choices.

[astriiformes]

For reasons, I am once again thinking about the ideal TOH Star Wars AU that I might not ever write but lives in my head and haunts me regularly

Can't decide if I would age some of the kids up by a couple years or just continue in the grand Star Wars tradition of harm and too much responsibility to literal children but Luz is a young Force-sensitive human maybe more around 16-18 (still not THAT old) living on a backwater planet who convinces Eda to take her on as an apprentice

Eda is an ex-Jedi who has been on the run since Order 66, now working as a smuggler. I think people are cowards about never interpreting anyone as aliens in Star Wars AUs and think she's a good candidate but haven't narrowed down exactly the species, although the whole Togruta-are-obligate-carnivores thing make them a tempting choice. The Empire has probably been around a little longer than in SW canon to make things line up right and I think she was an older teen during the Clone Wars, and also Bump's padawan before everything fell apart.

King is a small alien of indeterminate species that she found in a mysterious older-than-the-Jedi temple while mucking around the galaxy. Not sure exactly what his deal is but some kind of weird Mortis/the Ones/Force nonsense long since forgotten about by modern Force users feels about right.

Lilith is also a former Jedi (I know by canon Jedi rules they probably wouldn't have had two siblings training at the same time, but also, I can poke at Star Wars canon too), now Head of the Inquisitorius dead-set on tracking her sister down and recruiting her as another Inquisitor. Was probably Belos' padawan and got roped into his own fall to the Dark Side as a result.

Gus is a young (human?) Force-sensitive rebel, as is Willow (although I think she is a green twi'lek); I have not decided exactly how they are affiliated with the Rebellion since they are both YOUNG (although again, maybe more in the 16-18 range, Gus is still the youngest of the kids for sure) but I think having their parents involved might make sense, especially if it's in part an attempt to keep their kids safe from the Purges/Inquisitors. Doing something with the Emerald Entrails as an X-Wing squadron is also very tempting (Emerald Squadron, with Willow as Emerald Leader??)

Raine is in a sort of Bail Organa double agent senator/Rebellion leader style position and YES this means that they and Eda were basically doing a whole "what if Padmé and Anakin were just a tiny bit smarter, but not by much" illicit senator/Jedi romance when they were younger, so I think it would be funny if they were from Naboo. They definitely think Eda died in Order 66 and Eda definitely thinks they, as a member of the Imperial Senate, have bought into the whole "the Jedi were bad, actually" thing which is why the two haven't spoken in decades. Darius and Eberwolf might be Senate colleagues? (Maybe a Fulcrum agent kind of situation?)

Not sure what is going on with the Blights. I think maybe Alador is an Imperial scientist and Amity might end up involved via a not-quite-Rogue-One, but a little inspired by it heist situation just to get her in contact with the rebels. Her parents have worked very hard to keep her Force sensitivity on the down-low. Also I think it's funny that in canon Pantorans can have the same gold eyes/lavender hair look Amity does (just, you know, blue) so while it doesn't work for the whole family I think Alador being a Pantoran and Amity taking more after him than her mother works amusingly well.

Hunter is Belos' Mara Jade-style Emperor's Hand (obviously) but ALSO a clone (obviously) who probably has an Order 66-style chip implanted in him somewhere for maximum angst potential, because this is Hunter and also Star Wars. He was definitely a pet project independent of the clone troopers, probably an attempt to do something weird with the Force to create a perfect Jedi killer. I'm honestly not sure if he's Force-sensitive or not, it could really go either way. Also I would be broadly interpreting all palismen as droids, but Flapjack in particular has to be an old, beat-up little guy he found on a mission and has been tinkering with against his better judgement since.

Belos is probably creating some Force-draining superweapon; a Star Wars AU is interesting for him because making him a Sith makes him one of the weird "magic" folks himself, but obviously the Jedi purges are still a good equivalent to his whole deal in canon. He and his brother were both Jedi and Caleb almost definitely tried to stop his fall to the dark side in a very Mustafar-but-if-Anakin-won situation, just because I think the parallel there is tasty.

[abduloki]

STAR WARS WHAT IF by Rise of the Empress

What if, a Sith Rey, was raised in secrecy under the influence of the dark side and her grandfather, Emperor Palpatine? And now commands the autocratic military named, The Final Order?

What if, a young Ben Solo never turned to the dark side, becoming a good Jedi apprentice of Luke Skywalker, inherit Han Solo’s creative skills and Leia’s wisdom in leading the resistance?

I don’t know about you, but personally I find this idea to be quite interesting. It definitely sounds better than the official sequel. Would be cool to see a Dark Rey akin to that of Mara Jade in being the Emperor’s Hand.

