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Sarah here, teaching English around the world. Living life and seeing things.
Happy Star Wars Day! A day where we can celebrate one of the most influential franchises to have ever existed. A full and rich universe that’s important to many people all over the world. It has inspired us to create, to explore, and has had an impact that we may never fully understand.
One of the things that is so endearing about this universe is the many fantastic characters that have been created. Everyone has their own favourites for many reasons. Maybe it’s someone obscure. Maybe you’re a fan of the dark side. Maybe you can’t choose and your list is constantly changing. Whoever it is, they will always hold a special place in our hearts.
For me, my personal favourite would have to be the best rebel in the galaxy, Princess Leia Organa. She will always be at the top of my list, and for so many reasons. But first, let me take you back to when I saw the princess for the first time.
And Now, Your Highness…
Imagine a girl of about 8 years old. Forced to watch some dumb sci-fi film. Not exactly what I wanted at the time. But from the moment Star Wars: A New Hope started playing, I was hooked. It was full of action that I understood. I knew something was happening, and I wanted to know more. And then, for a brief moment, you see her.
From the get-go, she’s portrayed as someone who knows how to handle herself. She doesn’t need rescuing, and even when she’s in the worst possible situation, she keeps her cool. She’s smart, feisty, and can look after herself.
From here, Princess Leia only gets better. With iconic moments and lines that will be remembered forever. While some are questionable (mild incest and metal bikinis aren’t the best things in the world) she does so much for the story that I truly feel it would not have been as successful without her.
The Best Parts
While it would be impossible to list all of the best moments for Princess Leia, there are a few, in particular, that stand out.
The moment we meet her for the first time shows us just who she is, but this is reiterated during her ‘rescue’ by Luke, Han, and Chewie. She doesn’t take a backseat to what’s happening at all. She knows what she needs to do to get out of there, and she takes charge as soon as she can. For an 8-year-old girl who had never really seen a strong female character like this before, she changed how I thought about what women can do.
But this isn’t the only time she’s shown that she’s just as good – if not better – than the boys. Let’s head over to Star Wars: Return of the Jedi when she takes it upon herself to save the man she loves. Again, she shows no fear here and it’s an amazing scene. While the plan doesn’t exactly work 100%, to see her being so amazing really did change my view on the role that women take in films.
Older and Wiser
While we all love Leia from the original trilogy, she’s just as important in the sequel trilogy as well. No longer a princess, but a general now; a title that reflects her position and authority.
In Star Wars: The Force Awakens she shows us how a true leader works. She is firm, and fair, and works to ensure that no one is left behind. And once more, in Star Wars: The Last Jedi, we see how she truly understands the role that she has. Even though she’s unconscious throughout a lot of the film, when she is in action she offers us some wise lessons; leadership isn’t about being the hero.
Unfortunately, we will never get to see the full story of Leia Organa. When we lost Carrie Fisher, we lost a true icon. Someone who was well-loved for who she was, as well as for the characters she played. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker could have been Leia’s film, but sadly, we will never see it.
To Me, She Is Royalty
Whatever your reasoning for loving Princess Leia, we can all agree that she’s one of the greatest characters ever created. She may not have fully finished her Jedi training, but we all know that if she had, she would have ended all problems very quickly because she is just that good.
She has taught us so much, and will always be special to us. As someone who has lived with an older brother who is considered ‘the chosen one’ in our family, she showed me that you don’t have to live in the background, but you can choose your own path. Be who you want to be, and do what you must. General. Princess. Rebel Leader. Friend. Whatever you need to be, Leia Organa shows us that you can do it, and you can do it all well.
Be sure to let us know you favourite Star Wars characters on The Cinema Spot’s socials, on Twitter, Facebook or Instagram. And may the force be with you!
Sarah here, teaching English around the world. Living life and seeing things.
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