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{{Use mdy dates|date=December 2015}} |
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{{TAFI}} |
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{{Infobox character |
{{Infobox character |
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| name = Princess Leia |
| name = Princess Leia |
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| colour = |
| colour = |
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| series = [[Star Wars]] |
| series = [[Star Wars]] |
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| image = Princess Leia's characteristic hairstyle.jpg |
| image = Princess Leia's characteristic hairstyle.jpg |
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| creator = [[George Lucas]] |
| creator = [[George Lucas]] |
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| portrayer = {{Plainlist| |
| portrayer = {{Plainlist| |
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* [[Carrie Fisher]] {{small|('' |
* [[Carrie Fisher]] {{small|(''Star Wars'', ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'', ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'', ''The Force Awakens'', ''[[Star Wars Holiday Special]]'')}} |
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* [[Aidan Barton]] {{small|(Infant, ''[[Revenge of the Sith|Episode III]]'')}} |
* [[Aidan Barton]] {{small|(Infant, ''[[Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith|Episode III]]'')}} |
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}} |
}} |
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| voice = {{Plainlist| |
| voice = {{Plainlist| |
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| gender = Female |
| gender = Female |
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| affiliation = {{Plainlist| |
| affiliation = {{Plainlist| |
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*'''[[Star Wars canon|Original canon]]:''' |
* '''[[Star Wars canon|Original canon]]:''' |
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* [[Imperial Senate]] |
* [[Imperial Senate]] |
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* [[Rebel Alliance]] |
* [[Rebel Alliance]] |
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*'''[[Star Wars expanded universe|Expanded universe]]:''' |
* '''[[Star Wars expanded universe|Expanded universe]]:''' |
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* [[New Republic (Star Wars)|New Republic]] |
* [[New Republic (Star Wars)|New Republic]] |
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* Galactic Alliance |
* Galactic Alliance |
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}} |
}} |
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| title = {{Plainlist| |
| title = {{Plainlist| |
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*'''Original canon:''' |
* '''Original canon:''' |
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* Princess of [[Alderaan]] |
* Princess of [[Alderaan]] |
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* Senator of Alderaan |
* Senator of Alderaan |
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* General |
* General |
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*'''Expanded universe:''' |
* '''Expanded universe:''' |
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* Chief of State of the [[New Republic (Star Wars)|New Republic]] |
* Chief of State of the [[New Republic (Star Wars)|New Republic]] |
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* [[Jedi|Jedi Knight]] |
* [[Jedi|Jedi Knight]] |
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| spouse = [[Han Solo]] (Expanded universe) |
| spouse = [[Han Solo]] (Expanded universe) |
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| children = {{Plainlist| |
| children = {{Plainlist| |
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*'''Expanded universe:''' |
* '''Expanded universe:''' |
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* [[Jaina Solo]] |
* [[Jaina Solo]] |
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* [[Jacen Solo]] |
* [[Jacen Solo]] |
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}} |
}} |
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| relatives = {{Plainlist| |
| relatives = {{Plainlist| |
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*'''Expanded universe:''' |
* '''Expanded universe:''' |
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* [[Mara Jade Skywalker]] (sister-in-law) |
* [[Mara Jade Skywalker]] (sister-in-law) |
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* [[Ben Skywalker]] (nephew) |
* [[Ben Skywalker]] (nephew) |
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| lbl21 = Homeworld |
| lbl21 = Homeworld |
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| data21 = [[Alderaan]] |
| data21 = [[Alderaan]] |
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| website = |
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}} |
}} |
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'''Princess Leia Organa'''<!-- |
'''Princess Leia Organa'''<!-- The character's name does not include Skywalker or Solo as yet in canon continuity. --> is a fictional character in the [[Star Wars|''Star Wars'' franchise]], portrayed in films by [[Carrie Fisher]]. Introduced in the 1977 film ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'', Leia is princess of the planet [[Alderaan]], a member of the [[Galactic Empire (Star Wars)|Imperial Senate]] and a member of the [[Rebel Alliance]]. Leia is the romantic interest of smuggler [[Han Solo]], the twin sister of [[Luke Skywalker]] and the daughter of [[Sith|Sith lord]] [[Darth Vader]]. The 2005 [[Prequel trilogy (Star Wars)|prequel]] film ''[[Revenge of the Sith]]'' establishes that the twins' mother is Senator (and former queen) [[Padmé Amidala]] of [[Naboo]], who dies after giving birth to them. Leia is adopted by Senator [[Bail Organa|Bail]] and Queen [[Breha Organa]] of Alderaan. |
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In the [[Star Wars expanded universe|''Star Wars'' expanded universe]] of novels, comic and even video games, Leia becomes a trained [[Jedi|Jedi Master]] and the [[Head of state|Chief of State]] of the [[New Republic (Star Wars)|New Republic]]. She is the mother to three children by Han: [[Jaina Solo|Jaina]], [[Jacen Solo|Jacen]] and [[Anakin Solo]]. |
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In the [[Original trilogy (Star Wars)|original ''Star Wars'' film trilogy]] (1977–83), Leia is princess of the planet [[Alderaan]], a member of the [[Galactic Empire (Star Wars)|Imperial Senate]] and a sympathizer to the [[Rebel Alliance]]. She thwarts the sinister [[Jedi]] [[Dark Vader]] and brings the Rebels information that allows them to destroy the Empire's cataclysmic weapon, the [[Death Star]]. Becoming the romantic interest of smuggler [[Han Solo]], Leia is later revealed to be the twin sister of [[Luke Skywalker]], the siblings secretly fathered by Vader when he was Anakin Skywalker. The 2005 prequel film ''[[Revenge of the Sith]]'' establishes that the twins' mother is Senator (and former queen) [[Padmé Amidala]] of [[Naboo]], who dies after delivering them in secret. Leia is adopted by Senator [[Bail Organa|Bail]] and Queen [[Breha Organa]] of Alderaan. |
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In the [[Star Wars expanded universe|''Star Wars'' expanded universe]], Leia becomes a trained [[Jedi|Jedi Master]] and the [[Head of state|Chief of State]] of the [[New Republic (Star Wars)|New Republic]]. She is the mother to three children by Han: [[Jaina Solo|Jaina]], [[Jacen Solo|Jacen]] and [[Anakin Solo]]. |
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One of the more popular characters in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, Leia has appeared in many derivative works and merchandising, and has been referenced or [[parody|parodied]] in several TV shows and films. Her "[[cinnamon bun]]s" hairstyle from ''Star Wars'' (1977) and [[Princess Leia's bikini|metal bikini costume]] from ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983) have become cultural icons of the series. |
One of the more popular characters in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, Leia has been called a 1980s [[cultural icon|icon]], a [[feminist]] hero and model for other subsequent female adventure heroines. She has appeared in many derivative works and merchandising, and has been referenced or [[parody|parodied]] in several TV shows and films. Her "[[cinnamon bun]]s" hairstyle from ''Star Wars'' (1977) and [[Princess Leia's bikini|metal bikini costume]] from ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983) have become cultural icons of the series. |
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==Creation== |
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{{TOC limit|3}} |
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Leia was created by ''Star Wars'' creator [[George Lucas]]. In 1999, Lucas explained his early development of Leia, Luke and [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]]: |
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{{Quote|The first [version] talked about a princess and an old general. The second version involved a father, his son, and his daughter; the daughter was the heroine of the film. Now the daughter has become Luke, [[Mark Hamill]]'s character. There was also the story of two brothers where I transformed one of them into a sister. The older brother was imprisoned, and the young sister had to rescue him and bring him back to their dad.<ref>{{cite book |first=Claire |last=Clouzot |chapter=The Morning of the Magician: George Lucas and ''Star Wars'' |title=The George Lucas Interviews |editor1-first=Sally |editor1-last=Kline |location=[[Jackson, Mississippi|Jackson]] |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] |date=1999 |pages=57–58 |isbn=1-57806-125-3}}</ref>}} |
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Film historian Laurent Bouzereau notes in his 1997 book ''Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays'' that in the rough draft of ''Star Wars'', Leia is the spoiled teenage daughter of King Kayos and Queen Breha of Aquilae, with two brothers, [[Biggs Darklighter|Biggs]] and Windy; Biggs returned to the fourth draft as a childhood friend of Luke.<ref>{{cite book |title=Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays |date=September 8, 1997 |first=Laurent |last=Bouzereau |location=New York |publisher=[[Ballantine Books]]|isbn=978-0-345-40981-2}}</ref> According to ''Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas'' (1999), Luke Skywalker was originally Luke Starkiller and Leia was "the daughter of [[Owen Lars]] and his wife [[Beru Lars|Beru]] and seems to be Luke's cousin–together they visit the grave of his mother, who perished with his father on a planet destroyed by the [[Death Star]]."<ref>{{cite book |first=Dale |last=Pollock |authorlink=Dale Pollock |title=Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas |location=New York |publisher=Da Capo Press |date=1999 |page=146 |isbn=0-306-80904-4}}</ref> J. W. Rinzler explains in ''The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film'' (2007) that a later story synopsis establishes Leia as "Leia Antilles", the daughter of Bail Antilles from the peaceful world of Organa Major. In the fourth draft it was established that "Leia Organa" came instead from Alderaan.<ref name="The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film">{{cite book |title=The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film |first=J. W. |last=Rinzler |date=April 24, 2007 |publisher=[[LucasBooks]] |isbn= 978-0-345-49476-4}}</ref> |
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==Character== |
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The second draft of the ''Return of the Jedi'' screenplay contained dialogue in which Obi-Wan tells Luke he has a twin sister. She and their mother were "sent to the protection of friends in a distant system. The mother died shortly thereafter, and Luke's sister was adopted by Ben's friends, the governor of Alderaan and his wife."<ref>{{cite book |author=Bouzereau |title=The Annotated Screenplays |date=1997 |page=270}}</ref> Fisher explained in 1983: "Leia's real father left her mother when she was pregnant, so her mother married this King Organa. I was adopted and grew up set apart from other people because I was a princess."<ref name="Rolling Stone 1983">{{cite web |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/carrie-fisher-a-few-words-on-princess-leia-fame-and-feminism-19830721 |title=Carrie Fisher: A Few Words on Princess Leia, Fame and Feminism |work=[[Rolling Stone]] |first=Carol |last=Caldwell |date=July 21, 1983 |accessdate=November 19, 2015}}</ref> |
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===Overview=== |
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Princess Leia has been called a 1980s icon,<ref name="EW Schou">{{cite web |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2012/11/02/star-wars-female-sci-fi-directors? |title=The new ''Star Wars'' and women: Female sci-fi directors on Leia, Amidala, and what lies ahead |work=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |first=Silvej |last=Schou |date=November 2, 2012 |accessdate=October 25, 2015}}</ref> a feminist hero<ref name="WP Bikini">{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2015/10/23/the-fraught-history-of-princess-leias-infamous-bikini/ |title=The fraught history of Princess Leia’s infamous bikini |work=[[The Washington Post]] |first=Alyssa |last=Rosenberg |date=October 23, 2015 |accessdate=November 11, 2015}}</ref> and even "the toughest woman in the galaxy".<ref name="EW General">{{cite web|url=http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/11/star-wars-force-awakens-carrie-fisher-leia|title=She's Not Called 'Princess' Leia Anymore |work=Entertainment Weekly |first=Anthony |last=Breznican |date=November 11, 2015 |accessdate=November 11, 2015}}</ref> Anthony Breznican of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' wrote in November 2015, "She's always been more than a princess—diplomat, spy, warrior, undercover agent".<ref name="EW More 2015">{{cite web |last=Breznican |first=Anthony |title=Leia's Return |url=http://www.ew.com/gallery/star-wars-force-awakens-exclusive-photos/2374843_all-crops-gallery-star-wars-force-awakens-2015-carrie-fischer |work=Entertainment Weekly |date=November 11, 2015 |accessdate=November 13, 2015}}</ref> Describing the character as "a smart, feisty, brave diplomat and warrior", Mark Edlitz wrote for ''[[The Huffington Post]]'' in 2010 that "Leia is an exemplary personification of female empowerment."<ref name="Edlitz">{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-edlitz/fashion-by-jabba-the-hutt_b_672626.html |title=Fashion by Jabba the Hutt |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |first=Mark |last=Edlitz |date=August 5, 2010 |accessdate=October 26, 2015}}</ref> In 2008, Leia was selected by ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine as the 89th of the greatest film characters of all time,<ref name="Empire 89">{{cite web|url=http://www.empireonline.com/100-greatest-movie-characters/default.asp?c=89 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106181531/http://www.empireonline.com/100-greatest-movie-characters/default.asp?c=89 |title={{em|Empire}}'s The 100 Greatest Movie Characters |work=[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]] |date=2008 |archivedate=January 6, 2010 |accessdate=November 23, 2015}}</ref> and [[IGN]] listed her as their 8th top ''Star Wars'' hero.<ref name="TopHero">{{cite web |url=http://uk.stars.ign.com/articles/898/898949p3.html |title=Top 25 ''Star Wars'' Heroes: Day 4 |first=Jesse |last=Schedeen |date=August 14, 2008 |publisher=[[IGN]] |accessdate=May 16, 2011}}</ref> [[UGO Networks]] listed Leia as one of their best heroes of all time in 2010.<ref name="UGO Heroes">{{cite web |url=http://www.ugo.com/games/best-heroes-of-all-time?page=7 |title=Best Heroes of All Time |date=January 21, 2010 |work=[[UGO Networks]] |accessdate=April 3, 2011}}</ref> |
