Though the fandom of Star Wars rarely finds unanimity over their opinions on the galaxy far, far away, we all come together in our grief for Carrie Fisher and Princess Leia.
It’s an undeniable fact that Leia Organa still remains one of the most iconic characters of all time and one of the pillars of George Lucas’ Original Trilogy. Initially, Disney wanted to dedicate each installment in the Sequel Trilogy to a main character from the first three films to honor the franchise’s legacy. As such, The Force Awakens served as a tribute to the smuggler-turned-hero Han Solo and The Last Jedi brought the character of Luke Skywalker full circle by having him fulfill his destiny as a beacon of hope for the future of the Resistance. Episode IX, in turn, would focus on Leia and give her a strong role to play as the leader of the Resistance.
Regrettably, though, Carrie Fisher’s tragic passing in December 2016 changed these plans. Still, Abrams somehow managed to utilize the unused footage from the two previous movies and give General Leia an important part to play both in training Rey as a Jedi and helping her son Kylo Ren redeem himself.
The emotional tribute video you see above does a great job of highlighting the importance of Leia Organa in the story of the Skywalker Saga both as a leader and a mentor. If Star Wars is ultimately the battle between the forces of light and darkness, then Leia has always been at the center and forefront of the war against tyranny, which the video actually stresses through several transitions from all the movies that she had a role in.
The journey of Leia Organa (or Skywalker, if you will) may have come to an end on the big screen, but her presence will still linger on in the world of Star Wars and if little else, we’re actually glad to see more of her in other mediums, like Marvel’s comic series.
