If there’s one woman in the Star Wars universe that needs no introduction, it’s Leia Organa (AW28). As her text says right under the name on her card, Leia is a “born leader,” as well as being a pivotal figure in the saga. In the unlikely event you haven’t seen the Original Trilogy or The Force Awakens, then be aware that spoilers will follow, as this article looks at Leia’s cinematic journey.
A Princess is Born
Chronologically speaking, Leia’s first appearance comes in Revenge of the Sith, when her mother, Padmé Amidala (AW48), gives birth to her and her twin brother, Luke Skywalker (AW35). Padmé dies during childbirth and the twins are separated, with Leia being adopted by Bail Organa and his wife, while Luke goes to Owen and Beru Lars. The twins are spirited away to protect them from their father, the newly christened Darth Vader (AW10). Leia’s next cinematic appearance is almost as brief, when Captain Antilles hands her the plans to the Death Star as the corvette Tantive IV flees the Empire above Scariff in Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Leia’s real journey starts in Star Wars: A New Hope when Darth Vader captures Tantive IV and Leia. Vader believes Leia to be part of the Rebel Alliance and transports her to the Death Star, where she is interrogated about the location of the Rebel base. With her refusal to cooperate, Governor Tarkin advises Leia that he will demonstrate the battle station’s full capabilities unless she gives up the Rebel base. Stalling with false information, Leia watches in horror as Tarkin destroys Alderaan anyway. When he discovers Leia had given false information anyway, he orders her executed.
Rescued from the Death Star
Before Tarkin’s orders can be carried out though, Leia is rescued by Luke, Han Solo (AW46), and Chewbacca. The trio is accompanied by Obi-Wan Kenobi (SR37), to whom Leia had sent a plea for help via R2-D2. Ironically, Leia ends up taking charge of her own rescue and saves her rescuers via the trash compactor. Once the group flee the Death Star (without Obi-Wan, who is killed by Vader), Leia returns to Yavin IV and helps oversee the Rebel attack on the approaching battle station. The mission is a success, and the sacrifice of Jyn Erso (SR44) and her team is not for nothing.
“I know”
A few years later, and is with the Rebel Alliance at Echo Base (AW166) on Hoth. The Empire manages to track them down and General Veers (AW4) leads the successful attack on the Rebel base. The Rebels are forced to scatter into space under the cover of the ion cannon. Leia escapes aboard the Millennium Falcon (AW49). After a run in with some Star Destroyers and a space slug, Leia’s path takes her to Bespin. Once again, Vader tracks her down with the aid of Boba Fett. Vader uses her to lure Luke into the clutches of the Empire. Luke arrives after Han Solo has been frozen in carbonite during a test conducted by Vader. It’s just prior to the freezing that the ‘will they, won’t they’ between Leia and Han is finally resolved.
The Path to Jabba
After escaping Bespin with Lando, Chewbacca, C-3PO, and Luke, plans are made to rescue Han from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt (AW20). The plan unfolds during Star Wars: Return of the Jedi, where everything threatens to come apart when Leia is captured freeing Han. Luke arrives and is also captured, but he escapes as he is about to be executed. In the ensuing confusion, Leia kills Jabba. The group soon find themselves back in the thick of the action. The Rebellion sends a strike team to Endor, the moon where Death Star II is under construction. Led by Han Solo, Leia becomes separated from the team and finds herself a guest of the Ewoks.
Skywalkers United
Han, Luke, and the others soon find themselves in the Ewok village as well, but as a menu option. Some Jedi trickery and Ewok superstition later, they are not only freed, but they now have new allies. The mission succeeds, the battle station is destroyed, and Vader and Emperor Palpatine (SR11) are no more. Vader rejects the dark side, becoming Anakin Skywalker once more prior to his death, and Luke reunites the Skywalker family when he reveals Leia’s lineage to her. Something Leia knew deep down inside already. She gains a brother and loses a father.
General Leia Organa
30 years later, Leia’s story is picked up again. She is now General Organa of the Resistance. A group dedicated to opposing and defeating the tyrannical First Order. The First Order make the Empire look fairly tame in their political outlook, and have a super weapon that is far larger and more powerful that any Imperial battle station. Leia’s life has undergone some changes. She is a mother and wife, albeit estranged from Han Solo. Her son Ben, a former pupil of her Jedi brother Luke, has rejected his uncle’s teachings and turned to the dark side. Now called Kylo Ren (AW11), he serves the First Order and worships the memory of his grandfather, Darth Vader.
A Final Reunion
Han and Leia are briefly reunited as fate brings them together in an effort to stop the First Order. Han and Chewbacca take Finn (AW45) to Starkiller Base, where they help Rey (AW38) and assist the attacking Resistance X-wings by taking down the shields and doing a lot of damage to a key component of the base, which ultimately leads to its destruction. During the mission, Han Solo confronts his and Leia’s son, only to be murdered by him. Leia knows instantly through her force abilities that Han has fallen, and is distraught at the loss. Starkiller Base is destroyed and Luke’s location discovered, but the loss of Han outweighs it all. Only time will tell what is next for Leia when she returns this December in Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Check back tomorrow for Lyndsey Smith’s card dissection.
In Memorium
It would be remiss of me to not say a few words about Carrie Fisher after her sudden and tragic death in December 2016. It’s well known that Carrie Fisher did a lot of work for mental health and addiction awareness, topics she was all too familiar with in her own life, but for Star Wars fans our first thoughts inevitably go to her role as Princess Leia. What Carrie Fisher did in that capacity was to empower female characters through the strong willed, fearless character of the Alderaanian princess. She was no damsel in distress, even rescuing her rescuers on the Death Star. Carrie Fisher brought to life an enduring icon that is the template for strong female characters in cinema today. She may be gone, but she will outlive us all.
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