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{{Anchor|Princess Leia's Theme}}Composer [[John Williams]] created a musical [[leitmotif]] for Leia which recurs throughout the ''Star Wars'' saga. "Princess Leia's Theme" was recorded as a concert suite (4:18 length) for the [[Star Wars (soundtrack)|score of the 1977 film]]. |
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In their 2012 essay "Lightsabers, Political Arenas, and Marriages", Ray Merlock and Kathy Merlock Jackson cite Leia as the successor of earlier science fiction heroines [[Wilma Deering]] of ''[[Buck Rogers]]'' and [[Dale Arden]] of ''[[Flash Gordon]]'', and the embodiment of "a new stage in the ongoing presentation of the fairy-tale princess in jeopardy". Writing that "after Leia, no longer would princesses be passive and salvaged simply with a kiss," they note the reflection of the character in later [[Disney Princess]] animated films and in woman warriors such as [[Ellen Ripley]] from the [[Alien (franchise)|''Alien'' franchise]] and [[Xena]] of the adventure TV series ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]''.<ref name="Merlock">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fHgKDWAZ0SIC&pg=PA77&lpg=PA77&dq=Sex,+Politics,+and+Religion+in+Star+Wars:+An+Anthology+lightsabers+princess+leia&source=bl&ots=Bh1ahGws5i&sig=f0ZbI4ifGOGD-n46M8dUgdZqnug&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CC4Q6AEwA2oVChMI05ecltjvyAIVQ_FjCh1lIAsM#v=onepage&q=Sex%2C%20Politics%2C%20and%20Religion%20in%20Star%20Wars%3A%20An%20Anthology%20lightsabers%20princess%20leia&f=false |title=Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars: An Anthology |editor1-first=Douglas |editor1-last=Brode |editor2-first=Leah |editor2-last=Deyneka |chapter=Lightsabers, Political Arenas, and Marriages for Princess Leia and Queen Amidala |first1=Ray |last1=Merlock |first2=Kathy |last2=Merlock Jackson |date=2012 |pages=77–87 |publisher=[[The Scarecrow Press]] |isbn=978-0-8108-8514-1}}</ref> |
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==Character== |
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David Bushman, television curator at the [[Paley Center for Media]], said in 2012, "From the male perspective ... Princess Leia was a very creditable character for her time—not perfect, but certainly defiant, assertive, and strong."<ref name="EW Schou"/> Alyssa Rosenberg of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote in 2015, "Leia wasn't just the first great heroine of science fiction and fantasy to capture my imagination. She was one of the first characters I encountered whose power came from her political conviction and acumen."<ref name="WP Icon">{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2015/05/04/princess-leia-political-icon/ |title=Princess Leia, political icon |work=The Washington Post |first=Alyssa |last=Rosenberg |date=May 4, 2015 |accessdate=November 11, 2015}}</ref> In her 2007 article "Feminism and the Force: Empowerment and Disillusionment in a Galaxy Far, Far Away", Diana Dominguez cited Leia as a welcome change from the previously uninspiring portrayals of women in film and TV.<ref name="Merlock"/> She wrote: |
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Anthony Breznican of ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' describes Leia as a "diplomat, spy, warrior, undercover agent".<ref name="EW More 2015">{{cite web |last=Breznican |first=Anthony |title=Leia's Return |url=http://www.ew.com/gallery/star-wars-force-awakens-exclusive-photos/2374843_all-crops-gallery-star-wars-force-awakens-2015-carrie-fischer |work=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |date=November 11, 2015 |accessdate=November 13, 2015}}</ref> Mark Edlitz calls her "a smart, feisty, brave diplomat and warrior" in ''[[The Huffington Post]]''.<ref name="Edlitz">{{cite web |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.com/mark-edlitz/fashion-by-jabba-the-hutt_b_672626.html |title=Fashion by Jabba the Hutt |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |first=Mark |last=Edlitz |date=August 5, 2010 |accessdate=October 26, 2015}}</ref> Fisher told ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' in 1983:{{Quote|There are a lot of people who don't like my character in these movies; they think I'm some kind of space bitch. She has no friends, no family; her planet was blown up in seconds ... so all she has is a cause. From the first film [''Star Wars''], she was just a soldier, front line and center. The only way they knew to make the character strong was to make her angry. In ''Return of the Jedi'', she gets to be more feminine, more supportive, more affectionate.<ref name="Rolling Stone 1983"/>}} |
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{{Quote|Here was a woman who could play like and with the boys, but who didn't have to become one of the boys and who could, if and when she wanted to, show she liked the boys, a woman who is outspoken, unashamed, and, most importantly, unpunished for being so. She isn't a flirty sex-pot, tossing her hair around seductively to distract the enemy ... She doesn't play the role of "Maternal caretaker", although she does display caring and compassion, or "the sweet innocent damsel" who stands passively by while the men do all the work, but does step aside to let them do what they're good at when it is wise to do so ... Leia is a hero without losing her gendered status; she does not have to play the cute, helpless sex kitten or become sexless and androgynous to get what she wants. She can be strong, sassy, outspoken, bossy, and bitchy, and still be respected and seen as feminine.<ref name="Merlock"/>}} |
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Rosenberg writes that, though at first Luke is an apolitical innocent in search of adventure and Han is a detached opportunist in search of money, both are "influenced by Leia’s passion [and] take their places as full participants in the Rebellion".<ref name="WP Icon"/> She notes, "Everyone else eventually comes around to Leia’s view the world."<ref name="WP Icon"/> Leia herself, singularly dedicated to her political movement against the Empire, "finds a partner in Han, acknowledging that personal happiness can help her sustain her commitment to building a better galactic order".<ref name="WP Icon"/> Rosenberg cites "Leia's willingness to see the best in him, and Han's desire to live up to her belief in him" as a foundation of their relationship, also pointing out his attempts to make her recognize that she has needs like anyone else and should acknowledge that she needs him.<ref name="WP Icon"/> Fisher told ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' in 1983: |
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{{Quote|There are a lot of people who don't like my character in these movies; they think I'm some kind of space bitch. She has no friends, no family; her planet was blown up in seconds ... so all she has is a cause. From the first film [''Star Wars''], she was just a soldier, front line and center. The only way they knew to make the character strong was to make her angry. In ''Return of the Jedi'', she gets to be more feminine, more supportive, more affectionate.<ref name="Rolling Stone 1983">{{cite web |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/news/carrie-fisher-a-few-words-on-princess-leia-fame-and-feminism-19830721 |title=Carrie Fisher: A Few Words on Princess Leia, Fame and Feminism |work=[[Rolling Stone]] |first=Carol |last=Caldwell |date=July 21, 1983 |accessdate=November 19, 2015}}</ref>}} |
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She said in 2014: |
She said in 2014: |
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{{Quote|I would rather have played Han Solo. When I first read the script I thought that's the part to be, always wry and sardonic. He's always that. I feel like a lot of the time Leia's either worried or pissed or, thank God, sort of snarky. But I'm much more worried and pissed than Han Solo ever was, and those aren't fun things to play ... I had a lot of fun killing [[Jabba the Hutt]]. They asked me on the day if I wanted to have a stunt double kill Jabba. No! That's the best time I ever had as an actor. And the only reason to go into acting is if you can kill a giant monster.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/25/star-wars-original-cast-little-melted-episode-vii-carrie-fisher |title=''Star Wars'' original cast looked 'a little melted' for Episode VII – Carrie Fisher |work=[[The Guardian]] |
{{Quote|I would rather have played Han Solo. When I first read the script I thought that's the part to be, always wry and sardonic. He's always that. I feel like a lot of the time Leia's either worried or pissed or, thank God, sort of snarky. But I'm much more worried and pissed than Han Solo ever was, and those aren't fun things to play ... I had a lot of fun killing [[Jabba the Hutt]]. They asked me on the day if I wanted to have a stunt double kill Jabba. No! That's the best time I ever had as an actor. And the only reason to go into acting is if you can kill a giant monster.<ref name="Guardian Melted">{{cite web |url=http://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/may/25/star-wars-original-cast-little-melted-episode-vii-carrie-fisher |title=''Star Wars'' original cast looked 'a little melted' for Episode VII – Carrie Fisher |work=[[The Guardian]] |first=Maev |last=Kennedy |date=May 25, 2014 |accessdate=November 15, 2015}}</ref>}} |
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===Creation=== |
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In an interview published in 1999, Lucas commented on his early development of the Luke, Leia and [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]] dynamic: |
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{{Quote|The first [version] talked about a princess and an old general. The second version involved a father, his son, and his daughter; the daughter was the heroine of the film. Now the daughter has become Luke, Mark Hamill's character. There was also the story of two brothers where I transformed one of them into a sister. The older brother was imprisoned, and the young sister had to rescue him and bring him back to their dad.<ref>{{cite book |first=Claire |last=Clouzot |chapter=The Morning of the Magician: George Lucas and ''Star Wars'' |title=The George Lucas Interviews |editor1-first=Sally |editor1-last=Kline |location=[[Jackson, Mississippi|Jackson]] |publisher=[[University Press of Mississippi]] |date=1999 |pages=57–58 |isbn=1-57806-125-3}}</ref>}} |
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Film historian Laurent Bouzereau notes in his 1997 book ''Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays'' that in the rough draft of ''A New Hope'', Leia is a roughly 13 to 15-year-old princess, the spoiled daughter of King Kayos and Queen Breha of Aquilae. In that draft she has two brothers, [[Biggs Darklighter|Biggs]] and Windy, who disappeared from subsequent drafts, with Biggs returning to the fourth draft as a childhood friend of Luke's.<ref>{{cite book |title=Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays |date=September 8, 1997 |first=Laurent |last=Bouzereau |location=New York |publisher=[[Ballantine Books]]|isbn=978-0345409812}}</ref> According to Dale Pollock in ''Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas'' (1999), Luke Skywalker was originally Luke Starkiller and "Leia is the daughter of Owen Lars and his wife Beru and seems to be Luke's cousin–together they visit the grave of his mother, who perished with his father on a planet destroyed by the Death Star.<ref>{{cite book |first=Dale |last=Pollock |authorlink=Dale Pollock |title=Skywalking: The Life and Films of George Lucas |location=New York |publisher=Da Capo Press |date=1999 |page=146 |isbn=0-306-80904-4}}</ref> J. W. Rinzler explains in ''The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film'' (2007) that a later story synopsis establishes Leia as "Leia Antilles", the daughter of Bail Antilles from the peaceful world of Organa Major. In the fourth draft it was established that "Leia Organa" came instead from Alderaan.<ref name="The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film">{{cite book |title=The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film |first=J. W. |last=Rinzler |date=April 24, 2007 |publisher=[[LucasBooks]] |isbn= 978-0345494764}}</ref> |
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Bouzereau notes that the second draft of the ''Return of the Jedi'' screenplay contained dialogue in which Obi-Wan explains to Luke that he has a twin sister. She and their mother were "sent to the protection of friends in a distant system. The mother died shortly thereafter, and Luke's sister was adopted by Ben's friends, the governor of Alderaan and his wife."<ref>{{cite book |author=Bouzereau |title=The Annotated Screenplays |date=1997 |page=270}}</ref> Fisher herself explained in 1983, "Leia's real father left her mother when she was pregnant, so her mother married this King Organa. I was adopted and grew up set apart from other people because I was a princess. In terms of the character, I don't know my real father ... until ... "<ref name="Rolling Stone 1983"/> |
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==Feature films== |
