A Character Study: Leia Organa

#LeiaOrgana #LeiaSolo #CarrieFisher #StarWars

Author's Note: I wrote this post before the Obi-Wan series came out. I have still yet to watch the show, but it will happen... Soon... ish.

I originally started this post with the intent to only write about one heroine from Star Wars. But, the more I got into writing it, the more I realized that there are quite a few strong Star Wars characters that may be written off simply for the fact that they are female. They’re seen as filler (or bantha fodder, for you fellow Star Wars nerds out there.) Much like the post in which I ousted Severus Snape, I will be bringing attention to female characters in the Star Wars saga that deserve much more appreciation, and those characters are as follows: Padme Amidala, Jyn Erso and Leia Organa.

And I know, I have seemed to have forgotten two female characters! What about Rey and Ahsoka Tano? Well, one of the main focuses of the newer trilogy is Rey. The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi both have quite a bit to do with her own personal journey, and she is well loved and adored in the Star Wars universe. As for Ahsoka, I have (unfortunately) not seen enough of the Clone Wars to make any sort of statement on her. So, maybe once I have seen all of the series I can write a piece on her.

And I do realize that Leia Organa is a much loved and adored character in the Star Wars fan universe, like Rey, but I don’t think that many realize the strength of her character, and how bold, dedicated and courageous she truly is. It’s something that I have thought a lot on recently, with my rewatching of some of the films, and I think it’s something that needs to be brought to the attention of the general public. Though never the “main character” of the Star Wars films (Leia was always considered to be more of a supporting or secondary role), she is a character with so much depth and rich character history, that she should get her own movie that completely focuses on her.

But, for now, let’s focus on the post.

She is a character that we all know and love, and her name is Leia Organa. Leia had been vivaciously and vibrantly brought to life by the late Carrie Fisher (RIP.) Leia, the daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padme (too late for a spoiler warning?), she was raised on Alderaan as the adopted daughter of Bail Organa (a great Jimmy Smits cameo!) and Queen Breha. She was a princess, a diplomat, a politician and a revolutionary. The ideals she has are quite similar to those of her mother, Padme, and she is an advocate for peace in a galaxy torn apart by war and turmoil. Leia is intelligent, and has the powerful personality to match. I mean, has any other character so blatantly sassed Darth Vader? Hell, has any character ever been so sarcastic to a villain as powerful and dangerous as Darth Vader?

Leia Organa is an incredible character, but I do think that, especially when it comes to the original films, that she was written off as a Mary Sue, or the typical female character. (By definition, a Mary Sue is a type of female character who is depicted as unrealistically lacking in flaws or weaknesses; IE, a Mary Sue is the girl next door, one that can do no wrong.) I think that some people think she is a female filler character, just put in the film to appease the masses. (Especially that ridiculous outfit she had to wear in Return of the Jedi. That slave outfit was pure fan service, and didn’t add anything to the story. Time to realize that, fan boys.)

But, Leia is an integral character to the entirety of the Star Wars saga, and the fact that she is female is just as important to her character as any other part of her. Leia Organa was one of the first badass female characters, and she is definitely one of the most incredible female characters in film history. She gave little girls, myself included, someone to look up to. She had and she was everything. She was a princess, but she didn’t need a man to save her. There were countless times in the original trilogy that it was Leia saving the men! (You go, girl!) Leia Organa was fearless, and not once was she afraid to stand up for what she believed in. Even if she had everything in the world going against her, Leia stood her ground, and she never once backed down. She voiced her opinion, and that opinion was valued by those around her. She even offered her thoughts and opinions on the war, and it was valued by the men surrounding her. They often even looked to Leia for guidance!

But, these are all things we already know about Leia. She’s a badass, and she should be treated as such. Yet, after doing a little more research on the General did I realize just how amazing and incredible she is.

Have you ever stopped to think about all that Leia lost? It’s truly heartbreaking when you think about it, so get those tissues ready. In A New Hope, Leia is captured by the Empire, and she sees with her own eyes the might of the Death Star. Before that, however, she had been given a choice. She could either give up the location of the rebel base of operations, or she would watch her home planet be destroyed by the Death Star. The turmoil is seen clear on her face as she weighs her options in a difficult (to say the least) situation. Does she save the rebellion and the possible lives of thousands, or does she chose to sacrifice her friends, family and every man, woman and child on Alderaan? After a few moments of deliberation, she gives her answer, telling Vader and Tarkin where the rebel base is, and she looks so defeated as she does. But, the anguish does not end there. Even though she gave him what he wanted, Tarkin calls for the destruction of Alderaan, and Leia has no choice but to watch in horror as her home was obliterated.