For more of such fan fic and fan art, follow rise_of_the_empress

[brianhanes]

21 Concepts “Star Wars Ahsoka” Should Have

1. Grand Admiral Thrawn (Legends Style)

For those who don’t know, Grand Admiral Thrawn was a major anti-hero in a popular Star Wars “Hier to the Empire” 1993 novel trilogy. He would later be used again in Disney’s “Star Wars Rebels” series, but the big difference I would like to see is a scaled-up Thrawn from that version. In Rebels, Thrawn seemed to be a bit watered down. He gave away battles as he looked at ‘the big picture’. 

A major change that we need to see a Thrawn who is constantly winning important battles and seems unbeatable (as he was in Legends). Someone who dominates the scene almost all the time and only gives up ground when necessary. Someone who only takes battles worth taking rather than wasting time on pointless missions. 

Thrawn might be the only big villain in season 1, but that could leave room for another key villain to rise in book 2! Hopefully this villain would be teased during the end of season 1 (read more to find out who I’m talking about).

2. Mara Jade

Like Thrawn, Mara Jade was a major character in the Star Wars Expanded Universe (comics, novels, etc. outside of the main films) before Disney took over. While Disney may be looking to promote the new characters it has introduced, it would be a travesty if they ignore her. Thousands of legends fans would salivate at the sight of her! It would automatically give the series more love and praise. Mara=$$$ so they better not pass this up!

Mara was an Emperor’s Hand meaning she was trained and raised by Emperor Palpatine himself. The Emperor Hand was a special program that is similar to the Imperial Inquisitor program in that it brought in dark force sensitives into the Empire. Like inquisitors, hands were not Palpatine’s actual apprentices and weren’t caught as deeply in the dark side as Vader. On the other hand (no pun intended), Hands didn’t grow up as Jedi. 

Mara was also special in that she was trained to be a grey user. Palpatine wanted to see if he could successfully recruit a grey person to his ranks that would be less likely to betray him than another Sith. Mara Jade was pushed to be completely loyal to Palpatine and she was until his ‘passing’ during the Battle of Endor. It would be nice to see Mara with her purple lightsaber, hand-to-hand skills, force lightning, marksmanship (she could use a sniper rifle or pistol in battle), force choke abilities, and wit in to rival Ahsoka. 

Mara is also an expert pilot like Luke. She is sort of like a combination of Ventress, Black Widow, and Luke! That is too good of a character to be passed up. And when I say great pilot, I mean even better than Ahsoka good (only Luke should be able to match her in space). 

3. Ezra

Now I’ll mention another given, Ezra definitely will be in this show. To be honest with you, I really enjoyed some episodes of Rebels however, I didn’t like most of the show. For me, Rebels seemed a bit watered down (I wanted a gritty war story with lots of cultural/political lore like Star Wars: The Clone Wars). On the bright (or should I say light) side, I got much of what I wanted to see in Rebels with Rogue One and the Mandalorian. I also expect to get even more of that from Andor.

Like Ashoka, when Ezra first entered Rebels, he was very annoying. However, by the third season, I really liked him. He started reminding me of Anakin from the Star Wars 2003 Clone Wars series. Ezra was more mature, powerful, and seemed like a truly gifted Padawan. At this point, we can get an Ezra that is at knight level. We will see this with his maturity and wisdom but hopefully he also knows when to think outside the box like Qui Gon.

4. Lumiya

This is the season 2 boss I was talking about. Maybe operate on her own at first and her loyalists will run into Ahsoka and her friends. After a few conflicts, Lumiya could join forces with Thrawn. 

Like Mara Jade, Lumiya was also an Emperor’s Hand. She was brutal, intelligent, adaptive, manipulative, and through in the force. Lumiya was trained more deeply in the darkness than Mara, which makes for a good contrast of their characters. 

Mara is that dream female supervillain that ever story needs. She gives me Cheetah vibes from DC Universe or Azula vibes from Avatar: The Last Airbender. Sometimes you really have to appreciate an amazing female villain and Lumiya is one who does this naturally. To add to that, Lumiya was experimented on from a young age. She has super strength, immense speed (like Palpatine), and amazing acrobatics (like Darth Talon).

Lumiya should be portrayed in a way that shows she is obviously physically superior to the other characters in the series. Lumiya uses a lightsaber whip that makes her distinct from other lightsaber duelists. Her whip gives her more range in a duel and she maintains a firm grip of her weapon so she isn’t easily disarmed.