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===Feature films=== |
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Fisher was 19 when she was cast as Princess Leia,<ref name="Guardian Melted"/> with actresses including [[Amy Irving]], [[Cindy Williams]] and [[Jodie Foster]] also up for the role.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.bbc.com/culture/story/20140429-first-meeting-han-leia-and-luke |title=The ''Star Wars'' Screen Tests: Meeting Han, Leia and Luke |work=[[BBC]] |first=Christian |last=Blauvelt |date=April 29, 2014 |accessdate=December 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gamesradar.com/the-total-film-interview-jodie-foster/ |title=The Total Film Interview - Jodie Foster |publisher=[[GamesRadar]] |date=December 1, 2005 |accessdate=December 8, 2015}}</ref> In 2014, [[InkTank]] reported that the extended list of "more than two dozen actresses" who had auditioned for Leia included [[Glenn Close]], [[Farrah Fawcett]], [[Jessica Lange]], [[Sissy Spacek]], [[Sigourney Weaver]], [[Cybill Shepherd]], [[Jane Seymour (actress)|Jane Seymour]], [[Anjelica Huston]], [[Kim Basinger]], [[Kathleen Turner]], [[Geena Davis]] and even [[Meryl Streep]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://inktank.fi/20-things-you-didnt-know-about-carrie-fisher-and-star-wars/ |title=20 things you didn’t know about Carrie Fisher and ''Star Wars'' |work=[[InkTank]] |date=January 22, 2014 |first=Joel |last=Willans |accessdate=December 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/list-facts-actress-writer-carrie-fisher-article-1.2405759 |title=''Star Wars'' actress Carrie Fisher turns 59! |first=Candace |last=Smith |work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |date=October 21, 2015 |accessdate=December 8, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.goodhousekeeping.co.uk/lifestyle/gh-women-celebrity-interviews/carrie-fisher |title=I'm in a Business Where the Only Things that Matter Are Weight and Appearance |work=[[Good Housekeeping]] |date=December 7, 2015 |accessdate=December 8, 2015}}</ref> Asked about Streep in 2015, Fisher said, "Bullshit! I've never heard that one. But [[Jodie Foster]] was up for it... that one I knew the most. [[Amy Irving]] and Jodie. And I got it."<ref name="Beast 2015">{{cite web |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2015/12/08/carrie-fisher-s-crazy-star-wars-ride-cocaine-the-rolling-stones-and-that-slave-bikini.html |title=Carrie Fisher's Crazy ''Star Wars'' Ride: Cocaine, the Rolling Stones, and That Slave Bikini |work=[[The Daily Beast]] |first=Marlow |last=Stern |date=December 8, 2015 |accessdate=December 8, 2015}}</ref> |
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====''Star Wars |
====''Star Wars''==== |
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Introduced in the original 1977 film ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'', Princess Leia Organa of [[Alderaan]] is a member of the [[Galactic Empire (Star Wars)|Imperial Senate]]. She is captured by [[Darth Vader]] on board the ship ''[[Tantive IV]]'', where she is acting as a spy for the [[Rebel Alliance]]. |
Introduced in the original 1977 film ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'', Princess Leia Organa of [[Alderaan]] is a member of the [[Galactic Empire (Star Wars)|Imperial Senate]]. She is captured by [[Darth Vader]] on board the ship ''[[Tantive IV]]'', where she is acting as a spy for the [[Rebel Alliance]]. Leia has secretly hidden the plans for the [[Death Star]], the Empire's planet-sized battle station, inside the [[Droid (robot)|Astromech droid]] [[R2-D2]] and has sent it to find [[Jedi|Jedi Master]] [[Obi-Wan Kenobi]] on the nearby planet of [[Tatooine]]. Vader arrests Leia and has her tortured, but she resists revealing anything. Death Star commander [[Grand Moff Tarkin]] threatens to destroy Alderaan with the Death Star unless she reveals the location of the hidden Rebel base. She provides the location of an old, abandoned base, but Tarkin orders Alderaan to be destroyed anyway. Leia is rescued by Obi-Wan, [[Luke Skywalker]], [[Han Solo]], the [[Wookiee]] [[Chewbacca]] and the two droids R2-D2 and [[C-3PO]], and thy escape aboard Han's ship, the ''[[Millennium Falcon]]''. After analyzing the Death Star's plans, the Rebels find a tiny weakness in the battle station which Luke uses to destroy it in his [[X-wing fighter]]. The battle won, Leia bestows medals on its heroes at the hidden Rebel base on [[Yavin 4]]. |
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Rosenberg writes |
Alyssa Rosenberg of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' writes of Leia in the film: |
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{{Quote|Leia’s nerves as a revolutionary are clear from the moment she arrives on screen ... She takes shots at the Storm Troopers boarding her ship, gets stunned with a blaster in her hand, then has the audacity to try to make Darth Vader feel ashamed of himself ... She has enough energy left over after a nasty session of torture to insult Grand Moff Tarkin. And while she grieves when her home planet, Alderaan, is destroyed by the Death Star, Leia’s not paralyzed: when her unexpected rescuers show up, she’s ready to go, and to gripe about their operational sloppiness.<ref name="WP Icon"/>}} |
{{Quote|Leia’s nerves as a revolutionary are clear from the moment she arrives on screen ... She takes shots at the Storm Troopers boarding her ship, gets stunned with a blaster in her hand, then has the audacity to try to make Darth Vader feel ashamed of himself ... She has enough energy left over after a nasty session of torture to insult Grand Moff Tarkin. And while she grieves when her home planet, Alderaan, is destroyed by the Death Star, Leia’s not paralyzed: when her unexpected rescuers show up, she’s ready to go, and to gripe about their operational sloppiness.<ref name="WP Icon">{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2015/05/04/princess-leia-political-icon/ |title=Princess Leia, political icon |work=[[The Washington Post]] |first=Alyssa |last=Rosenberg |date=May 4, 2015 |accessdate=November 11, 2015}}</ref>}} |
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Rosenberg also notes that, though Han is almost immediately attracted to Leia, they conflict because she insists on asserting command and he automatically resists, even as she proves herself to be worthy of it.<ref name="WP Icon"/> And despite her initial disdain for the smuggler, whom she sees as selfish, Leia later acknowledges "I knew there was more to you than money" when Han comes through for the Rebellion.<ref name="WP Icon"/> |
Rosenberg also notes that, though Han is almost immediately attracted to Leia, they conflict because she insists on asserting command and he automatically resists, even as she proves herself to be worthy of it.<ref name="WP Icon"/> And despite her initial disdain for the smuggler, whom she sees as selfish, Leia later acknowledges "I knew there was more to you than money" when Han comes through for the Rebellion.<ref name="WP Icon"/> |
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====''The Empire Strikes Back''==== |
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In ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980), Leia is at the Rebel base on [[Hoth]]. She aids in its evacuation during an Imperial attack, and then flees with Han, Chewbacca and C-3PO on Han's ship, the ''[[Millennium Falcon]]''. They dodge pursuing Imperial [[TIE fighters]] by flying into an asteroid field when the ''Falcon''{{'s}} hyperdrive breaks down. Romance blossoms between Leia and Han during their flight from the Empire; while hiding in the stomach of a space slug, they finally share a kiss. With his ship needing repairs, Han seeks out his old friend [[Lando Calrissian]] |
In ''[[The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980), Leia is at the Rebel base on [[Hoth]]. She aids in its evacuation during an Imperial attack, and then flees with Han, Chewbacca and C-3PO on Han's ship, the ''[[Millennium Falcon]]''. They dodge pursuing Imperial [[TIE fighters]] by flying into an asteroid field when the ''Falcon''{{'s}} hyperdrive breaks down. Romance blossoms between Leia and Han during their flight from the Empire; while hiding in the stomach of a space slug, they finally share a kiss. With his ship needing repairs, Han seeks out his old friend [[Lando Calrissian]] in [[Cloud City]], the [[floating city (science fiction)|floating city]] over [[Bespin]]. Though he welcomes them graciously, Lando soon turns them over to a newly arrived Darth Vader, who hopes to use them as bait to capture Luke. Leia confesses her love for Han as he is frozen in [[carbonite (Star Wars)|carbonite]] and then handed over to bounty hunter [[Boba Fett]], who is charged with bringing him to gangster [[Jabba the Hutt]]. Lando helps Leia, Chewbacca and the two droids escape. Leia senses that Luke is in trouble, and goes back to save him after he is nearly killed during a [[lightsaber]] duel with Vader. |
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Rosenberg notes: |
Rosenberg notes: |
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{{Quote|Yes, it’s slightly ridiculous ... that [Han] tries to pry a confession of affection out of her on Hoth, as Leia is trying to manage an evacuation with just an ion cannon for defense. But Han’s not wrong that if Leia doesn't figure out that she’s a person with needs, she's going to burn out ... In a way, it’s an early confession of love: Han’s anxious about the bounty hunters who are still pursuing him ... But he would stay and give his love and support to Leia if she could just acknowledge that she needs him.<ref name="WP Icon"/>}} |
{{Quote|Yes, it’s slightly ridiculous ... that [Han] tries to pry a confession of affection out of her on Hoth, as Leia is trying to manage an evacuation with just an ion cannon for defense. But Han’s not wrong that if Leia doesn't figure out that she’s a person with needs, she's going to burn out ... In a way, it’s an early confession of love: Han’s anxious about the bounty hunters who are still pursuing him ... But he would stay and give his love and support to Leia if she could just acknowledge that she needs him.<ref name="WP Icon"/>}} |
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====''Return of the Jedi''==== |
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In ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983), |
In ''[[Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983), Leia infiltrates Jabba's palace on Tatooine disguised as the [[Ubese]] bounty hunter Boushh, and brings a captive Chewbacca with her as part of the ruse. She frees Han from the carbonite, but they are recaptured by Jabba. Leia is now chained to Jabba as his slave, outfitted in a [[Princess Leia's bikini|metal bikini]]. After Luke arrives and kills Jabba's [[Rancor]], Jabba sentences Luke, Han and Chewbacca to be fed to the [[Sarlacc]]. Lando (disguised as a guard) helps them overpower their captors, and Leia seizes the moment to strangle Jabba with her chain. Luke and Leia swing to safety, blowing up Jabba's barge behind them. Later, the heroes go to the forest moon of [[Endor (Star Wars)|Endor]] to prepare for a battle with the Empire. There, Luke reveals to Leia that she is his twin sister and that Vader is their father. Leia joins Han in leading the Rebels in battle with Imperial troops as the Rebel Fleet attacks the second Death Star. Leia is slightly injured, but the Rebels, with help from the [[Ewoks]], defeat the forces of the Empire. |
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Fisher told ''Rolling Stone'' in 1983, "In ''Return of the Jedi'', [Leia] gets to be more feminine, more supportive, more affectionate. But let's not forget that these movies are basically boys' fantasies. So the other way they made her more female in this one was to have her take off her clothes."<ref name="Rolling Stone 1983"/> Rosenberg writes of Han and Leia: |
Fisher told ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' in 1983, "In ''Return of the Jedi'', [Leia] gets to be more feminine, more supportive, more affectionate. But let's not forget that these movies are basically boys' fantasies. So the other way they made her more female in this one was to have her take off her clothes."<ref name="Rolling Stone 1983"/> Rosenberg writes of Han and Leia: |
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{{Quote|And we know those two crazy kids are locked for life in ''Return of the Jedi'' when it turns out that Han has accepted a Generalship in the Rebellion, keeping it a secret from Leia. In ''A New Hope'', Leia was grumbling about the quality of Han as a rescuer ... But when she finds out what Han’s done, accepting a rank he once found insulting and a mission she knows to be dangerous, Leia is the first person to volunteer to join his strike team. In ''Star Wars'', that’s what love looks like: trusting your partner’s commitment to the cause and respecting his strategic and technical judgement.<ref name="WP Icon"/>}} |
{{Quote|And we know those two crazy kids are locked for life in ''Return of the Jedi'' when it turns out that Han has accepted a Generalship in the Rebellion, keeping it a secret from Leia. In ''A New Hope'', Leia was grumbling about the quality of Han as a rescuer ... But when she finds out what Han’s done, accepting a rank he once found insulting and a mission she knows to be dangerous, Leia is the first person to volunteer to join his strike team. In ''Star Wars'', that’s what love looks like: trusting your partner’s commitment to the cause and respecting his strategic and technical judgement.<ref name="WP Icon"/>}} |
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{{Quote|The part that I never really developed is the death of Luke and Leia's mother. I had a [[backstory]] for her in earlier drafts, but it basically didn't survive. When I got to ''Jedi'', I wanted one of the kids to have some kind of memory of her because she will be a key figure in the new episodes I'm writing. But I really debated whether or not Leia should remember her.<ref>{{cite book |author=Bouzereau |title=The Annotated Screenplays |date=1997 |page=291}}</ref>}} |
{{Quote|The part that I never really developed is the death of Luke and Leia's mother. I had a [[backstory]] for her in earlier drafts, but it basically didn't survive. When I got to ''Jedi'', I wanted one of the kids to have some kind of memory of her because she will be a key figure in the new episodes I'm writing. But I really debated whether or not Leia should remember her.<ref>{{cite book |author=Bouzereau |title=The Annotated Screenplays |date=1997 |page=291}}</ref>}} |
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====''Revenge of the Sith''==== |
