April Fools' Day can be a source of fake news and false promises forStar Warsfans, but one of the franchise’s best stories was released to celebrate the holiday. I’ll admit to having fallen for some pretty bizarre April Fools’Star Warsarticles when I was younger: the theatrical versions of the original trilogy finally coming to Blu-ray, a Jar Jar Binks movie announcement (there’s no excuse for believing that one), etc.
As fun as these articles can be in hindsight, they’re also extremely annoying at the time of publication and contribute to the spread of misinformation, which iswhy Screen Rant doesn’t do April Fools' posts anymore. However, I’ve discovered thatofficially sanctionedStar WarsApril Fools' jokes have produced some hilarious non-canon stories, including one from 2012. I especially love this April Fools' joke because it reframes a crucial moment fromthe originalStar WarsExpanded Universe.
Quick Links
Grown from the hand he lost at Cloud City
The officialStar Warscanon was rebooted in 2014, relegating most of the Expanded Universe to “Legends” status.One of the most famous Legends stories is Timothy Zahn’s “Thrawn trilogy,“which kicked off the modern EU in 1991 and still inspires newStar Warsmovies and TV shows. The climactic duel of the third book, 1993’sThe Last Command, sees Luke Skywalker face a completely unexpected opponent… himself.
PURCHASE STAR WARS: THE THRAWN TRILOGY (NOVELS)PURCHASE STAR WARS: THE THRAWN TRILOGY (COMIC ADAPTATION)
Joruus C’baoth, a mad clone of Jedi Master Jorus C’baoth, instructed the Imperial Remnant to clone Luke from the hand he lost at Cloud City inThe Empire Strikes Back.Called “Luuke Skywalker,” the clone also wielded the blue lightsaber Luke had lost, attacking ferociously and pushing Luke to his limit. Because of how quickly he had been cloned, Luuke was little more than an extension of Master C’Baoth’s will.
Thankfully, Luke was aided by Mara Jade, the former Emperor’s Hand, who slowly became his ally throughout the trilogy. Emperor Palpatine’s last command was for her to kill Luke Skywalker, so when she killed his clone instead, her mind was finally free of this desire.That was the last time anyone saw Luuke Skywalker in the EU, until 19 years later when Timothy Zahn had an idea.
Timothy Zahn Changed Luke’s Fate For April Fool’s Day
What if Luke and his clone switched places?
On August 09, 2025, Random House’s Suvudu site published an epilogue to theStar Wars: Fate of the Jediseries called"An Apology” by Timothy Zahn. Written in the first-person from Luuke Skywalker’s perspective, this story reveals that Mara Jade accidentally killed the real Luke Skywalker inThe Last Command, and the clone has been living his life ever since.This was an elaborate plot by Grand Admiral Thrawn to have Luuke take control of the new Jedi Order.
Written in the first-person from Luuke Skywalker’s perspective, this story reveals that Mara Jade accidentally killed the real Luke Skywalker inThe Last Command, and the clone has been living his life ever since.
That alone is enough to immediately signal that the story is a joke, as Thrawn didn’t know that C’Baoth created a clone of Luke inThe Last Command. Even so,it’s a brilliant “what if…?” premise to explore, which Zahn takes full advantage of by including references and meta jokes that only longtime EU readers will understand. One example is Luuke having to force himself to drink hot chocolate, one of the real Luke’s favorite drinks in the EU.
While this is meant to be humorous,I find it incredibly interesting how Zahn recontextualizes Luke’s defining EU moments through this change.The original Luke’s improvised training techniques are now explained as Luuke having no idea what he’s doing, and he even secretly laughs with the Sith spirit Exar Kun when nobody is around. Zahn also found a way to recontextualize the actions of almost every other EU character.
Thrawn Replaced Almost Every Star Wars Character With Clones
A hilarious explanation for controversial storylines and continuity errors
Rather than stopping with Luuke Skywalker, “An Apology” reveals that Thrawn replaced most of the main characters with clones. Dead characters like Prince Xizor were cloned in secret, people like Anakin Solo were replaced before their apparent deaths, and any important individual who hadn’t been cloned yet was at least on a to-do list.Even Thrawn himself was cloned and replaced several times, contributing to his insanity.
Longtime EU fans will find these details especially hilarious becausecontroversial creative decisions and seemingly out-of-character moments can now be explained by clones. Luuke even says"we’re really sorry about Jaacen, by the way”, referencing the divisiveStar Wars: Legacy of the Forceseries whereJacen Solo turns to the dark side. This would also mean some characters are actually alive, and their clones were killed off instead.
Luuke believed she was on the to-do list.
Boba Fett
He died so often that Luuke wasn’t sure if they were on Boooba Fett or Booooba Fett.
Streen
Streeen
Interestingly, Luuke says he thinks the only originals left are Han Solo and Leia Organa, which could be referencing their fairly consistent characterization throughout the EU. The story ends with Luuke retiring"to Patagonia, to the palace of the former pirate Roberts,“a fitting reference to multiple pirate captains assuming the same identity inThe Princess Bride.Overall, this story is a lot of fun, especially for someone like me who understands most nods to the EU.