One major disadvantage of the lightsaber whip is that it limits her ability to defend against saber strikes. However, Lumiya is incredibly fast and agile so she can flip and leap away when her enemies attack. On top of that, she uses force push, pull, force throw, and lightning to keep enemies away from her. Another special aspect of Lumiya’s lightsaber whip vs other whips (like the ones used by Zygerian slavers in Star Wars the Clone Wars) should be that it is lethal. 

Lumiya also had her own royal guard stormtroopers who have red armor! That makes for a whole different vibe when the main character goes up against her. Lumiya’s character themes also would make an interaction between her and Mara Jade in the show insane. Imagine Mara Jade vs Lumiya in Ahsoka! 

But if Disney wants to move in another direction, they could give her imperial royal guards instead. That still works with the epic boss villain afterall, some of them would need a new boss after Sidious.

5. Shadow Stormtroopers

If you have seen any of my other Star Wars threads, it should be obvious that I’m obsessed with the soldiers! Seriously, soldiers are a big part of what made the Clone Wars and Rogue One special! Just because Jedi are in this story doesn’t mean soldiers shouldn’t still get their moments. The Mandalorian brought dark troopers from legends to canon. Star Wars battlefront 2015 brought these guys to canon, still I’d like to see them on the big screen.

Shadowtroopers are stormtroopers that can turn invisible in battle. They are elite which means they have better aim, personal HUDs, superior tactics, smoke grenades, and can adjust more in firefights. Ahsoka would also be strong enough to beat them.

6. Evo Troopers

Here are some of the coolest stormtroopers in history. Evo troopers are environmental experts with armor that can help them survive in several different environments (duh)! What makes them even more special is they basically use electric shotguns in battle and those electric shot guns fire quickly and have a wide range. They are annoying to fight in Star Wars: The Force Unleashed. Seeing Ahsoka go up against these guys would give many fans a rush of nostalgia and they are just awesome anyway.

7. Tie Phantoms

Star Wars Rebels blessed us with tie defenders. While I didn’t like all the episodes in Rebels, I adore some of the things they did with the show. Tie defenders where special because they were specialized imperial tie fighters that had personal shields and more firepower. Phantoms are special because they are tie fighters that can turn invisible! Another reason they need to do this is because Ahsoka dueled Maul in season 7 of Star Wars the Clone Wars and he was the Phantom Menace!

8. Cal Kestits

Cal was the main character in Star Wars Fallen Order! He is a jedi survivor of Order 66. Fallen Order is one of the best Star Wars things I have seen in a while and it would be nice to see him.

9. Imperial Jumptroopers

One really special thing about Star Wars the Clone Wars, is there were always new droids to fight. From battledroids, to super battledroids, to commando droids, to magnaguards, to crab droids and so on. Imperial jumptroopers have been utilized a good amount by Rebels. 

10. New Republic Soldiers

This is something the Mandalorian didn’t show us enough of. Although the New Republic was considered a joke in the show, it realistically would at least function throughout the Core worlds and Colonies. If matters were important enough and there was enough political demand, they would definitely battle against Imperial Remnant forces or whatever other threat is lurking around the galaxy. 

11. New Republic Droids

We saw these bad boys in the Mandalorian series. They are durable, accurate shooters, and very strong. Although they are predictable, they would be useful in battle against Imperial forces.

12. Imperial Security Droids

On the flip side of this discussion, it would also be useful for the Empire to use more of its security droids. These guys are very big and strong. They also can run deceptively fast for their size. We see in Rogue One that they are very accurate. But instead of seeing them unarmed like in Fallen Order or with pistols like K-2SO, let’s see them with heavy blaster and disruptor rifles. Then they would be deadly juggernauts in battle that even a jedi would be cautious of taking on.

13. New Republic Light Cruiser

In the Mandalorian, there was a lot of hype about the New Republic Fleet dealing with some shady people in one of the episodes. Unfortunately, what we saw was underwhelming to say the least. We need to see a New Republic cruiser and it doesn’t need to be a massive one (a huge one wouldn’t even make sense in many cases).

14. More Battles

More battles is always useful in Star Wars. Especially during a timeline like this where the New Republic is more powerful than the Rebellion was and the Imperial Remnant strongholds are being knocked down as their resources dwindle. 

15. Embo

Embo was a popular and honorable bounty hunter in Star Wars the Clone Wars. It would be great to see him on the big screen. Apparently, he retired and became a farmer but maybe we could see him defend his farm. I also think Embo deserves his own series, but that’s another story for another time.