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In the [[Star Wars prequel trilogy|prequel film]] ''[[Revenge of the Sith]]'' (2005), [[Padmé Amidala]] is pregnant with Anakin Skywalker's twins near the end of the [[Clone Wars (Star Wars)|Clone Wars]]. After Anakin turns to the [[dark side (Star Wars)|dark side of the Force]] and becomes Darth Vader, Padmé gives birth to Luke and Leia on Polis Massa and then dies. Leia is adopted by Senator Bail Organa and his wife Queen Breha of Alderaan. |
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Film critic [[Peter Travers]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' writes, "As we watch Anakin nearly melt in the lava, only to be put together, [[Frankenstein]] style, in a lab while Lucas intercuts scenes of Padme giving birth to the twins Luke and Leia, a link to genuine feeling is established at last. It's too little and too late. To hail ''Revenge of the Sith'' as a satisfying bridge to a classic is not just playing a game of the ''[[Emperor's New Clothes]]'', it's an insult to what the original accomplished."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith-20050519 |first=Peter |last=Travers |title=Review: ''Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'' |work=Rolling Stone |date=May 13, 2005 |accessdate=November 19, 2015}}</ref> |
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====''Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith''==== |
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In the [[Star Wars prequel trilogy|prequel film]] ''[[Revenge of the Sith]]'' (2005), [[Padmé Amidala]] is pregnant with Anakin Skywalker's twins near the end of the [[Clone Wars (Star Wars)|Clone Wars]]. During the film's epilogue, Padmé gives birth to Luke and Leia on Polis Massa and then dies. Leia is adopted by Senator Bail Organa and his wife Queen Breha of Alderaan. |
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====''Star Wars: The Force Awakens''==== |
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Film critic [[Peter Travers]] of ''[[Rolling Stone]]'' writes, "As we watch Anakin nearly melt in the lava, only to be put together, Frankenstein style, in a lab while Lucas intercuts scenes of Padme giving birth to the twins Luke and Leia, a link to genuine feeling is established at last. It's too little and too late. To hail ''Revenge of the Sith'' as a satisfying bridge to a classic is not just playing a game of the ''[[Emperor's New Clothes]]'', it's an insult to what the original accomplished."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/reviews/star-wars-episode-iii-revenge-of-the-sith-20050519 |first=Peter |last=Travers |title=Review: ''Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith'' |work=Rolling Stone |date=May 13, 2005 |accessdate=November 19, 2015}}</ref> |
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In March 2013, Fisher confirmed that she would reprise her role as Leia in ''[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens]]'', the sequel to ''Return of the Jedi''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://collider.com/carrie-fisher-star-wars-episode-7/|title=Carrie Fisher Confirms She'll Return as Princess Leia in ''Star Wars: Episode VII''|last=Chitwood|first=Adam|publisher=[[Collider.com]]|date=March 5, 2013|accessdate=March 5, 2013}}</ref> Set 32 years after ''Jedi'', ''Force Awakens'' reintroduces a Leia who is "a little more battle weary, a little more broken hearted".<ref name="EW More 2015"/> In November 2015, director [[J.J. Abrams]] said of Leia, "She’s referred to as General but ... there's a moment in the movie where a character sort of slips and calls her 'Princess.'"<ref name="EW General">{{cite web|url = http://www.ew.com/article/2015/11/11/star-wars-force-awakens-carrie-fisher-leia|title = She's Not Called 'Princess' Leia Anymore|work = Entertainment Weekly|first = Anthony|last = Breznican|date = November 11, 2015|accessdate = November 11, 2015}}</ref> Commenting on the story he added, "The stakes are pretty high in the story for her, so there’s not much goofing around where Leia’s concerned."<ref name="EW General"/> Asked how Leia is handling things in the film, Fisher said, "Not easily ... [she is] solitary. Under a lot of pressure. Committed as ever to her cause, but I would imagine feeling somewhat defeated, tired, and pissed."<ref name="EW General"/> |
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===Novelizations=== |
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Leia makes her first literary appearance in ''[[Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker]]'', the novelization of the original 1977 film ''Star Wars'', which was released six months before the film in November 1976. Credited to Lucas but [[ghostwriter|ghostwritten]] by [[Alan Dean Foster]], the novel was based on Lucas' screenplay. Leia later appeared in the novelizations ''[[The Empire Strikes Back (novel)|The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980) by [[Donald F. Glut]] and ''[[Return of the Jedi (novel)|Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983) by [[James Kahn]]. She will also be featured in the forthcoming novelization ''[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens (novel)|The Force Awakens]]''. |
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Foster's 1978 novel ''[[Splinter of the Mind's Eye]]'' was commissioned by Lucas as the basis for a potential low-budget sequel to ''Star Wars'' should the film prove unsuccessful.<ref name="fry">{{cite journal |last=Fry |first=Jason |title=Alan Dean Foster: Author of the ''Mind's Eye'' |journal=[[Star Wars Insider]] |issue=50 |date=July–August 2000}}</ref> In the story, Luke and Leia seek a crystal on a swampy planet and eventually face Vader in combat. |
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====''Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens''==== |
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In March 2013, Fisher confirmed that she would reprise Leia in ''[[Star Wars: The Force Awakens]]''.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://collider.com/carrie-fisher-star-wars-episode-7/|title=Carrie Fisher Confirms She'll Return as Princess Leia in ''Star Wars: Episode VII''|last=Chitwood|first=Adam|publisher=[[Collider.com]]|date=March 5, 2013|accessdate=March 5, 2013}}</ref> ''Entertainment Weekly'' described the character in the film as "a little more battle weary, a little more broken hearted".<ref name="EW More 2015"/> In November 2015, director [[J.J. Abrams]] said of Leia, "She’s referred to as General but ... there's a moment in the movie where a character sort of slips and calls her 'Princess.'"<ref name="EW General"/> Commenting on the story he added, "The stakes are pretty high in the story for her, so there’s not much goofing around where Leia’s concerned."<ref name="EW General"/> Asked how Leia is handling things in the film, Fisher said, "Not easily ... [she is] solitary. Under a lot of pressure. Committed as ever to her cause, but I would imagine feeling somewhat defeated, tired, and pissed."<ref name="EW General"/> |
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==Expanded universe== |
==Expanded universe== |
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{{main|Star Wars expanded universe}} |
{{main|Star Wars expanded universe}} |
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The original three ''Star Wars'' films have spawned a large franchise of works that include novels, comic books, video games and television series. Leia appears in much of this material, though in 2014 (with the sequel film ''The Force Awakens'' in production), [[Lucasfilm]] separated the [[Star Wars expanded universe|''Star Wars'' expanded universe]] (rebranded as ''Star Wars Legends'') from official [[Star Wars canon|''Star Wars'' canon]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lucasfilm-unveils-new-plans-star-698973|last=McMilian|first=Grame|title=Lucasfilm Unveils New Plans for ''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe|newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=April 25, 2014 |accessdate=November 13, 2015}}</ref> |
The original three ''Star Wars'' films have spawned a large franchise of works that include novels, comic books, video games and television series. Leia appears in much of this material, though in 2014 (with the sequel film ''The Force Awakens'' in production), [[Lucasfilm]] separated the [[Star Wars expanded universe|''Star Wars'' expanded universe]] (rebranded as ''Star Wars Legends'') from official [[Star Wars canon|''Star Wars'' canon]].<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/lucasfilm-unveils-new-plans-star-698973|last=McMilian|first=Grame|title=Lucasfilm Unveils New Plans for ''Star Wars'' Expanded Universe|newspaper=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=April 25, 2014 |accessdate=November 13, 2015}}</ref> |
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====''Star Wars Holiday Special''==== |
====''Star Wars Holiday Special''==== |
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Leia appears briefly in the 1978 |
Leia appears briefly in the 1978 television film ''[[Star Wars Holiday Special]]'' as a leader and administrator of the new Rebel Alliance base. She and C-3PO contact Chewbacca's wife [[Mallatobuck]] for assistance in finding Chewbacca and Han. Leia also appears in the cartoon segment at a different Rebel Base, located in an asteroid field, and at the Life Day ceremony at the end of the film.<ref>{{cite AV media |title=[[Star Wars Holiday Special]] |publisher=[[CBS]] |date=November 17, 1978 |medium=Television film }}</ref> Fisher also appeared in and hosted the November 18, 1978 episode of ''[[Saturday Night Live]]'' that aired one day after the holiday special.<ref>{{cite journal |journal=[[Star Wars Insider]] |title=Luke & Leia |issue=97 |date=October 23, 2007 |editor1-first=Brian J. |editor1-last=Robb |publisher=[[Titan Magazines]]}}</ref> The Summer 1983 issue of ''Rolling Stone'' magazine poked fun at this appearance.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.starwars.com/collecting/news/misc/f20071126/indexp11.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071129202413/http://www.starwars.com/collecting/news/misc/f20071126/indexp11.html |title=Checklist: 10 Strange ''Star Wars'' Magazine Covers |publisher=[[StarWars.com]] |date=November 26, 2007 |archivedate=November 29, 2007 |accessdate=October 26, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://i1.wp.com/www.rowsdowr.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/img001.jpg? |title=July 1983 cover |work=Rolling Stone |accessdate=October 26, 2015}}</ref> |
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===Novels=== |
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The 1991 novel ''[[Heir to the Empire]]'' by [[Timothy Zahn]] began what would become a large collection of works set before, between and especially after the original films. |
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====Early novels==== |
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Leia's first appearance is actually in ''[[Star Wars: From the Adventures of Luke Skywalker]]'', the novelization of the original 1977 film ''Star Wars'', which was released six months before the film in November 1976. Credited to Lucas but [[ghostwriter|ghostwritten]] by [[Alan Dean Foster]], the novel was based on Lucas' [[screenplay]]. Leia later appeared in the novelizations ''[[The Empire Strikes Back (novel)|The Empire Strikes Back]]'' (1980) by [[Donald F. Glut]] and ''[[Return of the Jedi (novel)|Return of the Jedi]]'' (1983), by [[James Kahn]]. |
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====Post-''Return of the Jedi''==== |
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Foster's 1978 novel ''[[Splinter of the Mind's Eye]]'' was commissioned by Lucas as the basis for a potential low-budget sequel to ''Star Wars'' should the film prove unsuccessful.<ref name="fry">{{cite journal |last=Fry |first=Jason |title=Alan Dean Foster: Author of the ''Mind's Eye'' |journal=[[Star Wars Insider]] |issue=50 |date=July–August 2000}}</ref> In the story, Luke and Leia seek a crystal on a swampy planet and eventually face Vader in combat. |
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The bestselling [[Thrawn trilogy|''Thrawn'' trilogy]] (1991–93) by Timothy Zahn begins five years after the events of ''Return of the Jedi''. In ''Heir to the Empire'' (1991), Leia is married to Han and three months pregnant with twins. [[Noghri]] commandos repeatedly attempt to kidnap her as part of [[Grand Admiral Thrawn]]'s plan to restore the Empire and crush the New Republic.<ref name="heir">{{cite book |title=Heir to the Empire |date=1991 |first=Timothy |last=Zahn |authorlink=Timothy Zahn |isbn=0-553-07327-3 }}</ref> In ''[[Dark Force Rising]]'' (1992), Leia realizes that Darth Vader and the Empire deceived the Noghri to secure their allegiance, and by revealing the truth she turns the alien race to the side of the New Republic.<ref name="dark rising">{{cite book |title=Dark Force Rising |date=1992 |first=Timothy |last=Zahn |isbn=0-553-08574-3 }}</ref> In ''[[The Last Command (novel)|The Last Command]]'' (1993), Leia gives birth to the twins [[Jaina Solo|Jaina]] and [[Jacen Solo|Jacen]] on [[Coruscant]] during Thrawn's siege.<ref name="command">{{cite book |title=The Last Command |date=1993 |first=Timothy |last=Zahn |isbn=0-553-09186-7 }}</ref> Leia, now the Chief of State of the New Republic, is a minor character in the [[Jedi Academy trilogy|''Jedi Academy'' trilogy]] (1994) by [[Kevin J. Anderson]], set after the ''Thrawn'' trilogy. Next in the timeline is the ''Callista'' trilogy: ''[[Children of the Jedi]]'' (1995) by [[Barbara Hambly]], ''[[Darksaber (novel)|Darksaber]]'' (1995) by Anderson and ''[[Planet of Twilight]]'' (1997) by Hambly. In ''[[The Crystal Star]]'' (1994) by [[Vonda McIntyre]], young Jacen, Jaina and their three-year-old brother [[Anakin Solo|Anakin]] are kidnapped in a plot to restore the Empire, but are rescued by Leia and Chewbacca. Leia struggles with the responsibilities of her position in ''[[The Black Fleet Crisis]]'' trilogy (1996) by [[Michael P. Kube-McDowell]]. In ''[[The New Rebellion]]'' (1996) by [[Kristine Kathryn Rusch]], she avoids an assassination attempt and then aids in the defeat of the [[Dark Jedi]] Kueller, whom she shoots to death. [[The Corellian trilogy|The ''Corellian'' trilogy]] (1995) by [[Roger MacBride Allen]] finds Han and Leia swept up in a civil war while visiting his homeworld of Corellia with their children. In the two ''[[The Hand of Thrawn|Hand of Thrawn]]'' novels by Timothy Zahn (1997's ''[[Specter of the Past]]'' and 1998's ''[[Vision of the Future]]''), Leia tries to hold the New Republic together as Moff Disra conspires for its volatile factions to destroy each other. Leia appears periodically in the ''[[Young Jedi Knights]]'' series (1995–98) by Kevin J. Anderson and [[Rebecca Moesta]]. The 14-volume [[young-adult fiction]] series covers the Jedi training of Jacen and Jaina. |
