9. Princess Leia – Mallory Delchamp
Why I Ranked the Character so High: While there are many wonderful characters in the Star Wars universe and while it is certainly hard to chose a favorite character I have to say that Princess Leia is my favorite. She is beautifully written and is a prime example of a strong female heroin-the sort of character that is rarely seen in today’s films.
Leia Organa is the adopted daughter of Senator Organa. Born to Anakin Skywalker and Padme Amidala, Leia is taken from her mother and brother, Luke, shortly after Padme dies in childbirth and after Anakin pledges his allegiance to the Sith. Fast forward twenty or so years and Leia is now being held captive by her own father, Darth Vader. She is rescued from the Death Star prison by Luke and his scoundrel of a friend, Han Solo, and Solo’s co-pilot Chewbacca. Leia isn’t a damsel in distress for long and eventually helps Han and Luke take down the evil Sith empire.
Leia is strong, sassy & independent but still allows herself to fall in love with Han Solo.
Favorite Line: My favorite line of hers is said in The Empire Strikes Back. Han Solo bids her farewell shortly after he rescues Luke Skywalker on the ice planet, Hoth, where Leia helped lead an attack on the Sith Empire by the way. Han Solo brags to Luke about how Leia can’t bare to see him leave. Leia retorts, “You half-witted scruffy looking nerf herder!” and then proceeds to kiss Luke (unaware at the time that he is her brother) therefore proving her point that Han doesn’t know everything about women.
Quintessential Saga Moment: While Leia has many memorable moments throughout the films, she is most remembered (sadly) for the revealing, gold bikini that she dons in Return of the Jedi. At that moment, Leia not only reminds viewers that she is a force to be reckoned with but that she is also pretty damn hot! Two qualities many female characters throughout cinematic history have failed to exhibit.
As a fan, I can’t wait to see what J.J. Abrams has in store for my favorite heroine! In the meantime, I will settle with donning my own gold bikini and watching the series on repeat.
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