16. Jedi Leia

The Jedi side of Leia has been abandoned in canon, but that can always change. Adding Leia and even having her fight against someone like Lumiya would be amazing. Still if Lumiya can defeat a seasoned Ahsoka the first time they fight, a less experienced Leia would really be at risk against her. Perhaps that’s where we see more parallels between Leia and her mother. 

Padme was often seen as a helpless senator by Jedi but it turned out she could defend herself well with her surprising hand-to-hand and marksmanship skills. Leia showed us the same in A New Hope but in Ahsoka she will have to be even more cautious as she takes on greater challenges with skills that she is still honing. 

17. Luke Skywalker

Luke has to be shown at some point in the series. He is just too important to not show. 

18. Durge

Durge was a deadly bounty hunter in the Star Wars Clone Wars 2003 miniseries. He also appeared in several comics. Durge has also appeared in one of Disney’s canon comics.

19. Smugglers and pirates

I know this is a given, but I just decided to write it anyway. There literally has to be a couple of episodes with these type of characters. It’s like a Star Wars rite of passage for shows.

20. New Jedi Order

Not every jedi that is listed should be named. Fall Order did a good job of avoiding this mistake. It would be nice to see more ordinary jedi in this show as well and that would also make the Star Wars universe feel bigger. A scene of Luke training padawans would also be nice.

21. Ahsoka and Chewbacca reunite

Ahsoka has actually already met Chewbacca as a teenager during the Clone Wars. It would be nice to see them meet up again. This could also be an opportunity for her to meet Han Solo and Leia.

[theliterarywolf]

Out of curiosity, if you were to make a tv series adaptation of she ra, how would you do it? What elements would you retain from the 80’s series, and what elements would you borrow from the 2017 series?

*blink*

Oh dear God, I thought I had answered this ask already. Holy fuck, I'm sorry anon.

In regards to the question, though:

First and foremost, putting this elephant in the room down once and for all! LET! HE-MAN/PRINCE ADAM! BE IN THE SAME UNIVERSE/PLANET! AS ADORA/SHE-RA! Most of the best concepts for He-Man/She-Ra content that I've seen have been hard-blocked by that shitty IP rights holder agreement of 'oh, both universes can never combine'.

With that out of the way... Believe it or not, I would keep certain elements from SPOP that divided a lot of people: I would keep the Adora/Catra relationship, I would keep Glimmer and Spinerella being plus-sized, I would keep the overall LGBTA tone of the series (especially since NO ONE seems to be brave enough to give me a He-Man show with He-Man/Prince Adam being mlm), and I would (most definitely) still have Entrapta and Hordak being an item.

As for what I would remove... The art style. SPOP's art style is fine, but for the type of tone and scale that I would want to go with for the IP I would have to have the design approach of Masters of the Universe: Revelation or He-Man (2002). Would some people accuse me of being against 'more modern art styles'? Yes. But, if I were to write stories like I would want to write in that setting, the art wouldn't work.

This next part is a personal point of contention but its one of the things that I still can't forgive SPOP for: Madame Razz. Fuck SPOP for making Madame Razz a senile magichobo. OG!Madame Razz was the quirky magical aunt who not only actively helped the Rebellion in their fights but served as Adora's confidante to keep her secret about being She-Ra.

Even if I had to keep the 'oh, Adora being She-Ra isn't a secret; it's more of a symbol of hope and magic people believe in that she can invoke' angle of SPOP, I would still have Madame Razz being the quirky magical aunt who helps out in battle while being a vestige of comfort for Adora.

And this turned into a lot, but if anyone wants to read I'll just have the rest under a 'Read More' for the sake of everyone else's dashboards.

We don't... need the whole thing with Mara. I don't even want to open the can of worms that was Mara, but I would just leave that in the past with SPOP.

While I would still incorporate Adora and Catra being in a relationship, I would make it more like 'Catra being an antihero mercenary who, while she looks out for herself, jumps in to help the blonde infected with "Dumb Idiot Protagonist Fungus" from time to time'. Usually to her own benefit but nothing like the 'I'm sad/mad that my girlfriend was always more loved than me and she left me so I'm going to destroy the world~' angle.

I'm forgetting some things, but for an actual narrative:

On the planet Eternia, lush with life thanks to the blessings of the spanning forests known as Etheria, the world has erupted into battle. Vile fiends from the Fright Side of Eternia's moon, led by the power-hungry Skeletor and the mad despot Horde Prime, have launched an all-out war: determined to only stop when Etheria is razed to the ground and Eternia's might lays crumbled at their feet.

However... Eternia and Etheria have prepared for this day. Thus, their own armies have risen to answer the cries of war:

The the forces of the Etherian forests led by the witch Madame Razz and her apprentice Orko.