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In ''[[The Truce at Bakura]]'' (1993) by [[Kathy Tyers]], set one day after the ending of ''Return of the Jedi'', Leia establishes New Alderaan, a sanctuary for the destroyed planet's surviving inhabitants. The spirit of Anakin Skywalker appears to Leia and pleads for her forgiveness, but she angrily banishes him. The six-volume [[Jedi Prince series|''Jedi Prince'' series]] (1992–93) by [[Paul Davids]] and Hollace Davids, later contradicted by other novels, is set within a year after ''Return of the Jedi''. In ''[[The Glove of Darth Vader]]'' (1992), the self-proclaimed son of [[Palpatine]], [[Trioculus]], seeks the titular glove to cement himself as the new Emperor. Entranced by Leia's beauty in ''[[The Lost City of the Jedi]]'' (1992), Trioculus vows to make her his queen. He captures her in ''[[Zorba the Hutt's Revenge]]'' (1992), but Jabba the Hutt's vengeful father, [[Zorba the Hutt|Zorba]], offers to trade his own prisoner [[Ken (Star Wars)|Ken]]—Palpatine's real grandson whom Trioculus has been seeking—for Leia, his son's killer. But Leia and Ken are rescued and Trioculus is frozen in carbonate by Zorba. ''[[Mission from Mount Yoda]]'' (1993) finds Ken's father [[Triclops (Star Wars)|Triclops]] alive and willing to join the Rebels against the Empire. Leia, now engaged to Han, is captured by Zorba in ''[[Queen of the Empire]]'' (1993). Trioculus is revived and seizes Leia before Zorba can kill her. Leia is rescued and replaced with a lookalike droid decoy, which kills Trioculus. In ''[[Prophets of the Dark Side (novel)|Prophets of the Dark Side]]'' (1993), Leia looks forward to her wedding to Han and has a vision of their two children. [[Matthew Stover]]'s 2008 standalone novel ''[[Luke Skywalker and the Shadows of Mindor]]'' picks up the story soon after, as Luke, Leia and the Rebels fight the [[Sith]] Lord Shadowspawn. |
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The [[best selling]] [[Thrawn trilogy]] by [[Timothy Zahn]] begins five years after the events of ''Return of the Jedi'', the third and final film in the original series. In ''[[Heir to the Empire]]'' (1991), Leia is married to Han and three months pregnant with twins. [[Noghri]] commandos repeatedly attempt to kidnap her as part of [[Grand Admiral Thrawn]]'s plan to restore the Empire and crush the New Republic.<ref name="heir">{{cite book |title=Heir to the Empire |date=1991 |first=Timothy |last=Zahn |authorlink=Timothy Zahn |isbn=0-553-07327-3 }}</ref> In ''[[Dark Force Rising]]'' (1992), Leia realizes that Darth Vader and the Empire deceived the Noghri to secure their allegiance, and by revealing the truth she turns the alien race to the side of the New Republic.<ref name="dark rising">{{cite book |title=Dark Force Rising |date=1992 |first=Timothy |last=Zahn |isbn=0-553-08574-3 }}</ref> In ''[[The Last Command (novel)|The Last Command]]'' (1993), Leia gives birth to the twins [[Jaina Solo|Jaina]] and [[Jacen Solo|Jacen]] on [[Coruscant]] during Thrawn's siege.<ref name="command">{{cite book |title=The Last Command |date=1993 |first=Timothy |last=Zahn |isbn=0-553-09186-7 }}</ref> |
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In ''[[The Courtship of Princess Leia]]'' (1994) by [[Dave Wolverton]], set immediately before the ''Thrawn'' trilogy, Leia is presented with an advantageous political marriage to [[Prince Isolder]] of the planet Hapes. A jealous Han abducts Leia and takes her to the planet Dathomir; Luke and Isolder follow, and there they all find the hidden forces of the Imperial warlord Zsinj.<ref>{{cite web|title=''Star Wars: The Courtship of Princess Leia'' (Review) |url=https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/dave-wolverton/star-wars-the-courtship-of-princess-leia/ |work=[[Kirkus Reviews]] |date=May 20, 2010 |accessdate=December 7, 2015}}</ref> Defeating him, Han and Leia marry.<ref>{{cite book |title=[[The Courtship of Princess Leia]] |first=Dave |last=Wolverton |authorlink=Dave Wolverton |date=1994 |publisher=Spectra |isbn=0-553-08928-5}}</ref> The 2003 novels ''[[A Forest Apart]]'' and ''[[Tatooine Ghost]]'' by [[Troy Denning]] are set immediately after ''The Courtship of Princess Leia''. The newly-married Leia fears that any children she has may succumb to the [[dark side (Star Wars)|dark side]] like her father. During an adventure on [[Tatooine]] in ''Tatooine Ghost'', she discovers the diary of her grandmother [[Shmi Skywalker]] and meets some of young Anakin's childhood friends. When she learns of Anakin's childhood as a slave and the traumatic death of his mother, Leia learns to forgive her father. |
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In ''[[The Truce at Bakura]]'' (1993) by [[Kathy Tyers]], set one day after the ending of ''Return of the Jedi'', Leia establishes New Alderaan, a sanctuary for the destroyed planet's surviving inhabitants. The spirit of Anakin Skywalker appears to Leia and pleads for her forgiveness, but she angrily banishes him. |
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====Interquels==== |
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In ''[[Shadows of the Empire (novel)|Shadows of the Empire]]'' (1996) by [[Steve Perry (author)|Steve Perry]], the first ''Star Wars'' novel set between ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi'', Leia is searching for Boba Fett to find a captive Han. She is bewitched by the crime lord [[Prince Xizor]] using pheromones, but Chewbacca helps her elude the seduction.<ref name="Shadows">{{cite book |last=Perry |first=Steve |authorlink=Steve Perry (author) |title=[[Shadows of the Empire (novel)|Shadows of the Empire]] |publisher=[[Bantam Spectra|Spectra]] |date=April 1, 1996 |isbn=978-0553100891}}</ref> |
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In ''[[Shadows of the Empire (novel)|Shadows of the Empire]]'' (1996) by [[Steve Perry (author)|Steve Perry]], the first and only ''Star Wars'' novel set between ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi'', Leia is searching for Boba Fett to find a captive Han. She is bewitched by the crime lord [[Prince Xizor]] using pheromones, but Chewbacca helps her elude the seduction.<ref name="Shadows">{{cite book |last=Perry |first=Steve |authorlink=Steve Perry (author) |title=[[Shadows of the Empire (novel)|Shadows of the Empire]] |publisher=[[Bantam Spectra|Spectra]] |date=April 1, 1996 |isbn=978-0-553-10089-1}}</ref> |
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''[[Allegiance (novel)|Allegiance]]'' (2007) and ''Choices of One'' (2011) by Timothy Zahn are set between ''Star Wars: A New Hope'' and ''The Empire Strikes Back'', and feature Leia and her cohorts seeking new allies for their Rebellion against the Empire. |
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====New Republic==== |
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In ''Legends'' works set after ''Return of the Jedi'', Leia is portrayed as a founding member of the [[New Republic (Star Wars)|New Republic]]. Although most of her life is devoted to such matters of state, she engages in limited study of the Jedi arts, with Luke as her teacher. Notably, she wields a blue [[lightsaber]] that she built herself. |
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====''New Jedi Order''==== |
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In ''[[Queen of the Empire]]'' (1993) by [[Paul Davids|Paul Davids and Hollace Davids]],<ref name="queen">''Queen of the Empire'', paperback edition, 1993. [[Paul Davids|Paul Davids and Hollace Davids]], ISBN ISBN 0-553-15891-0</ref> she is kidnapped by the "Prophets of the Dark Side", who try to brainwash her into pledging her loyalty to the Empire and marry their leader, [[Moff Tarkin|Trioculus]]. Leia tricks her captors by having a look-alike droid take her place; the droid eventually kills Trioculus. |
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In the ''[[New Jedi Order]]'' series (1999–2003), Leia resigns as Chief of State, and on the heels of her warnings before the Senate, the alien [[Yuuzhan Vong]] invade the galaxy. They destroy system after system and defeat both the Jedi and the New Republic forces in countless battles. Chewbacca dies in ''[[Vector Prime]]'' (1999) by [[R.A. Salvatore]], which sends Han into a deep depression that causes a rift between him and Leia. They reunite after Leia is gravely wounded at the Battle of Duro in Kathy Tyers' ''[[Balance Point]]'' (2000). She is targeted by a deadly Voxyn slayer in Troy Dennings' ''[[Star By Star]]'' (2001), and though she manages to evade death, her son Anakin is later killed during a mission to prevent more Voxyn from being cloned. The Vong are finally defeated in ''[[The Unifying Force]]'' (2003) by [[James Luceno]]. |
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In Denning's [[The Dark Nest trilogy|The ''Dark Nest'' trilogy]] (2005), Leia, Han and several Jedi become involved in an escalating border dispute between the [[Chiss]] and the insidious insectoid Killiks, and Leia makes a bitter enemy in the [[Twi'lek]] warrior [[Alema Rar]]. In ''[[The Joiner King]]'' (2005), Leia asks [[Saba Sebatyne]] to train her as a Jedi Knight. R2-D2 malfunctions in ''[[The Unseen Queen]]'' (2005) and shows Luke a holoclip of his father Anakin and a pregnant woman, whom Luke learns is his and Leia's biological mother, Padmé Amidala. Anakin and Padmé are discussing a dream of Anakin's in which Padmé dies in childbirth; later, Luke and Leia watch a clip in which Padmé is talking to Obi-Wan Kenobi about Anakin. [[Tenel Ka]], Queen Mother of the Hapes Consortium, has a daughter, [[Allana Solo|Allana]], secretly fathered by Jacen. In ''[[The Swarm War]]'' (2005), Luke and Leia view holoclips of their mother's death, and Leia is promoted to Jedi Knight. |
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As described in ''[[The Courtship of Princess Leia]]'' (1995), Leia marries Han after a near-disastrous courtship in which [[Prince Isolder]] vies for her affections. Han kidnaps Leia and takes her to the planet Dathomir, which he had won in a game of sabacc. There they encounter the [[Nightsisters]], whose attempt to escape eventually leads to the demise of the Warlord Zsinj and his empire, equal rival at this time to both the Imperial Remnant and the New Republic. |
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====''Legacy of the Force''==== |
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At first, Leia does not want to have children, fearing they would succumb to the dark side as her father had done. In the 2003 novel ''[[Tatooine Ghost]]'', however, she begins to understand what happened to her father to bring him to the dark side. When she and Han go on a mission to Tatooine to retrieve the Alderaanian moss-painting ''Killik Twilight'' and the Rebel code hidden within it, Leia discovers her grandmother [[Shmi Skywalker]]'s diary and, with the help of her father's childhood friends [[List of Star Wars Old Republic characters#Kitster|Kitster]] and [[List of Star Wars Old Republic characters#Wald|Wald]], discovers her father was not always the monster she thought he was. Touched, Leia finally forgives her the spirit of her father. |
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The ''[[Legacy of the Force]]'' series (2006–08) chronicles the crossover of Han and Leia's son Jacen to the dark side of the Force while the Jedi, Solos and Skywalkers fight against his growing power. In ''[[Betrayal (Star Wars novel)|Betrayal]]'' (2006) by [[Aaron Allston]], Jacen turns to the dark side, believing that it is the only way to save the galaxy from the chaos brewing among the member systems of the [[Galactic Alliance]]. Jacen realizes in ''[[Bloodlines (Star Wars novel)|Bloodlines]]'' (2006) by [[Karen Traviss]] that the Sith discipline will require him to kill one of his loved ones, which he decides is an acceptable sacrifice to save the galaxy. In Troy Denning's ''[[Tempest (novel)|Tempest]]'' (2006), Han and Leia thwart the assassination of Tenel Ka and Allana, but become caught up in a Corellian conspiracy. They are almost killed when the ''Millennium Falcon'' is attacked by a [[Star Destroyer]] controlled by an increasingly powerful Jacen—who knows that his parents are on board. With Han injured, Leia and Lando further investigate the Corellians in Aaron Allston's ''[[Exile (Star Wars novel)|Exile]]'' (2007), but Alema reappears to exact her vengeance on Leia. ''[[Sacrifice (novel)|Sacrifice]]'' (2007) by Karen Traviss finds Leia and Han on the run, hunted by Jacen as traitors to the Galactic Alliance. He kills Luke's wife [[Mara Jade]] as his final sacrifice to become Darth Caedus, the new ruler of the Sith. In ''[[Inferno (Star Wars novel)|Inferno]]'' (2007) by Troy Denning, Han and Leia are faced with the reality that their son, now Joint Chief of State, is the enemy. Leia attempts unsuccessfully to manipulate Jacen in Aaron Allston's ''[[Fury (Star Wars novel)|Fury]]'' (2007) so that the Jedi can both thwart him and neutralize Alema. Finally, in ''[[Invincible (Star Wars novel)|Invincible]]'' (2008) by Troy Denning, Jaina kills Jacen in lightsaber duel. At Tenel Ka's request, Leia and Han adopt Allana, disguised with the name "Amelia" to protect her from any future vengeance against Cadeus or the Hapes Consortium. |
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The nine-volume ''Fate of the Jedi'' series (2009–12) by Aaron Allston, Troy Denning and [[Christie Golden]] finds Han and Leia become caught up in the intensifying conflict between the Galactic Alliance and the Jedi. In the wake of Darth Cadeus' death, the now-peaceful Galactic Alliance harbors a growing mistrust toward the Jedi, and the situation is worsened by a Force-induced psychosis that begins afflicting individual Jedi, sending them on violent rampages. |
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====''Dark Empire''==== |
