It's been a while since we had a good old-fashioned discussion and this topic was brought up by Amara Z and Claire1976. Obviously we have all speculated about Han's past, whether you subscribe to the "official" stance on it as written in the books or you have your own ideas. But we don't give much thought to Leia's past. Her past in general is not a mystery, in that we know she grew up under the guardianship of her adoptive father Bail and a mother we are not entirely sure what happened to. We know she had some aunts who wanted to raise her to be the prim and proper princess but that she wasn't entirely thrilled with that sort of treatment. We know she was a young and successful senator and diplomat before she became a member of the Rebellion.
But what about all of the little details? What kind of kid was she? What did she like to do with her spare time? Was she a dancer? An athlete? A musician? And what about boys? Did she have boyfriends? Was she rebellious? Did she have an arranged marriage that simply never had to happen because her planet blew up? There are a lot of gaps in there that we could fill in, but it's pretty rare that anyone tries to. I have my own thoughts on the subject but would be interested in hearing yours. So let's get to the commenting!
Hmmmm, what an interesting topic. I have my own thoughts as well, it will take me more time than I have at the moment to compose them. I'll post my thoughts tonight.
ReplyDeleteCool! Looking forward to it, Seams.
ReplyDeleteOh, boy. This is kind of an interesting topic. And I did go back and look up how her childhood was portrayed in the EU and such. I think I differ in my vision of it though.
I have little doubt that Leia had little experience with men before Han. And yeah, I mean THAT way. I would suspect she had suitors and probably kissed some guys along the way. That was some kiss she laid on Luke in ESB (yeah, sorry, I know, ewww). But she didn't look uncomfortable kissing someone. But as far as going all the way? Yeah, no. When did the girl have time? I think the concept of an arranged marriage is an interesting one. I'm not sure Bail would do that to her, but I could see that it might be expected. I would think Bail would take her wishes into consideration. He never struck me as the pushy type that way. But you never know and it might explain why she seemed to just roll over in COPL, because it was her duty to accept that kind of marriage. Just a thought. Wookiepedia did mention that eventually young girls like Leia were taken to Palpatine's court to be presented and to start looking for a husband and I could see that happening. But she didn't go until she was a senator and by then it was probably too late and she was knee deep in politics and the Rebellion. So, I could see suitors, but probably nothing long term. And again when did she have the time?
I'm a little more torn about how her portrayal in general as a child. It's said she was a tomboy, very rebellious, and Winter was often mistaken for the princess instead of her. I think Leia was probably a bit of a tomboy, but I don't buy it to that degree. I think this is making Winter into a Mary Jane - proper, beautiful, more regal than Leia. Hogwash I say. :) I still have the medal ceremony from ANH stuck in my head and that did not look like to me someone that could not rock the regal and proper. But that's just me. She was probably a little rebellious - she was part of the Rebellion after all - and she did know how to shoot. But they also said she'd sneak out to meet inappropriate boys and run in front of Tarkin. I don't buy the inappropriate boys at all. Don't know why, it just doesn't sit right with me. I could see her misbehaving some, but come on, in the movies she looks like she always follows the rules. Can't you see her quoting some regulations to Han much to his chagrin? I just don't see a totally rule breaking person growing up into that. You'd end up someone like Han. :) I could see while Leia knows her own mind, it wouldn't take much to make her mind if you explained to her why or steered her in the right direction. You'd think Bail would mentor her over the years on how to comport herself. And supposedly she had schools and aunts for that.
But I do wonder about how much Bail encouraged her to be a senator and later to be in the Rebellion. Anyone have any idea? Was it her idea or his on both accounts? She was trained in combat supposedly. So I wonder what plans Bail had for her and if he planned her being in politics all along.
Feel free to disagree. I'm curious what others think on this.
Geez, sorry I wrote a small book there. Apparently I've been thinking about this.
ReplyDeleteWow, Amara, that was certainly a monster of a post! But you've said some really interesting things, and I pretty much agree.
ReplyDeleteWithout a doubt in my mind, Leia has little experience with men, and I mean it in THAT way too. I did actually consider that maybe she had never even been kissed before Han, but I've now dismissed that idea due to the med centre kiss with Luke (sick bag please). She certainly has no inhibitions whatsoever in instigating that kiss, so we can assume she's gotten that far in the past, but kissing is, I think the limit to her experience.
Like any teenager there were probably boys who were interested in her. I've no doubt she could turn heads, she's a pretty girl, and there may have been a little flirtation with a couple here and there, but I honestly don't think that having a relationship was on her agenda during her teens. She went into the senate really young, and from that point I can see that being pretty much her entire focus during that time. So, there probably wasn't that much time for boys anyway.
I agree, Amara, Leia most certainly can look regal without any problem whatsoever. The medal ceremony is indeed a great example. She looks elegantly beautiful and very comfortable in that role. So for various sources to say that Winter was always the regal one I find that a bit of a stretch. I think it likely that Leia always had a bit of a rebellious streak, but she could act the Princess when required to.
The arranged marriage is interesting, although I really hate that idea. Wookieepedia makes reference to the Organas having an arranged marriage for political reasons, so it's certainly something that happened on Alderaan.
