Orphan, Princess, General

Stereotypically, a princess is armed with a crown and a smile. She waves, delicately, to her subjects from a carriage pulled by four pristine white horses. Romanticized, built into the foundation of a fairytale that has little – if any – foothold in reality. Rarely is a woman’s life so carefree.

But some of our fictional heroines trade in their scepters for…blasters. Sleek space pistols that shoot red beams of light; the laser blast is as beautiful as it is deadly. A young revolutionary, justice-starved, and desperate to free the galaxy from the grip of a tyrant. Leia Organa, little more than a teenager, smuggled the plans to the Empire’s Ultimate Weapon into a dutiful little astro-droid. She survived Darth Vader’s merciless interrogation with her trademark double buns perfectly intact, and she didn’t crumple as the captive of a vile gangster.

This rebel princess watched helplessly as her home planet and everything she knew was blown to bits. Instead of sinking into despair, Leia rallied and rescued herself when Han and Luke’s plan ended with our space heroes surrounded by stormtroopers. Sure, she led them down a garbage chute – complete with a tentacled trash monster – but all’s well that ends well, right?

Beautiful, witty, and strong enough to stoke the fires of a galactic rebellion, she created a new title for herself: General Organa. Not only was she loved, but she was respected and cherished as a leader. Leia fought for peace, prosperity, and ultimately, for freedom from fear.

She organized the attack on the Death Star not once, but twice. She rescued Han Solo from carbonite, she encouraged her brother to become a Jedi, and she did it all without the pomp and circumstance of some of our more traditional Disney princesses. An unapologetic rebel and a determined leader; she did it with a scowl, a barking laugh, and a blaster at her side.

George Lucas wanted a princess, but Carrie Fisher gave us a spitfire.

May the Force be with her, always.