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During the events of the comic series ''[[Dark Empire]]'', the New Republic suffers severe setbacks, losing most of its worlds, as well as Luke Skywalker to the dark side. After her brother's capture on [[Coruscant]], subsequent transport to Byss, and temptation by the cloned Palpatine, a pregnant Leia along with her husband, Han Solo, reach the Emperor's new stronghold of Byss, where she confronts the reincarnated Sith Lord. At first Leia is unsuccessful in turning Luke away from the dark side, but does manage to take a Jedi [[Holocron]] away from Palpatine's chambers. Leia boards Palpatine's [[Star Destroyer|Super Star Destroyer]], ''Eclipse I'', and appeals to the good in Luke, ultimately redeeming him. Brother and sister then fight Palpatine with the light side of the Force, cutting him off from the dark side and control of the titanic Force-generated storm he had created, intending to obliterate the Rebel Alliance fleet. The storm grows out of control, destroying both ''Eclipse I'' and Palpatine; Luke and Leia escape just in time. |
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In ''[[Millennium Falcon (novel)|Millennium Falcon]]'' (2008) by James Luceno, set between ''Legacy of the Force'' and ''Fate of the Jedi'', a mysterious device hidden inside the eponymous spacecraft sends Han, Leia and Allana on an adventure to investigate the ship's past before it came into Han's possession. Troy Denning's ''[[Crucible (Star Wars novel)|Crucible]]'' (2013), set after ''Fate of the Jedi'' and the last novel to date in the ''Star Wars Legends'' chronology, reunites Leia, Han and Luke with Lando as they aid him to thwart a vast criminal enterprise threatening his asteroid mineral refinery in the Chilean Rift [[nebula]]. |
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In ''[[Empire's End]]'', Leia gives birth to a second son, whom she names [[Anakin Solo|Anakin]] in honor of her father's redemption (See [[Solo family]]). Along with a Jedi named Jen, she defeats Palpatine's second-in-command, a [[Dark Jedi]] assassin. Palpatine is soon reborn in his last remaining clone body, which is quickly deteriorating, due to sabotage by traitorous minions. Leia is forced to flee to Onderon to hide Anakin from Palpatine, who intends to transfer his spirit into the infant. Palpatine does eventually find her, but Han accidentally shoots him in the back just as he is about to possess the baby. A sacrifice by a dying Jedi named Empatojayos Brand saves them both from Palpatine's wrath, and destroys Palpatine's malignant spirit forever. |
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=== |
===Comics=== |
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In the ''[[New Jedi Order]]'' series, Leia resigns as Chief of State, and is replaced by Borsk Fey'lya. After the [[Yuuzhan Vong]] attack on Sernpidal, Leia goes before the Senate to bring attention to the threat posed by the approaching [[Yuuzhan Vong]]. Her pleas go unheeded and the Vong legions swarm into the galaxy, destroying system after system and defeating the Jedi and the New Republic army in countless battles. Leia contributes to the war effort by joining SELCORE, a movement that helps [[refugee]]s. |
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====''Dark Empire''==== |
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In ''[[Vector Prime]]'', Chewbacca's death sends Han into a deep depression, causing a large rift between him and Leia, culminating in his walking out of the marriage after an argument. They patch things up after Leia is gravely wounded by Tsavong Lah at the Battle of Duro. Their troubles are not yet over, however; when the Vong unleash the deadly voxyn, Leia is targeted by a Voxyn master slayer who has already killed many Jedi. With the help of her Noghri bodyguards, she eliminates the assassin with her lightsaber. |
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During the events of the comic series ''[[Dark Empire]]'' (1991–92, 1994–95), the New Republic suffers severe setbacks, losing most of its worlds, as well as Luke Skywalker to the dark side. After her brother's capture on [[Coruscant]], subsequent transport to Byss, and temptation by the cloned Palpatine, a pregnant Leia along with her husband, Han Solo, reach the Emperor's new stronghold of Byss, where she confronts the reincarnated Sith Lord. At first Leia is unsuccessful in turning Luke away from the dark side, but does manage to take a Jedi [[Holocron]] away from Palpatine's chambers. Leia boards Palpatine's [[Star Destroyer|Super Star Destroyer]], ''Eclipse I'', and appeals to the good in Luke, ultimately redeeming him. Brother and sister then fight Palpatine with the light side of the Force, cutting him off from the dark side and control of the titanic Force-generated storm he had created, intending to obliterate the Rebel Alliance fleet. The storm grows out of control, destroying both ''Eclipse I'' and Palpatine; Luke and Leia escape just in time. |
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In ''[[Empire's End]]'' (1995), Leia gives birth to a second son, whom she names [[Anakin Solo|Anakin]] in honor of her father's redemption (See [[Solo family]]). Along with a Jedi named Jen, she defeats Palpatine's second-in-command, a [[Dark Jedi]] assassin. Palpatine is soon reborn in his last remaining clone body, which is quickly deteriorating, due to sabotage by traitorous minions. Leia is forced to flee to Onderon to hide Anakin from Palpatine, who intends to transfer his spirit into the infant. Palpatine does eventually find her, but Han accidentally shoots him in the back just as he is about to possess the baby. A sacrifice by a dying Jedi named Empatojayos Brand saves them both from Palpatine's wrath, and destroys Palpatine's malignant spirit forever. |
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In ''[[Star By Star]]'', Leia and Han lose their youngest son, Anakin, during the Myrkr mission and the fall of Coruscant. Leia and Han go to Hapes for Anakin's funeral, then on several missions to restore HoloNet communications to the Unknown Regions, including foiling a second attempt of the Ssi-ruuk to invade Bakura in the process. |
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==Cultural impact== |
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Near the end of the Yuuzhan Vong war, she and Han rescue Thorsh, a prisoner from the internment camps of planet Selvaris. Later, they enter with Jedi Master [[Kyp Durron]], a Bothan secret agent named Wraw, and a few more allies on the planet Callulla. During the battle with the Yuuzhan Vong warriors, she destroys a few Slayers and a Commander before being captured. The commando is eventually rescued by Lando Calrissian, Talon Karrde and Tendra, Lando's wife. |
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[[File:SWCA - Princess Leia (17176977836).jpg|Princess Leia [[cosplay]] (Anaheim, April 2015)|thumb|right]] |
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Princess Leia has been called a 1980s icon,<ref name="EW Schou">{{cite web |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2012/11/02/star-wars-female-sci-fi-directors? |title=The new ''Star Wars'' and women: Female sci-fi directors on Leia, Amidala, and what lies ahead |work=Entertainment Weekly |first=Silvej |last=Schou |date=November 2, 2012 |accessdate=October 25, 2015}}</ref> a feminist hero<ref name="WP Bikini">{{cite web |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2015/10/23/the-fraught-history-of-princess-leias-infamous-bikini/ |title=The fraught history of Princess Leia’s infamous bikini |work=The Washington Post |first=Alyssa |last=Rosenberg |date=October 23, 2015 |accessdate=November 11, 2015}}</ref> and "an exemplary personification of female empowerment."<ref name="Edlitz"/> In 2008, Leia was selected by ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine as the 89th greatest film character of all time,<ref name="Empire 89">{{cite web|url = http://www.empireonline.com/100-greatest-movie-characters/default.asp?c=89|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20100106181531/http://www.empireonline.com/100-greatest-movie-characters/default.asp?c=89|title = {{em|Empire}}'s The 100 Greatest Movie Characters|work = [[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]|date = 2008|archivedate = January 6, 2010|accessdate = November 23, 2015}}</ref> and [[IGN]] listed her as their 8th top ''Star Wars'' hero.<ref name="TopHero">{{cite web |url = http://uk.stars.ign.com/articles/898/898949p3.html|title = Top 25 ''Star Wars'' Heroes: Day 4|first = Jesse|last = Schedeen|date = August 14, 2008|publisher = [[IGN]]|accessdate = May 16, 2011}}</ref> [[UGO Networks]] listed Leia as one of their best heroes of all time in 2010.<ref name="UGO Heroes">{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221015640/http://www.ugo.com/games/best-heroes-of-all-time?page=7|archive-date=February 21, 2014|url = http://www.ugo.com/games/best-heroes-of-all-time?page=7|title = Best Heroes of All Time|date = January 21, 2010|work = [[UGO Networks]]|accessdate = April 3, 2011}}</ref> |
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The character has been referenced or [[parody|parodied]] in several TV shows and films,<ref name="EW Film+TV">{{cite web |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2009/02/06/princess-leia-film-and-tv? |title=Princess Leia on film and TV |work=Entertainment Weekly |first=Jeff |last=Labrecque |date=February 6, 2009 |accessdate=October 25, 2015}}</ref> <!-- The following is original research unsubstantiated by reliable sources, and should remain commented out until such sources can assert its veracity and notability. --><!-- The theme is first heard in ''A New Hope'' when Leia is captured by Darth Vader, and later as R2-D2 plays her holographic message to Obi-Wan Kenobi. The theme is played again when Obi-Wan Kenobi is killed by Vader, and also during the end credits. In ''The Empire Strikes Back'', the theme is developed into "Han Solo and the Princess". "Princess Leia's Theme" plays as Han tells Leia that he must leave to settle his debt with Jabba the Hutt. It is later heard at the end of the film when Leia and Lando Calrissian rescue Luke from Cloud City, and Luke and Leia are reunited. In ''Return of the Jedi'', the theme is heard when Luke mentions Leia's name on [[Dagobah]], and later when Leia shoots a [[Imperial stormtrooper]] on Endor. The theme is revived in the prequel film ''Revenge of the Sith'', when [[Bail Organa]] has a conversation with Obi-Wan Kenobi about adopting Leia. It is then heard during the final montage at the end of the film as Bail and Breha hold the newborn Leia. The theme plays one last time during the end credits. --> and celebrated in [[cosplay]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/neil-patrick-harris-wins-halloween-with-amazing-star-wars-outfits-2015111 |title=Neil Patrick Harris and His Kids Win Halloween Again With Amazing ''Star Wars Outfits'' |work=[[Us Weekly]] |date=November 1, 2015 |first=Sophie |last=Vokes-Dudgeon |accessdate=November 1, 2015}}</ref> Leia has also been used in a wide range of ''Star Wars'' merchandise,<ref name="Daily Beast 2011">{{cite web |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/09/11/carrie-fisher-on-how-george-lucas-stole-her-identity.html |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110912154139/http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/09/11/carrie-fisher-on-how-george-lucas-stole-her-identity.html |title=Carrie Fisher on how George Lucas stole her identity |work=[[The Daily Beast]] |first=Ramin |last=Setoodeh |date=September 11, 2011 |archivedate=September 12, 2011 |accessdate=December 1, 2015}}</ref> including statuettes, action figures and other toys, household items and clothing,<ref name="Blastr Merch">{{cite web |url=http://www.blastr.com/2015-11-7/star-wars-15-important-andor-insane-pieces-slave-leia-merchandise |title=Star Wars: 15 important and/or insane pieces of Slave Leia merchandise |publisher=[[Blastr]] |first=Joseph |last=Baxter |date=November 7, 2015 |accessdate=December 11, 2015}}</ref> office supplies, food products,<ref name="SWCA">{{cite web |url=http://theswca.com/index.php?action=proc_search&search_string=leia |title=Princess Leia |publisher=''Star Wars'' Collectors Archive |accessdate=December 10, 2015}}</ref> and even bubble bath and shampoo in Leia-shaped bottles with her head as the cap.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.starwars.com/news/luke-i-am-your-lather-shampoo-soap-and-bubble-bath-from-a-galaxy-far-far-away|title=Luke, I Am Your Lather': ''Star Wars'' Shampoo, Soap, and Bubble Bath |publisher=StarWars.com |accessdate=December 10, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://theswca.com/index.php?action=disp_item&item_id=27555|title=Princess Leia Figural Bubble Bath |publisher=''Star Wars'' Collectors Archive |accessdate=December 10, 2015}}</ref> In a 2011 interview, Fisher said:{{Quote|I signed away my likeness for free. In those days, there was no such thing as a “likeness" ... There was no merchandising tied to movies. No one could have known the extent of the franchise. Not that I don’t think I’m cute or anything, but when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t think I was signing away anything of value. Lately I feel like I’m [[Minnie Mouse]]—the identity of Princess Leia so eclipses any other identity that I’ve ever had.<ref name="Daily Beast 2011"/>}} |
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When Zonama Sekot makes its existence known near Coruscant in ''[[The Final Prophecy]]'', Leia and Han travel there to be reunited with the rest of their family. While there, they meet Harrar, a Yuuzhan Vong priest. Leia, Han, and a few companions work with Harrar and a group of heretics to get inside the Well of the World Brain on Coruscant. |
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After the destruction of Shimrra and Supreme Overlord Onimi, Nom Anor travels with the Solo family across the labyrinth to escape the mighty war vessel of the Master Shaper. However, the executor turns on them and shoots his venom towards Han, but Jacen catches the poison, saving his father from certain death. Leia engages the Prefect before he can eliminate her husband and her elder son. She proves victorious and cuts off the rogue Nom Anor's arm. Leia and Han then leave Anor to die. |
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Leia then gives up politics and becomes Han's copilot, a position she holds for the next five years. |
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In ''[[The Joiner King]]'', Leia and Han follow various Jedi who had disappeared into the Unknown Regions, and discover Raynar Thul is alive and had been taken in by a nest of Killiks. To avoid a war with the Chiss, Leia suggests to "UnuThul" (as Raynar was now known) that the Killik nest be moved to a new planet, but makes him think it is his idea. At this time, Leia comes to terms with her heritage and asks Saba Sebatyne to train her as a Jedi Knight, as per a promise Luke had made to her during the Thrawn crisis. |