The Mad Princess of Dryl, Entrapta, and her consort Hordak. The two of them lending their automaton army to the cause.

The Rebellion Armies of Bright Moon, led by the royal family of King Micah, Queen Angela, and Princess and Keeper of the Moonstone Princess Glimmer, serve as the core of this advancement; their strength being fortified by the forces of Greyskull.

The Enchantress of Castle Greyskull, in her infinite wisdom and her connection to Eternia's magic, guides Greyskull's enforcements ever forward: Man-At-Arms leading Greyskull's fleets, his daughter and tactician-prodigy Teela serving as captain of ground efforts.

But, in the wake of constant barrages, constant fighting, and so many innocent souls slaughtered everyday, the forces of Eternia have grown disheartened. Even Eternia and Etheria are growing faint in the blessings they can offer their defenders.

With the planet's last expendable energy, bolstered by the forests of Etheria, two swords explode from the earth: one embedded with the words 'For Honor', the other embedded with the words 'By Power'.

Who could these two weapons be for? Could it be the crown siblings of central Eternia: young Prince Adam and Princess Adora? Could their hearts and souls be honest and strong enough to bear the last efforts of a dying planet?

And I'd have episode one being a bombastic affair of everyone fighting including characters who we would find out are antiheros (Catra) or who have been swayed over to the cause (Hordak) with the rest of the season being a flashback to everything that got us up to the point where Adam and Adora are able to use the swords.

[nymph-of-books]

a list of she-ra fanfics that i would recommend

these are gonna be little at first because i only want to be sharing the ones i truly deeply love; i will be editing this post as i go along. additionally these are like... basically all catradora as a general psa !!! i will be adding my own summary of the plot w/o spoilers (if i can help it), whether it's multi-chaptered or a one-shot & complete or ongoing, and my personal reaction to it !! if you didn't notice i adore au fics more than anything note: i'm posting this w/o having completed it because i just want to get it out rn, but i've read much more & these r definitely not the only ones i'd recommend !!! i just have to sort through my history to find the fics i actually read and adored and i don't have all the time to do that all the time rn :) before season 1 in-canon timing (season 1-5) the blood in your mouth written by artemiswords - alternative season five & beyond - written before season five was aired. catradora aren't automatically together - happy ending though! - multi-chaptered, complete - this was the first multi-chaptered fic i've read since like. fanfiction.net days & it got me into multi-chaptered fics because it's just so good. honestly the author's mind >>>> i keep sitting here waiting for something (but i know nothing will happen) written by nymphofbooks. - conversation between catra and adora after the events at the battle of bright moon. they talk about some things and reach a little bit of a mutual understanding - oneshot, complete - not actually one of my favs but self-promo ha. the first of my upcoming one-shots, mostly dialogue & i am a bit rusty on it. hiraeth written by erce3 - mara and angella find each other in the portal, and together they make the eternal loneliness a little less bad. - oneshot, complete - wasn't exactly sure where to put this because technically it's both before, during, and after canon... anyway this literally made me cry & it is very beautiful :( sad face bc it made me sad :( but it's beautiful! after season 5 alternate universe as long as we stay together (if we just stay together) written by herothehardway - astrophysicists in antarctica au. catra & adora are lab partners but aren't allowed to interact outside of the lab due to extenuating circumstances. they used to be roommates (and there's tons of flashbacks) and maybe they'll become something more than lab partners, despite the rules. also, hockey!catradora - multi-chaptered, complete - god, this fiction is incredible. it's clear the author knows a lot about the subject & spent a lot of time on it & it's just great. nsfw scenes though so read w discretion!! anyway this is one of my all-time favourites & i've loved herothehardway's writing ever since. seriously, the way they incorporate the show details... yes more grown up and a better daughter written by herothehardway - multi-chaptered regency catradora au. adora's family is on the brink of financial ruin, and she has to marry someone rich. she is presented to society & on the day of her coming out ball she meets catra, an old childhood friend who mysteriously disappeared without any notice. turns out catra is pretty rich... - multi-chaptered, ongoing - very neat, definitely recommend. again, herothehardway shows they're engaged in the situations of their characters & take a lot of time on accuracy which we stan (and i don't really do myself because i am lazy) the place where we fall written by herothehardway - oneshot wizard catradora au. adora and catra were apprentices to shadow weaver & shadow weaver cursed them before they died to make sure they dueled each other every year until one of them is dead. this is the fifth year - oneshot, complete - HELP IS IT OBVIOUS I ENJOY HEROTHEHARDWAY'S WRITING??? okay i swear this is the last one rn !!! i love it & the vibes & it's generally gorgeous 10/10 recommend :) baby, i'm a house on fire (and i wanna keep burning) written by wittchers. - arranged marriage au between catra and adora, set after the horde win over bright moon. slow burn & neither of them wants it. - oneshot,

