Leia and Gender Roles in the Original Star Wars Trilogy

Leia as she appears in Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

With Carrie Fisher's passing late last year, many fans of the Star Wars series reminisced about her role as Princess Leia in the original Star Wars trilogy. Fisher was lauded for her portrayal of the character, who was originally a strong female character in a series which featured more men than women in major roles. Fisher paved the way for future strong female characters as well, standing out as a role model that went beyond the general mold. Leia as a character breaks away from some gender norms, but conforms to some as well.

A New Hope begins with Leia's capture, setting the stage for the often used "rescue the princess" trope. Despite this, Leia is established as a strong female character right off the bat, defying Darth Vader's orders in spite of his menacing presence. Leia resists multiple attempts to uncover the location of the Death Star plans, establishing her as a fighter that isn't a mere damsel in distress. This trait is highlighted multiple times throughout the trilogy, such as when Leia takes the lead during the rescue mission on the first Death Star. Even though she still needs help, she's still able to take care of herself, and others.

Leia quickly formulates an escape plan

Leia's role as a leader, as shown in the aforementioned scene, is referenced multiple times in the trilogy. While Luke joins other members of the Rebellion in an attack on the Death Star, Leia remains behind, acting as one of the commanders behind the scenes. Leia continues to be a major leader in the sequel, serving as one of the main Rebellion leaders on Hoth in the beginning of Episode V. This trend continues in Episode VI, in which she personally attempts to rescue Han by posing as a bounty hunter and later leads an assault on Imperial forces on Endor.

It's also important to note that Leia's character arc extends into a romantic subplot with Han. Mary Peterson points out that Leia was a princess who fell in love without losing her identity. Leia's character still remains defiant, continuing to act as a leader without sacrificing her newfound love. Conversely, her love for Han never overtakes her other traits.

The most controversial aspect of Leia's character is her appearance in Episode VI, commonly referred to as "Slave Leia," Leia is captured while attempting to free Han, and is forced to wear an incredibly revealing bikini outfit. As Tricia Barr points out, there is no doubt Carrie Fisher was put in an outfit intended to sexualize her. Fisher revealed that the outfit itself made her extremely uncomfortable while filming Episode VI, as did the film crew's reaction to the outfit; she outright stated the outfit was intended to make Leia "more female." While Leia continues to be her rebellious self while wearing the outfit, even strangling her captor to death at one point, the outfit still attempts to titillate the audience, especially in regard to merchandising.

Although Leia's strong personality breaks through traditional gender roles and subverts audience expectations, there are still some stereotypical elements to her portrayal. While the positive elements outweigh the negative aspects, the negative aspects shouldn't be ignored.