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In ''[[The Unseen Queen]]'', R2-D2 suffers some severe malfunctions and shows Luke a holoclip of his father and a pregnant woman, whom Luke learns is his and Leia's real mother, [[Padmé Amidala]]. In the holoclips, Anakin and Padmé are discussing a dream of Anakin's in which Padmé dies in childbirth. Before Luke can get more info out of R2, the droid has a meltdown, claiming he is protecting information. Frustrated, Luke contacts master slicer Ghent, who manages to recover one other holoclip from R2, this time featuring a scene in which Padmé is talking to Obi-Wan Kenobi about Anakin, which is displayed to both Luke and Leia. In ''[[The Swarm War]]'', Luke and Leia finally see their mother's death. (All of these scenes were originally portrayed in ''[[Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith]]''.) Also, Sebatyne tells Leia to construct a new lightsaber to show she is a true Jedi Knight. |
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Later on in the novel, she defeats the evil Joiner — and fallen Jedi — Alema Rar. She defeats her and assumes that she is dead, although Alema was in fact still alive, but severely injured. |
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Leia and Han unknowingly become grandparents to Allana, Jacen's daughter, but they finally find out the truth as of ''[[Fury (Star Wars novel)|Fury]]''. |
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====Legacy of the Force==== |
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During the ''[[Legacy of the Force]]'' series, set some 35 years after ''Return of the Jedi'', Leia supports Han, who feels allegiance to his native Corellia, even though she remains a Jedi Knight. However, they soon break from Corellia following that planet's plot to assassinate Queen Mother [[Tenel Ka]], Allana's mother and a former Jedi. |
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In this series, her own son, Jacen, gradually falls to the dark side, and terrorizes [[Star Wars galaxy|the galaxy]] as the ruthless Sith Lord Darth Caedus. Leia tries to reason with Jacen at first, but ultimately disowns him after he commits a series of atrocities, and tacitly agrees to Han and Jaina's plan to hunt down and kill him. Jaina kills Jacen in ''[[Invincible (Star Wars novel)|Invincible]]'', the final novel in the series, leaving the Solo family stricken with grief, even as they acknowledge that his death was "necessary". To [[Coping (psychology)|cope]] with the loss, Leia and Han adopt Allana and pledge to raise her as their own. |
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==Cultural impact== |
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Princess Leia has been called a 1980s icon,<ref name="EW Schou"/> a feminist hero<ref name="WP Bikini"/> and "an exemplary personification of female empowerment."<ref name="Edlitz"/> In 2008, Leia was selected by ''[[Empire (film magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine as the 89th of the greatest film characters of all time,<ref name="Empire 89"/> and [[IGN]] listed her as their 8th top ''Star Wars'' hero.<ref name="TopHero"/> [[UGO Networks]] listed Leia as one of their best heroes of all time in 2010.<ref name="UGO Heroes"/> The character has also been referenced or [[parody|parodied]] in several TV shows and films.<ref name="EW Film+TV">{{cite web |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2009/02/06/princess-leia-film-and-tv? |title=Princess Leia on film and TV |work=Entertainment Weekly |first=Jeff |last=Labrecque |date=February 6, 2009 |accessdate=October 25, 2015}}</ref> Composer [[John Williams]] created a musical [[leitmotif]] for Leia which recurs throughout the ''Star Wars'' saga. "Princess Leia's Theme" was recorded as a concert suite (4:18 length) for the [[Star Wars (soundtrack)|score of the 1977 film]].<!-- The following is original research unsubstantiated by reliable sources, and should remain commented out until such sources can assert its veracity and notability. --><!-- The theme is first heard in ''A New Hope'' when Leia is captured by Darth Vader, and later as R2-D2 plays her holographic message to Obi-Wan Kenobi. The theme is played again when Obi-Wan Kenobi is killed by Vader, and also during the end credits. In ''The Empire Strikes Back'', the theme is developed into "Han Solo and the Princess". "Princess Leia's Theme" plays as Han tells Leia that he must leave to settle his debt with Jabba the Hutt. It is later heard at the end of the film when Leia and Lando Calrissian rescue Luke from Cloud City, and Luke and Leia are reunited. In ''Return of the Jedi'', the theme is heard when Luke mentions Leia's name on [[Dagobah]], and later when Leia shoots a [[Imperial stormtrooper]] on Endor. The theme is revived in the prequel film ''Revenge of the Sith'', when [[Bail Organa]] has a conversation with Obi-Wan Kenobi about adopting Leia. It is then heard during the final montage at the end of the film as Bail and Breha hold the newborn Leia. The theme plays one last time during the end credits. --> |
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After the 2012 acquisition of LucasFilm by the Walt Disney Company, the [[Disney Store]] stated in May 2014 that the company had "no plans for Leia products".<ref name="Time 2014">{{cite web |url=http://time.com/2819623/disney-star-wars-princess-leia-toys/ |title=Exclusive: Disney Says ''Star Wars'' Toys for Girls Are Coming |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |first=Eliana |last=Dockterman |date=June 4, 2014 |accessdate=December 1, 2015}}</ref> After public criticism, Disney told ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' in June 2014 that it would be releasing several Leia products.<ref name="Time 2014" /> |
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{{Quote|I signed away my likeness for free. In those days, there was no such thing as a “likeness" ... There was no merchandising tied to movies. No one could have known the extent of the franchise. Not that I don’t think I’m cute or anything, but when I looked in the mirror, I didn’t think I was signing away anything of value. Lately I feel like I’m [[Minnie Mouse]]—the identity of Princess Leia so eclipses any other identity that I’ve ever had.<ref name="Daily Beast 2011"/>}} |
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==="Cinnamon buns" hairstyle=== |
==="Cinnamon buns" hairstyle=== |
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Leia's unique hairdo in 1977's ''A New Hope'' has come to be known as the "[[doughnut]]" or "[[cinnamon bun]]s" hairstyle,<ref name="Merlock"/> and is iconic of the character and series.<ref name="EW Film+TV"/> [[Miss Piggy]] of ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' copied the hairdo with doughnuts in a ''Star Wars''-themed episode of the series in 1980. In the 1987 [[Mel Brooks]] comedy film ''[[Spaceballs]]'', Princess Vespa ([[Daphne Zuniga]]) appears to have the hairstyle, which is soon revealed to in fact be a large pair of headphones.<ref name="EW Film+TV"/> In the parody film ''[[Thumb Wars]]'', the role of Leia was filled by a character named Princess Bunhead, who has two cinnamon rolls for hair. In 2015, Fisher's daughter [[Billie Lourd]]'s character in the horror-comedy TV series ''[[Scream Queens (2015 TV series)|Scream Queens]]'', a rich and disaffected sorority girl known as Chanel No. 3, wears earmuffs in every scene as an homage to Fisher's iconic Leia hairstyle.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2015/09/25/carrie-fishers-daughter-dons-leia-like-earmuffs-scream-queens/72824768/ |title=The royal reason for ''Scream Queens'' earmuffs |work=[[USA Today]] |first=Hoai-Tran |last=Bui |date=September 25, 2015 |accessdate=October 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buzzfeed.com/jarettwieselman/reason-behind-those-earmuffs-on-scream-queens# |title=Princess Leia’s Daughter Is Reprising That Iconic ''Star Wars'' Look |publisher=[[BuzzFeed]] |first=Jarett |last=Wieselman |date=September 25, 2015 |accessdate=October 25, 2015}}</ref> |
Leia's unique hairdo in 1977's ''A New Hope'' has come to be known as the "[[doughnut]]" or "[[cinnamon bun]]s" hairstyle,<ref name="Merlock"/> and is iconic of the character and series.<ref name="EW Film+TV"/> [[Miss Piggy]] of ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' copied the hairdo with doughnuts in a ''Star Wars''-themed episode of the series in 1980. In the 1987 [[Mel Brooks]] comedy film ''[[Spaceballs]]'', Princess Vespa ([[Daphne Zuniga]]) appears to have the hairstyle, which is soon revealed to in fact be a large pair of headphones.<ref name="EW Film+TV"/> In the parody film ''[[Thumb Wars]]'', the role of Leia was filled by a character named Princess Bunhead, who has two cinnamon rolls for hair. In 2015, Fisher's daughter [[Billie Lourd]]'s character in the horror-comedy TV series ''[[Scream Queens (2015 TV series)|Scream Queens]]'', a rich and disaffected sorority girl known as Chanel No. 3, wears earmuffs in every scene as an homage to Fisher's iconic Leia hairstyle.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2015/09/25/carrie-fishers-daughter-dons-leia-like-earmuffs-scream-queens/72824768/ |title=The royal reason for ''Scream Queens'' earmuffs |work=[[USA Today]] |first=Hoai-Tran |last=Bui |date=September 25, 2015 |accessdate=October 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.buzzfeed.com/jarettwieselman/reason-behind-those-earmuffs-on-scream-queens# |title=Princess Leia’s Daughter Is Reprising That Iconic ''Star Wars'' Look |publisher=[[BuzzFeed]] |first=Jarett |last=Wieselman |date=September 25, 2015 |accessdate=October 25, 2015}}</ref> |
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Asked about his inspiration for the hairstyle, [[George Lucas]] told ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' in 2008, "In the 1977 film, I was working very hard to create something different that wasn't fashion, so I went with a kind of Southwestern [[Pancho Villa]] woman revolutionary look, which is what that is. The buns are basically from turn-of-the-century Mexico."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020429/qa.html |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20100228043808/http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020429/qa.html |title=So, What's the Deal with Leia's Hair? |work=Time |first=Jess |last=Cagle |date=2002 |accessdate=November 29, 2015 |archivedate=February 28, 2010}}</ref> However, in 2015 Linda Rodriguez McRobbie of ''[[Mental Floss]]'' recounted research suggesting that while female Mexican revolutionaries of that time did not have such elaborate hairstyles, young marriageable [[Hopi]] women did, and their "squash blossom whorls" superficially resemble Leia's hair buns.<ref name="Mental Floss buns">{{cite web |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/63284/brief-history-princess-leias-buns |title=A Brief History of Princess Leia's Buns |work=[[Mental Floss]] |first=Linda |last=Rodriguez McRobbie |date=April 22, 2015 |accessdate=November 28, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Heilemann">{{cite web |url=http://kitbashed.com/blog/the-curious-case-of-leias-rolls |title=Princess Hair (with photos) |publisher=Kitbashed |first=Michael |last=Heilemann |accessdate=December 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://siris-archives.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=all&source=~!siarchives&uri=full=3100001~!6464~!0# |title=A Hopiland Beauty (1906) |first=Edward S. |last=Curtis |authorlink=Edward S. Curtis |publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] |accessdate=December 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://138.23.124.165/collections/permanent/object_genres/photographers/vroman/ACV294.html |title=Hopi Maiden (1901) |first=A. C. |last=Vroman |publisher=[[UCR/California Museum of Photography]] |accessdate=December 1, 2015}}</ref> McRobbie also relates Michael Heilemann's theory that Leia's hairstyle was likely also inspired by that of two earlier characters: Queen Fria in the 1939 ''[[Flash Gordon]]'' [[comic strip]] "The Ice Kingdom of Mongo", and scientist [[Barnes Wallis]]’ wife Molly (played by [[Ursula Jeans]]) in the 1955 war film ''[[The Dam Busters (film)|The Dam Busters]]''.<ref name="Mental Floss buns"/><ref name="Heilemann"/> Lucas was |
Asked about his inspiration for the hairstyle, [[George Lucas]] told ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' in 2008, "In the 1977 film, I was working very hard to create something different that wasn't fashion, so I went with a kind of Southwestern [[Pancho Villa]] woman revolutionary look, which is what that is. The buns are basically from turn-of-the-century Mexico."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020429/qa.html |archiveurl=http://web.archive.org/web/20100228043808/http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020429/qa.html |title=So, What's the Deal with Leia's Hair? |work=Time |first=Jess |last=Cagle |date=2002 |accessdate=November 29, 2015 |archivedate=February 28, 2010}}</ref> However, in 2015 Linda Rodriguez McRobbie of ''[[Mental Floss]]'' recounted research suggesting that while female Mexican revolutionaries of that time did not have such elaborate hairstyles, young marriageable [[Hopi]] women did, and their "squash blossom whorls" superficially resemble Leia's hair buns.<ref name="Mental Floss buns">{{cite web |url=http://mentalfloss.com/article/63284/brief-history-princess-leias-buns |title=A Brief History of Princess Leia's Buns |work=[[Mental Floss]] |first=Linda |last=Rodriguez McRobbie |date=April 22, 2015 |accessdate=November 28, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Heilemann">{{cite web |url=http://kitbashed.com/blog/the-curious-case-of-leias-rolls |title=Princess Hair (with photos) |publisher=Kitbashed |first=Michael |last=Heilemann |accessdate=December 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://siris-archives.si.edu/ipac20/ipac.jsp?&profile=all&source=~!siarchives&uri=full=3100001~!6464~!0# |title=A Hopiland Beauty (1906) |first=Edward S. |last=Curtis |authorlink=Edward S. Curtis |publisher=[[Smithsonian Institution]] |accessdate=December 1, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://138.23.124.165/collections/permanent/object_genres/photographers/vroman/ACV294.html |title=Hopi Maiden (1901) |first=A. C. |last=Vroman |publisher=[[UCR/California Museum of Photography]] |accessdate=December 1, 2015}}</ref> McRobbie also relates Michael Heilemann's theory that Leia's hairstyle was likely also inspired by that of two earlier characters: Queen Fria in the 1939 ''[[Flash Gordon]]'' [[comic strip]] "The Ice Kingdom of Mongo", and scientist [[Barnes Wallis]]’ wife Molly (played by [[Ursula Jeans]]) in the 1955 war film ''[[The Dam Busters (film)|The Dam Busters]]''.<ref name="Mental Floss buns"/><ref name="Heilemann"/> Lucas was influenced by the ''Flash Gordon'' serials, and the [[Battle of Yavin]] in ''Star Wars'' is an [[homage (arts)|homage]] to the penultimate bombing sequence in ''The Dam Busters''.<ref name="Tech Times 2015">{{cite web |url=http://www.techtimes.com/articles/88089/20151001/star-wars-origins-classic-films-inspired-george-lucas-intergalactic-vision.htm |title=The Films That Inspired The ''Star Wars'' Saga |first=Jason |last=Serafino |work=Tech Times |date=October 1, 2015 |accessdate=December 2, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Telegraph 2015">{{cite web |url=http://www.telegraph.co.uk/film/star-wars--a-new-hope/movies-influences-george-lucas/ |title=10 films that influenced ''Star Wars'' |first=Tim |last=Robey |work=[[The Daily Telegraph|The Telegraph]] |date=November 24, 2015 |accessdate=December 2, 2015}}</ref> Comparisons have also been made to the 4th century BC [[Iberian sculpture]] [[Lady of Elche]],<ref name="Mental Floss buns"/><ref name="Heilemann"/><ref>{{cite book|url=http://books.google.com/books?id=2rZS8SWMroUC&lpg=PT119&dq=princesa%20leia%20elche&pg=PT119 |title=Speak the Culture: Spain |first=Andrew |last=Whittaker |date=2008 |publisher=Thorogood Publishing |page=110 |isbn=978-1-85418-605-8}}</ref> as well as the 1920s "earphones" hairstyle.<ref name="Mental Floss buns"/><ref>{{cite web |url=http://hair-and-makeup-artist.com/womens-1920s-hairstyles/ |title=Women’s 1920s Hairstyles: An Overview |work=Hair and Makeup Artist Handbook |date=April 24, 2013 |accessdate=December 1, 2015}}</ref> |