complete - fluid & natural & amazing writing, and the original summary completely drew me in. would definitely recommend! i picture it soft & i ache written by erce3 - modern au wherein ceo!catra fucks up in wording & non-profit charity founder!adora defends her in an interview. she says that she knows catra and... you know the internet. everyone believes they're dating & they agree to start fake-dating in order to boost both their public figures - one-shot, complete - i'm normally not one for fake dating but i rly liked this fic !! i rly like how erce3 handled the trope. the writing is amazing! i made myself better to love you written by fairytaleslayer - feral children catradora au wherein catra & adora escape from the horde and find their home in the whispering woods. they are healthily co-dependent & eventually join the rebellion - multi-chaptered, complete - amazing au. i love this sm & it's so accurate to their characters. it's written beautifully & the relationships are absolutely gorgeous

[slexenskee]

Notes for Chapter 14

Chapter here. Guys, this is not only fiction, it is FAN fiction. There will be historical inaccuracies. I tried. 

-chapter title brought to you by Gojo, because I adore him

-Cusco/Cuzco idk i’ve seen it spelt both ways

- Quechua one of the (many) native cultures of the cusco region

- The Bloodlands - a great book, also a region that’s basically the eastern bloc of the soviet union

- Supay are a legend of the region but not the way I’ve portrayed it. Took some liberties by having it associated with death to such a degree

- You can look up traditional indian wedding festivities if you want, they’re a lot of fun. It can be a weeklong affair, not just 3 days

- lehenga/dupatta - traditional indian clothing. GORGEOUS

- I feel like machu picchu needs no explanation. It was something of a summering locale for the aristocracy of cusco back during the incan empire. I don’t go into it, but I imagine parts of it have remained under some kind of magical barrier and those parts are still in use by the magical community, hence why it was a study abroad location for tom

- there is a train, but it wasn’t built until the 1950s or something like that. I feel like a site for the kings and nobility would be heavily warded by ancient barriers and therefore impossible to access via portkey or apparition, hence the walking

- plus I can just imagine tom being sooo pissed about it but deadset on going regardless because Knowledge(tm) 

- Technically yama is summoned, not Harry, but they’re connected now so she got pulled into that mess along with him. 

-kulaks I’m using it as a general term for peasants

- gulags, need no explanation

- dyadya - uncle, supposedly? just a general term for an older man but not an old old man

- baba yaga, superstition in eastern european cultures, there are plenty of fairy tales on her. She’s the quintessential evil old witch hag

- Volshebnik means wizard i think??

- idk i shouldn’t have annoyed myself with all the untranslated terms but I wanted it to be in Yuriy’s perspective

- that scene is probably hell for ESL readers so the jist is: Harry/Yama is summoned by a young boy as a final stand/act of revenge. He was born in the midst of the famine, his entire family starved to death, and he was pointed in the direction of an old witch by a wandering older man. The witch usually eats children but since the boy was actually unknowingly a wizard she takes him as an apprentice instead. The old lady eventually dies, and the boy wanders the ravaged countryside alone again. He’s so disgusted by what he sees, and also dying of starvation himself, and he invokes an ancient death ritual taught to him by the old witch and that’s how Harry ends up there. The strain of the ritual ends up killing him, but it was kind of a suicide since it was intentional?

- I love a good Gellert pov so here he is

- He used the same spell he used a couple chapters ago except this time he recognized where Harry was (eastern europe), and was able to use that to track her down. Also by the time he was in the general region the magic was so strong it was pretty easy to find her

- vedma - grandma

- Kurgan - a ceremonial burial of slavic origins, usually for kings/ aristocracy

- Morana, Mara , Marzanna, Morena, Mora - pagan slavic goddess associated with seasonal rites on the idea of death and rebirth of nature, Closest I could find to a goddess of death for the region. I chose Morana just because it seemed the most universal *shrugs* 

-Is Abraxas actually a god? idk definitely a demon at least. 

[resistingtheborg]

Okay, this is going to be weird, but it’s in my head and I want it out of my head. Suffer with me.

Soooooooooo, imagine that we get the Wish Fulfilment Ending of Revenge of the Sith. Anakin doesn’t fall, Padme survives giving birth, they get marriage counseling, Palpatine is forced to flee into the darkness of space, swearing to turn the Skywalker line to his will someday, all the good stuff. The Jedi aren’t stoked about the marriage, but they’re basically okay with it because, will of the force, cute twins and stuff. Nothing bad eeeeever happened.