I'll probably have more to say on this later...
It looked so much shorter on the computer before I posted it. Honest! But I've not been known as a person of few words either. ;)
DeleteAnd now you gave me more to think about with that poll. Oh, boy....
Long comments are better than no comments!
ReplyDeleteAs a child, I can see her being fairly adventurous and a bit of a tomboy but also I bet she enjoyed getting all dressed up and looking pretty. I don't think she was a rule-breaker, not much for being all rebellious against the authority of her parents or going through a wild phase. I don't see there as having been time for it and she was very ambitious about certain things and I think she was pretty focused.
I also don't see her as having had much experience with men/boys before Han. Not never-been-kissed inexperienced, but I also feel like she maybe never even had a real boyfriend. That just wasn't part of her priorities. She was busy being a senator and such. I did think it was cute though to think of her study buddy having a crush on her, as I alluded to in one of my little stories where she saw a childhood friend and recalled how they had kissed.
As for arranged marriages, I don't see it. The whole concept seems fairly archaic and the version of royalty in the Star Wars universe just doesn't seem like it would follow that sort of tradition. I don't think her own father would want to "sell" her off like that. Just the fact that she was in the position she was in to me shows that women were treated more as equals and wouldn't be pawned off to whomever made it most beneficial.
I don't really see her as the type of person to sneak out with inappropriate boys, otherwise she might have warmed up to Han much faster.
DeleteI've never really read much into Leia's or even Han's past. I guess I always thought a lot of that stuff about Leia was more or less fan lore. Some of it does sound odd. I can't picture her being completely wild, if that's what has been implied.
ReplyDeleteInappropriate boys, huh? That doesn't really fit with her insistence that she likes nice men. ;)
That's funny. Yes. Yes it would.
DeleteThe reference to inappropriate boys is clearly to explain WHY she fell for Han if she's always had a thing for boys from the wrong side of the tracks. But I don't buy that, I mean does she really need a reason like that to fall for him?
DeleteAnd yes, she likes nice men. ;)
Claire, that's very funny! :D I agree with you guys. But we have to consider that we all might be very off-character in teenage! ;) At least in real life. Not in movies though! :D
DeleteThanks Amara for getting the discussion started. Prepare for a long post as well. I agree with you regarding her experience with men. Although in the Star Wars Empire comics "A Little Piece of Home." Leia meets up with an old boyfriend, Raal Panteer from the House of Panteer of Alderaan (apparently Raal was off planet when it was destroyed). They reminisce about when they were teenagers and snuck out in the middle of the night to swim in the reflecting pools and their first kiss. Raal comments that he was afraid that Leia would have "haul off and slugged him but he kissed her anyway." Leia seems bashful and comments that "she remembers." It seems that relationship went nowhere, possibly just her first kiss (so Taylor Swift like). It sounded like Leia was chaperoned any other time, which I would believe. This meet up takes place six months after the Battle of Yavin. Raal is interested renewing a relationship but Leia is not, he asks her if there is someone else, to which she replies "There's....it doesn't matter if there is or not, Please understand, there just isn't room in my life for anything beyond the rebellion." Ok, so much for her previous love life. As far as Leia running with inappropriate boys, I don't buy that either. Sounds like she's hanging out behind the 7-11 smoking and doing whatever....not.
ReplyDeleteArranged marriages, I also don't see that either, but it is interesting about being presented to Palpatine for him to decide her fate. Remember the Empire came into its full existence when she was born. By the time she was a teenager, the Empire would have established tyrany over all the star systems, knowing who was the up and coming leadership on each planet. I'm sure both Bail and Leia knew what their fates would be if they didn't start the rebellion. I would have to imagine much of Bail and Leia's relationship was covert in order to protect Leia. Okay, I am going to post this section now. I'll add my other thoughts in a separate comment (Mother? Aunts? Winter? etc.)
Thanks for remembering the details on that comic, Seams. And I think it kinds of sums up her love life. Some attraction there, but duties on both sides keep it from going far.
DeleteHanging behind the 7-11, huh? Good one. That's some image.
I can picture Carrie doing that, but not Leia.
DeleteAnd yeah, I pretty much see her past love life exactly like that, it doesn't go anywhere because she's just far too dedicated to the Rebellion, and that comes before her personal happiness.
Clearly her feelings for Han must have been in a whole other league, because whilst he was in carbonite HE became her priority, and stuff the Rebellion.
I think that's why Han scares the daylights out of her. She hadn't felt that strongly about someone before. For once love was wanting to be put before duty. Maybe that's why she spent three years running from him. Just a thought.
DeleteI agree with you amara and that's why they are so perfect, because neither was looking for someone or felt they needed someone to complete them. They were busy doing their own thing and then life/fate has a way of messing up all that they thought they knew about themselves. I find this so much more realistic than sappy romance stories where the girl pines after some guy blah,blah,blah. Geeze, I sound like a heartless person.
DeleteTesting, testing...