The only thing that surprises me about “An Apology” is what Zahn didn’t include.One of the plotlines of theFate of the Jediseries is young Jedi Knights going mad and believing that everyone around them is an impostor.Since this is presented as aFate of the Jediepilogue, it seems like Thrawn’s clones would have been an amusing way to explain this, but I guess I should be grateful for what we got.
Del Rey Also Revealed Some “Epicly Epic” Plans On April Fool’s Day
A never-ending series of Star Wars novels
In addition to Zahn’s wonderfully comedic short story,this April Fools' Joke was also presented as Del Rey announcing their plans for futureStar Warsbooks.The biggest “reveal” is a series calledStar Wars: The Clone Wars 2, complete with book covers sporting a nearly identical logo toStar Wars: The Clone Wars.The post says"the nine book multi-author series are over,“only to assure fans that"SW: TCW2 will be a series with no end…”
The first novel of this fictional series,Luuuke, would follow the titular character uniting all the clones to conquer the galaxy. The sequel,Woookiee(which is missing an “E” on the cover), would then set Han Solo against an army of evil Chewbacca clones, forcing him to kill his best friend multiple times.Subsequent books would reveal that supposed continuity errors from past stories were red herringsfor a"17-part sub-series"calledSon of Clone Wars.
Star Wars Should Follow Through on Luke’s Clone (But Change His Name)
Star Wars should canonically introduce Luke Skywalker’s evil Legends clone, but to do that, the series absolutely has to change the clone’s name.
The article gets even more specific by claiming thatthe seventeenth novel ofSon of Clone Warswould show Luuuke traveling back in time to the Clone Wars erato fight Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the Grand Army of the Republic. It would introduce clones like Quui-Gon Jin and Obi-Waan Kenobi, all while “the regular CW2 unending series is happening.“Zahn humorously quotes himself by calling this"the goal of all professional writers: steady work.”
There’s no denying how ridiculous this April Fool’s joke is, but that’s why I love it so much. Being a comedic, non-canon story gives Zahn the freedom to explore wild ideas and lovingly make fun of certain aspects of the EU, somethingStar Warsreaders would appreciate.It makes me wish thatStar Warswriters did more stories like this, and I have a few ideas on how they could.
Star Wars Should Do A Similar April Fool’s Story In Canon
Recontextualizing characters and plotlines with cloning
Cloning is just as relevant now as it was in Legends, so I’d love to see an author put their spin on Zahn’s idea. Emperor Palpatine returned inStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalkerthanks to cloning, andStar Wars: The Bad Batchrevealed that he had been working to achieve this since the early days of the Empire.Palpatine’s lair on Exegol also had multiple Snoke clones and even Luke’s hand, creating lots of potential for clone shenanigans.
Thrawn has also returned toStar Warscanon and may have access to cloning technology in upcoming projects.
If we want to stick with Luke’s clone as a main character, then this would be a brilliant way to address the problems some fans have had with his characterization in recent years. The odd facial CGI inThe Mandalorianseason 2 could be a cloning defect, Luke’s somewhat cold and robotic delivery inThe Book of Boba Fettcould be a flaw in the clone’s personality, andclone madness could be why Luke considered killing his own nephew.
Mark Hamill has stated how he had to think of Luke as “Jake Skywalker” when filmingThe Last Jedi, so why not take that literally by making Luke a clone? Then the more positive version we see inThe Rise of Skywalkercould be the real Luke’s Force Ghost returning to fix his clone’s mistakes. It’s definitely a long shot, but Timothy Zahn has given me a new taste for comedicStar Warsstories, so happy April Fools' Day!
Source:“An Apology” by Timothy Zahn
Luke Skywalker
The son of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Luke was brought up on the desert planet Tatooine. Initially mentored by Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke fired the fateful shot that destroyed the Death Star, and he became a rebel hero. Despite the fears of Obi-Wan and Yoda, Luke’s faith in his father was proved well-founded when Vader returned to the light. With the Emperor defeated, Luke dedicated himself to bringing back the Jedi; his first attempt ended in tragedy due to Palpatine’s manipulations, but Luke’s legacy lives on in Rey.
Mara Jade
Hailing from the Legends continuity, Mara Jade’s Force-sensitivity caught the eye of Emperor Palpatine himself. She became one of the Emperor’s Hands, a skilled assassin and spy who served his will. Mara failed in her last mission for the Emperor, to kill Luke Skywalker, and sank into the depths of the underworld for a time. She eventually became an ally of Luke, and the two fell in love, with Mara joining Luke’s Jedi Order. Mara was eventually killed by Jacen Solo, serving as his sacrifice as he committed himself to the way of the Sith.
Grand Admiral Thrawn
The only alien to ever ascend to the rank of Grand Admiral, Thrawn is a strategic genius who hails from an isolationist race known as the Chiss. Thrawn’s motives are enigmatic, but his tactical brilliance made him a vital asset for the Empire. Jedi Padawan Ezra Bridger successfully defeated Thrawn during the Battle of Lothal, resulting in Thrawn’s exile to the distant planet Peridea in another galaxy, but the Grand Admiral has now returned.