So, Luke and Leia grow up as kinda Jedi, raised in the faith, trained with their powers. Luke isn’t always the best at thinking things through, but he’s a spiritual person by nature and generally he’s nice, calm, gets along with everyone, beloved by all. Luke Skywalker Is A Good Boy.

Leia Skywalker is an uncontrollable gremlin.

Or rather, she’s raised as a Jedi, believes in the Force, but there’s something that she just doesn’t get in there about what the Force is. It’s an energy field, kind of, or it’s a bunch of microscopic bacteria in your bloodstream, and it tells her that she’s in trouble before she is, but she still kind of doesn’t get it. Luke and Anakin can explain it, and she understands the explanation, but there’s something in there she’s just not grokking and it leaves her a little bit unhappy. Which feeds into the gremlin thing.

I don’t know if she goes in for Jedi training or not, Luke definitely does. The important thing is that Palpatine is still out there, and he is still very interested in having a Skywalker apprentice.

So, one day, Leia is kidnapped. Palpatine has a cunning plan, and it requires that he rescue her from a bad situation so that she will begin to like him just a little bit.

Palpatine is not, however, expecting Leia to un-kidnap herself and get stranded out in the Outer Rim.

Leia is free, and not being seduced by the dark side, but she’s kind of stuck and she doesn’t know what to do. So, she goes looking for a way home, or at least some kind of job until she can go home.

Instead, she meets a Smuggler and a Wookie who are In Trouble with The Wrong People. And somehow, she ends up on their ship with them and ends up sticking around. She liked it back home, and she liked it with her family, but she’s kind of liking it out here too, with Han, and Chewie, and all of their friends that they get along with Some Of The Time.

The Jedi and the Senate and the Whole Freaking Planet of Naboo (who, remember, thought that Padme was the best thing ever, sliced bread need not apply) are losing their minds and trying to track Leia down. Anakin, Padme and Luke are going on adventures trying to find her.

(As an aside, Luke picks up a pretty red-headed girl named Mara on his adventures (Mara Jade might be a thing in this version? IDK). Mara, is of course, a dark side plant working for Palpatine. Luke Skywalker, being Luke Skywalker, Luke Skywalkers in her direction. Mara is okay with that. Why is she on the dark side again? Light Side is way nicer.)

Meanwhile, Han and Leia see a Mandalorian getting in trouble.

Han: “That guy’s a bounty hunter. He’s our natural enemy. We’re not getting involved.”

Leia: “We’re saving that guy.”

Han: “I just said”

And that is how they become friends with Din Djarin, who was alive and hunting bounties at this point in the timeline I’m sure. He never quite gels with the group, but they have this weird way of ending up in the same place aimed in roughly the same direction and they’re basically cool.

And Leia? Leia’s just spending every day going to new places, meeting new people, surrounded by life in a way that she’s never been before, getting pulled into helping people right whatever injustices their facing. Living. Surrounded by life. And starting to think about the Force in a way that she hasn’t before.

She’s also got something going on with Han, though both of them will deny it.

Eventually, the Skywalkers find Han, Leia and Chewie. And then Palpatine finds them.

It’s a huge, final season-long story arc. There are betrayals. There are heroes and rescues. Someone gets captured. Someone rescues them. Mara chooses the light. There is One Final Battle.

And in the end, Palpatine is destroyed.

And as the dust settles and everyone breaths a sigh of relief, Han realizes that he’s stuck on the same world as Leia’s War Hero Dad and Pretty Handy in a Fight Mom, and all of her Jedi with a capitol “Jedi” aunts, uncles, and childhood friends. And he’s starting to get the feeling that this isn’t going to go well for him.

Luke pops up from behind the scenery. “Hey everyone, I found a little baby girl in the other room and I don’t know what she was doing there, but Mara and I are keeping her. Okay? Okay, good talk, bye!”

(Padme likes Han from the get go. It takes a little work from Leia and Chewie (who does have an in with Yoda, they just haven’t talked for a while), but eventually Anakin accepts that he’s not the worst guy she could have chosen. Rey grows up with Leia Skywalker-Solo and Ahsoka Tano as role models, and Coruscant was Never The Same.)

I mean, imagine.

[incorrectstarwarslegendsquotes]

Hello! Did you happen to have a book list for someone who wants to start reading the EU? Or can you direct me to someone who has one?

oh god this is such a late response but i haven’t been like a person for a few years. i hope this helps someone lol

I personally don’t have an exact booklist, nor do I know where to find one, but I can definitely give some recommendations.