Now, think about that for a moment. Her entire home planet was destroyed, because of her. Her mother and father were killed. Her friends and colleagues were killed, as were thousands of people she had never met before. Leia would have the deaths of an entire planet weighing on her shoulders, but she doesn’t show any weakness. She does not break down, she does not show weakness or emotion in front of her enemies. In fact, she never shows this weakness, which just goes to show the strength of her character. How would any other character do in a similar situation? Not very well, I’d wager.

But, that isn’t the only time Leia has known loss in her life. She falls for Han Solo, the scruffy looking Nerf herder, only to watch as he is frozen in carbonite. Still, Leia stays strong. Han is eventually returned to her, but again, this is not the last time Leia will experience a great loss. After the events of the Return of the Jedi with the rebels being victorious, she and Han marry and have a child, Ben Solo. Ben shows strength within the Force from a young age, and he is sent to be trained by Leia’s brother, Luke.

And then, in one fell swoop, Leia loses everything. She loses her son to the Dark Side, and Luke exiles himself. She and Han then separate (Though I am not sure on the timeline of the two of them separating, I do believe that it happened sometime around when Ben became Kylo.) Yes, Han and Leia’s relationship was never perfect, but it was clear that they loved one another. Yet, they both had very strong, stubborn personalities, and likely argued often. The loss of their son and brother was the straw that broke the camel’s back, and the two went their separate ways.

So, not for the first time in her life, Leia Organa was alone. Her son had been lost to the Dark Side, her brother hid himself halfway across the galaxy, and her husband left her. This would be enough to destroy anyone, in the physical, emotional and mental sense, but Leia Organa pushed on. She didn’t hide like her pansy ass of a brother did. Luke is honestly so annoying, and you can’t change my mind. One thing goes wrong (and not just in the situation of Ben becoming Kylo, there is also evidence of this in the original trilogy) and he becomes the most dramatic person in the entirety of the galaxy. Instead of dealing with what happened, like Leia would have, Luke just disappeared and exiled himself to a little known planet, where he stayed for years. He never once tried to reach out to his sister, to tell her what happened, or to ask for help. Nope, Luke and his dramatic ass (who seems to very much take after his father) just peaces the eff out, and lets everyone else deals with the issues that his indiscretion has caused.

Han follows in Luke’s footsteps, and just decides that it’s too much for him. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Han as a character; he’s one of my all time favorite characters and I cried when he died. But, that doesn’t mean he isn’t flawed, and him leaving Leia in this moment is one of his more egregious (and unforgivable) errors in the films. It’s insinuated that Han and Ben never had the best of relationships, and perhaps that is one of the reasons that Han left. Maybe he felt a bit of guilt, and didn’t know what else to do with that feeling, other than return to what he knew and what he did best: smuggling.

Which left Leia alone. Her son was a Sith now, and trying to rebuild the Empire. No one knew where her brother was (but his dramatic ass left a map to where he was), and her husband was gone. Did Leia give in, did she give up? No. Leia continued on, and continued being a badass. With her son trying to rebuild the Empire to continue what his grandfather started, Leia resumed her role of a Rebellion leader, and she became a damn General. She continued the fight that she had led so long ago as if nothing had changed. Leia Organa didn’t need a man; she didn’t need her husband or her brother. With the two of them running off, Leia just picked up where she had left off in the Rebellion years ago. She didn’t let what happened to her ruin her, and she didn’t let herself fall victim to her sufferings. Leia held her head high, because she knew that shit had to be done! She didn’t have time to be dramatic like her brother; she didn’t have time to throw a temper tantrum. She adjusted the crown on her head, and continued to be the queen she has always been.

All of these reasons are why Leia is one of, if not the strongest, characters in the Star Wars franchise. She went through hell, and told the devil to go screw himself. Never once did Leia let herself be a victim to what had happened to her. (Unlike her brother.) She knew that someone had to do something, and if she wanted it done right, she would have to do it herself. Leia never once stopped being the amazing character she is, and she was always able to rise above her situation.

So, if you’re ever having a bad day, just think. If Leia could survive all that happened to her, you can get through your day. And do it like a sass filled badass. Live your life to make Leia Organa proud of you.

What do you think? Do you think that Leia is one of the most badass and amazing characters in the Star Wars franchise, or do you think that someone else takes the title?