The feisty princess of Alderaan is an easy character to love - definitely my second-favorite SW character (second to Han, of course). Her spunk and attitude make for many entertaining moments, but she also has a strong sense of responsibility and an unyielding dedication to the Rebellion's cause.
Leia was one of a pair of twins born to Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala. After the death of her mother, she was adopted by Bail and Breha Organa and raised on the doomed planet of Alderaan. Exactly how much Leia was told about her real parents is unknown - she obviously knew nothing about her real father or her long-lost brother, but there is a possibility that she was told about her mother. Since Bail was close to Padme, it seems to me that he would want her daughter to know about her.
Many claim that Leia plays the "damsel in distress" role in the first movie. Yes, Leia is in trouble, and yes, male characters come to her rescue, but Leia is far more complex and more interesting than a standard "damsel in distress" (and she plays a very active role in her own rescue). She is a prestigious Imperial senator who is secretly leading the Rebel Alliance against the Empire. At age nineteen! But with being a military leader comes consequences - and in Leia's case, devastation. Although we don't see much of her grieving her planet's destruction, we see how it makes her even stronger. Rather than crumbling down when she witnesses her planet exploding, Leia's determination to bring down the Empire is fired up. She will stop at nothing until the war is won.
In The Empire Strikes Back, Leia continues her valued service to the Rebellion, but in addition, she must also learn to trust. Not only trust, but trust a guy whom she thinks is an irresponsible idiot. She shows her skills as a commander during the Battle of Hoth, making sure everyone evacuates before she leaves. She's grown more mature since the first movie, which shows through her new, more practical dressing style of pants and braids. But although she's grown, she's still got the sharp mouth we've come to love.
ESB is the movie where Leia shines the most. Not only does she get more screen time than in ANH, but she plays an even more active role in the story and gets a wider range of emotions. She gets to be both a leader and a follower, a fighter and a watcher. This film reveals to us that she is a full three-dimensional character.
In Return of the Jedi, Leia faces danger and humilliation so she can rescue the man she loves - the man she once swore to hate. She finally gains the ability to admit that she is in love and that it's okay, while still remaining the strong character she's always been. Her hair coming down for the first time symbolizes that the barriers around her are down; she and the other characters have now formed unbreakable relationships.
Leia also discovers an important truth about herself and handles it with just the right mixture of emotion and dignity. The revelation about her father hurts her, but she will not break down from it. It is a brief but beautiful moment, a moment that shows us that one can be human and still be strong.
TOP TEN LEIA QUOTES
In A New Hope
10. "You came in that thing? You're braver than I thought!"
9. "For luck."
8. "Aren't you a little short for a stormtrooper?"
7. "Help me, Obi-Wan Kenobi, you're my only hope."
6. "Governer Tarkin, I should have expected to find you holding Vader's leash. I recognized your foul stench when I was brought on board."
5. "Into the garbage chute, Flyboy!"
4. "That doesn't sound too hard."
3. "Somebody has to save our skins!"
2. "The more you tighten your grip, Tarkin, the more star systems will slip through your fingers."
1."Listen. I don't know who you are or where you came from, but from now on, you'll do as I tell you. Kay?"
In The Empire Strikes Back
10. "Lando system?"
9. "I don't know where you get your delusions, laserbrain."
8. "Someday you're gonna be wrong, and I just hope I'm there to see it."
7. "I AM NOT A COMITTIEE!!!"
6. "Oh sure, we understand, don't we Chewie? He had no choice."
5. "Oh yes....very friendly."
4. "Watch what?"
3. "Why you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerf-herder!"
2. "Would it help if I got out and pushed?"
1. "You do have your moments. Not many of them, but you do have them."
In Return of the Jedi
10. "He wasn't. I can feel it."
9. "I wonder who they got to pull that off."
8. "She was very beautiful...kind...but, sad."
7. "No, it's not like that at all. He's my brother."
6. "General, count me in."
5. "I know. Somehow....I've always known."
4. "Hey, you awake?"
3. "I know."
2. "I want 50,000. No less."
1. "Someone who loves you."
TOP TEN REASONS TO LOVE LEIA ORGANA
10. The cinammon-roll buns, so unique.
9. She's the only character who can counter-attack Han Solo's mouth.
8. She's not obsessive with beauty - she'll even jump into a garbage chute.
7. She's a senator before she's twenty.
6. She won't sit back and watch a battle.
5. She can take down stromtroopers even when she's injured.
4. She can pull a convincing bounty hunter.
3. She's the one who lures the other characters into the Rebellion.
2. She took the damsel-in-distress stereotype and made it beg on its knees.
1. She's the most recognized sci-fi heroine ever!
Backgroud courtesy of here.
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