Always start with the Thrawn Trilogy by Timothy Zahn, it was the first major trilogy in the EU and it really helps dip your toes into the water of reading Legends books.  It’s also really good, and introduces a lot of the major Legends characters like Mara Jade and Thrawn and whatnot.

After that, it really depends on your tastes.  You might be able to tell from who shows up most in these quotes, but I personally like post-RotJ Legends the most, so if you’re looking for stories just after the original trilogy, I’d suggest the X-Wing series.  It’s a 10 book series following Rogue and Wraith Squadrons, written by Michael Stackpole and Aaron Allston.  I prefer Allston’s books, especially the Wraith Squadron trilogy (#5 - 7 in the series, and you can pick those up with no prior knowledge) but they’re all cute.

If you want stuff further in the timeline, especially for the Solo kids, then Young Jedi Knights, New Jedi Order, and Legacy of the Force would be what you were looking for, but those series are pretty long and the varying authors means varying quality.

For Prequel stuff, I’m not very well-versed in that, but I think its generally agreed upon that the Jedi Apprentice covers a lot of that?  Maybe Republic Commando?  I haven’t read those books though, so I can’t attest to their quality.

For way back thousands of years stuff, I know even less about, but I think the Darth Bane trilogy was fairly popular?  I usually rely on the Knights of the Old Republic games for my way back knowledge, so if you like video games definitely check those out.

For more info, there’s like timelines on most of the books for which book goes where, and wookiepedia is also a solid resource.  If you want the vibes of books before you read them, there’s dozens of star wars book club podcasts out there.  There’s also all the comics, which is a whole other thing that I know even less about.

In general, try a few out, and especially find authors you like.  For me, I think pretty much all of Timothy Zahn or Aaron Allston’s books are bangers, and they cover a decent bit of time, so you can read them and get a good idea of what’s happening.  But folks have different tastes, so find your own thing and read whatever works for you.

Also please correct me / elaborate if anyone knows more lol, like I said my knowledge is limited and these are just recommendations. 

[threadsketchier]

Luke Skywalker: a chronology

aka, Luke Skywalker is Entirely Too Young For This Shit, Protect Him, But In a Few Years He’s Also Entirely Too Hot For Us to Deal With, Oh No

Posts like this have been done before - here’s the most recent one, and I’m sorry I can’t remember or track down the previous ones - but I’ve been motivated to just make an unapologetic masterpost.  Most of y’all are probably familiar with these, so bear with me and humor this unhinged fangirl, OK?

Luke is stated to be 19 in the original Star Wars.  This is a 19-year-old Mark Hamill:

This teeny bean saw his aunt and uncle’s immolated corpses and fired the “womp rat shot” on the Death Star.  There aren’t enough blankets in the universe to wrap him in.

There’s a 3-year jump to ESB, which puts Luke at 22.  Say hello to Commander “Sunshine” Skywalker:

.................oh no.  *starts to fan self*

ROTJ happens roughly a year later give or take, and per rebeljedi1138′s OP, I gotta use that same photo for obvious reasons:

Just imagine that face and tousled hair with the Black Outfit and Chanel Boots™.  *chef’s kiss*

Fast-forward 5 years to the Thrawn Trilogy timeline, and Luke is now 28.  This is the face Mara Jade would be greeted with in the Myrkr forest:

Shit, no wonder she stayed up all night staring at him.  SAME, GURL, SAME.

During the filming of ROTJ, Mark was about the age Luke would have been during the (Legends) events of Children of the Jedi:

I mean, no wonder Ghost!Callista was down to metaphysically tap dat Jedi ass.  (Also, all of Luke’s first Jedi apprentices would’ve had to contend with this as their teacher when he opened up the Academy.  *cues up Van Halen’s “Hot For Teacher”*)

During the Hand of Thrawn duology, Luke was 38 years old.  Aside from the too-bleached blond hair here, he definitely would’ve sprouted a bit of a beard from all that cave-crawling with Mara:

...why yes, Luke, I’d totally marry you regardless.

About 3 years later he and Mara are up to married and intrigue shenanigans with Outbound Flight:

Once the Vong war gets rolling, Luke’s 44 when it starts and it drags on a few years, leading into the other Messes We Won’t Get Into:

And of course, we all know what a Grandmaster Luke Skywalker looks like (eternal thanks to Phil Noto for this fantastic artwork, he knows us too well):

Conclusion: There is never a point where Luke wasn’t Hot™ (except for when he was Way Too Smol to Be Involved in Things, PROTECT HIM)