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===Feminist analysis=== |
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Leia has been the subject of [[Feminism|feminist]] analysis. Mark Edlitz wrote for ''The Huffington Post'' in 2010 that "Leia is an exemplary personification of female empowerment."<ref name="Edlitz"/> David Bushman, television curator at the [[Paley Center for Media]], said in 2012, "From the male perspective ... Princess Leia was a very creditable character for her time—not perfect, but certainly defiant, assertive, and strong."<ref name="EW Schou" /> Alyssa Rosenberg of ''The Washington Post'' wrote in 2015, "Leia wasn't just the first great heroine of science fiction and fantasy to capture my imagination. She was one of the first characters I encountered whose power came from her political conviction and acumen."<ref name="WP Icon"/> In her 2007 article "Feminism and the Force: Empowerment and Disillusionment in a Galaxy Far, Far Away", Diana Dominguez cited Leia as a welcome change from the previously uninspiring portrayals of women in film and TV.<ref name="Merlock" /> She wrote:{{Quote|Here was a woman who could play like and with the boys, but who didn't have to become one of the boys and who could, if and when she wanted to, show she liked the boys, a woman who is outspoken, unashamed, and, most importantly, unpunished for being so. She isn't a flirty sex-pot, tossing her hair around seductively to distract the enemy ... She doesn't play the role of "Maternal caretaker", although she does display caring and compassion, or "the sweet innocent damsel" who stands passively by while the men do all the work, but does step aside to let them do what they're good at when it is wise to do so ... Leia is a hero without losing her gendered status; she does not have to play the cute, helpless sex kitten or become sexless and androgynous to get what she wants. She can be strong, sassy, outspoken, bossy, and bitchy, and still be respected and seen as feminine.<ref name="Merlock"/>}} |
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Rosenberg writes that, though at first Luke is an apolitical innocent in search of adventure and Han is a detached opportunist in search of money, both are "influenced by Leia’s passion [and] take their places as full participants in the Rebellion".<ref name="WP Icon" /> She notes, "Everyone else eventually comes around to Leia’s view of the world."<ref name="WP Icon" /> Leia herself, singularly dedicated to her political movement against the Empire, "finds a partner in Han, acknowledging that personal happiness can help her sustain her commitment to building a better galactic order".<ref name="WP Icon" /> Rosenberg cites "Leia's willingness to see the best in him, and Han's desire to live up to her belief in him" as a foundation of their relationship, also pointing out his attempts to make her recognize that she has needs like anyone else and should acknowledge that she needs him.<ref name="WP Icon" /> |
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In their 2012 essay "Lightsabers, Political Arenas, and Marriages", Ray Merlock and Kathy Merlock Jackson cite Leia as the successor of earlier science fiction heroines [[Wilma Deering]] of ''[[Buck Rogers]]'' and [[Dale Arden]] of ''[[Flash Gordon]]'', and the embodiment of "a new stage in the ongoing presentation of the fairy-tale princess in jeopardy". Writing that "after Leia, no longer would princesses be passive and salvaged simply with a kiss," they note the reflection of the character in later [[Disney Princess]] animated films and in woman warriors such as [[Ellen Ripley]] from the [[Alien (franchise)|''Alien'' franchise]] and [[Xena]] of the adventure TV series ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]''.<ref name="Merlock">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fHgKDWAZ0SIC&pg=PA77&lpg=PA77&dq=Sex,+Politics,+and+Religion+in+Star+Wars:+An+Anthology+lightsabers+princess+leia&source=bl&ots=Bh1ahGws5i&sig=f0ZbI4ifGOGD-n46M8dUgdZqnug&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CC4Q6AEwA2oVChMI05ecltjvyAIVQ_FjCh1lIAsM#v=onepage&q=Sex%2C%20Politics%2C%20and%20Religion%20in%20Star%20Wars%3A%20An%20Anthology%20lightsabers%20princess%20leia&f=false |title=Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars: An Anthology |editor1-first=Douglas |editor1-last=Brode |editor2-first=Leah |editor2-last=Deyneka |chapter=Lightsabers, Political Arenas, and Marriages for Princess Leia and Queen Amidala |first1=Ray |last1=Merlock |first2=Kathy |last2=Merlock Jackson |date=2012 |pages=77–87 |publisher=[[The Scarecrow Press]] |isbn=978-0-8108-8514-1}}</ref> |
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===Metal bikini=== |
====Metal bikini==== |
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{{Main|Princess Leia's bikini}} |
{{Main|Princess Leia's bikini}} |
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[[File: |
[[File:Olivia Munn Leia.jpg|thumb|Actress [[Olivia Munn]] cosplaying in the iconic Princess Leia "metal bikini" slave outfit from ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983)]] |
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[[Princess Leia's bikini|Leia's slave costume]] when she is held captive by [[Jabba the Hutt]] at the beginning of ''Return of the Jedi''—made of brass and dubbed Leia's "Metal Bikini" or "Gold Bikini"—immediately made the character (and Fisher) a "generational [[sex symbol]]" celebrated by [[pin-up]] posters,<ref name="EW Schou"/><ref name="Merlock 79">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v2P-GHDoW0AC&pg=PA79&lpg=PA79&dq=carrie+fisher+sex+symbol&source=bl&ots=KLYwSIKoVz&sig=C1iERV0Z-58kKJ_w3-JCny9es2w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAzgKahUKEwjzs-33u-DIAhVW-GMKHXSjAWo#v=onepage&q=carrie%20fisher%20sex%20symbol&f=false |title=Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars |chapter=Lightsabers, Political Arenas, and Marriages |author1=Merlock |author2=Merlock Jackson |date=2012 |page=79}}</ref> and later merchandising and [[cosplay]].<ref name="WP Bikini"/><ref name="Townsend">{{cite web |title=Princess Leia's Gold Bikini in ''Return of the Jedi'' |first=Allie |last=Townsend |date=July 5, 2011 |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2081310_2080985_2081016,00.html |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |accessdate=August 15, 2013 |
[[Princess Leia's bikini|Leia's slave costume]] when she is held captive by [[Jabba the Hutt]] at the beginning of ''Return of the Jedi''—made of brass and dubbed Leia's "Metal Bikini" or "Gold Bikini"—immediately made the character (and Fisher) a "generational [[sex symbol]]" celebrated by [[pin-up]] posters,<ref name="EW Schou"/><ref name="Merlock 79">{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v2P-GHDoW0AC&pg=PA79&lpg=PA79&dq=carrie+fisher+sex+symbol&source=bl&ots=KLYwSIKoVz&sig=C1iERV0Z-58kKJ_w3-JCny9es2w&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0CDAQ6AEwAzgKahUKEwjzs-33u-DIAhVW-GMKHXSjAWo#v=onepage&q=carrie%20fisher%20sex%20symbol&f=false |title=Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars |chapter=Lightsabers, Political Arenas, and Marriages |author1=Merlock |author2=Merlock Jackson |date=2012 |page=79}}</ref> and later merchandising and [[cosplay]].<ref name="WP Bikini"/><ref name="Blastr Merch"/><ref name="SWCA"/><ref name="Townsend">{{cite web |title=Princess Leia's Gold Bikini in ''Return of the Jedi'' |first=Allie |last=Townsend |date=July 5, 2011 |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2081310_2080985_2081016,00.html |work=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |accessdate=August 15, 2013}}</ref> The outfit itself has gained a cult following of its own.<ref name="Townsend"/> |
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Rosenberg noted that "the costume has become culturally iconic in a way that has slipped loose from the context of the scenes in which Leia wore it and the things she does after she is forced into the outfit."<ref name="WP Bikini"/> Philip Chien of the website ''[[Wired (website)|Wired]]'' wrote in 2006, "There's no doubt that the sight of Carrie Fisher in the gold sci-fi swimsuit was burned into the sweaty subconscious of a generation of fanboys hitting puberty in the spring of 1983."<ref name="cult">{{cite web|url=http://www.wired.com/2006/07/the-cult-of-leias-metal-bikini/ |title=The Cult of Leia's Metal Bikini|work=[[Wired (website)|Wired]] |first=Philip |last=Chien |date=July 11, 2006 |accessdate=October 24, 2014}}</ref> Acknowledging the opinion of some that the "Slave Leia" iconography tarnishes the character's position as "feminist hero",<ref name="WP Bikini"/> Rosenberg argues: |
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{{Quote|Leia may be captive in these scenes, but she’s not exactly a compliant fantasy. Instead, she’s biding her time for the moment when she can put that fury into action, carrying out a carefully laid plan to rescue her lover. And when that moment comes, the bikini doesn’t condemn Leia to passivity. She rises, and uses the very chains that bind her to strangle the creature who tried to take away her power by turning her into a sex object.<ref name="WP Bikini"/>}} |
{{Quote|Leia may be captive in these scenes, but she’s not exactly a compliant fantasy. Instead, she’s biding her time for the moment when she can put that fury into action, carrying out a carefully laid plan to rescue her lover. And when that moment comes, the bikini doesn’t condemn Leia to passivity. She rises, and uses the very chains that bind her to strangle the creature who tried to take away her power by turning her into a sex object.<ref name="WP Bikini"/>}} |
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==See also== |
==See also== |
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{{Portal|Fictional characters|Star Wars}} |
{{Portal|Fictional characters|Film in the United States|Star Wars}} |
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*[[Solo family]] |
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*[[Women warriors in literature and culture]] |
* [[Solo family]] |
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* [[Women warriors in literature and culture]] |
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{{Clear}} |
{{Clear}} |
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==References== |
==References== |
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{{Reflist|30em}} |
{{Reflist|30em}} |
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==External links== |
==External links== |
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{{wikimedia|collapsible=true|wikt=no|voy=no|species=no|c=Category:Leia Organa Solo|d=Q51797|n=Princess Leia|b=Princess Leia}} |
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{{Commons category|Leia Organa Solo}} |
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* {{Databank|category=characters|subject=princessleia|text=Princess Leia}} |
* {{Databank|category=characters|subject=princessleia|text=Princess Leia}} |
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* {{Sww|Princess Leia}} |
* {{Sww|Princess Leia}} |
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{{Star Wars Jedi Prince series}} |
{{Star Wars Jedi Prince series}} |
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{{Star Wars The Force Unleashed}} |
{{Star Wars The Force Unleashed}} |
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{{authority control}} |
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Leia, Princess}} |
{{DEFAULTSORT:Leia, Princess}} |
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[[Category:Star Wars characters]] |
[[Category:Star Wars characters]] |
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[[Category:Action heroes]] |
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[[Category:Fictional characters introduced in 1977]] |
[[Category:Fictional characters introduced in 1977]] |
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[[Category:Fictional adoptees]] |
[[Category:Fictional adoptees]] |
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[[Category:Fictional generals]] |
[[Category:Fictional generals]] |
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[[Category:Fictional princesses]] |
[[Category:Fictional princesses]] |
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[[Category:Fictional revolutionaries]] |
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[[Category:Fictional senators]] |
[[Category:Fictional senators]] |
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[[Category:Fictional slaves]] |
[[Category:Fictional slaves]] |
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[[Category:Fictional twins]] |
[[Category:Fictional twins]] |
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[[Category:Fictional revolutionaries]] |
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[[Category:Fictional women soldiers and warriors]] |
[[Category:Fictional women soldiers and warriors]] |
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[[Category:Action heroes]] |