ReplyDeleteYay! It worked. Just wanted to make sure that I didn't write a smililarly monstrous-sized post only to have the internet FAIL. Sorry I haven't commented in ages, I have been faithfully follwing this blog but technical problems blerg. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to think of something that hasn't already been said; I agree with everyone's comments. I also think young Leia was a bit tomboyish in spite of her prim and proper upbringing. Winter has always seemed like that malleable character that conforms to whatever the story needs her to be. I don't mind the idea that Winter was mistaken for Leia sometimes. A young girl can't be composed and serene all of the time. The fact that Leia wasn't indicates that she had a personality.
I do think that Han was Leia's first real romance. And by REAL romance, I mean a relationship that distracted her from her work for more than 5 minutes. Throughout her teenage years, she probably went on a few dates and had a boyfriend or two but you don't become the youngest senator ever elected by carving notches on the bedpost.
Or maybe that is how it works. I don't know.
So I don't think Leia was totally inexperienced when it came to boys. But I doubt she was prepared for HIM. :)
Hey,blamey! Glad you got the tech issues worked out.
DeleteYour post made me think of something, especially the notches on the bedpost. :) In a later EU book, at least from the quote, Leia dresses up real, well, provocative, and Jaina comments on it. Do you think Leia learned to use her feminine wiles to get what she wanted? Or that she didn't have to? Just wondering where she might have picked up such skills. :) She doesn't strike me as the type to realize you attract more with honey than vinegar if you know what I mean. So curious if she at least knew how to work that angle.
No I doubt she was ready for him. :)
I love that passage from Invincible about Jaina being shocked at how provocative her mother was acting in her sultry Codru-Ji disguise. I photocopied the page. It was just that good. I personally think Leia learned to use her "feminine ways/flirting" as survival/subterfuge/spy skills and works it to her advantage. How many times in movies and in real-life are men distracted or brought down by sexy women? I think being married to Han for all those years and enjoying a very healthy intimate life has given her even more self-confidence in herself. She and Han seem to keep flirting with each other, which I love. Here is the whole passage from Invincible after describing Leia’s playful flirting with “throngs of admirers that her mother could still attract”: “You’ve got half the males in the plaza standing on their tongues,” Jaina whispered. “I hope Dad doesn’t know how you act when you’re dressed like that.”
Delete“Of course he knows,” Leia replied. “He loves it when I dress like this.”
Jaina tried not to imagine her father leering at her mother in that outfit and failed miserably. “Thanks for that picture. I knew there was a reason I don’t travel with you guys much.”
Leia chuckled. “You ought to - maybe you’d learn to dial down the gravity setting a little,” she said. “You need to give your alter ego room to play in these situations. That’s the best way to make it work for you.”
“Really?” Jaina wondered why her mother would think her “alter ego” was an uptight secretary from an emotionally restrained species………
That's a good one. And I could see her using it if she was uncover. But what happened to those skills in ESB? Did she learn them later? I wonder what Han would have done or how well he might have behaved if she had flirted back? :) That might have thrown him for a loop. But they were in the middle of a war and I doubt she wanted to attract that type of attention to herself. But still...
DeleteAnd agreed on your other post. That is why their story is so much fun.
So glad you could join us, Blamey! As for Leia using her feminine charms, I only see that happening later. She was still REALLY young in ANH, and any teenager trying to get men to do certain things that way I think has a much higher risk of putting herself in a very dangerous situation. Not that Leia probably couldn't take care of herself, but I don't think any 18-year old girl would be advised to do anything like that for the fear of the consequences.
DeleteOh, and thanks for that entire passage :) Poor Jaina unable to keep herself from picturing her father drooling over her mother. Fortunately we don't have to be grossed out by picturing that ;)
I agree Zyra, those skills are learned with age and quite frankly experience. Leia was not only young, but inexperienced. She doesn't seem to use the "flirting" skills for distraction/spy work until much later in life, after her reign as Chief of State long passed.
DeleteAugh, this thing called real-life is cutting into my writing/blogging time. And now, thanks to this post topic, I have even more thoughts spinning around in my already cluttered head. I have given some thought to Leia’s young childhood. I don’t know if I would say Leia was a tomboy, as we would typically think of as a tomboy. I would think that she was well rounded, not only learning the etiquette and protocols of the House of Organa, taught to her by her aunts, but also learning all the skills needed for survival, probably to the chagrin of her aunts. I could see Bail making sure Leia learned things like martial arts, marksmanship, weapons training, camping and survival skills, etc. We know she had a “horse type pet” and would spend afternoons riding it. I forget the name of the creature but it was mentioned in one of the Fate of the Jedi books. So it looks like that she also had horsemanship/care skills as well. I’m sure she liked the outdoors activities much more than “royalty training.” Though she learned royalty training well. There was a passage in Allegiance where Leia references learning geography. Which I got very excited about, since I am a geography geek. The passage is as follows: “Living through a war, her father had once said, forced one to learn geography. Participating in a war, Leia had discovered, forced one to learn people.”
DeleteI haven’t read much about Leia’s adoptive mother, either she died or was just a quiet/regal figure. I like to think that Leia’s adoptive mother instilled in Leia a love of literature, art and history. We know that Leia has an appreciation and knowledge of art from Tatooine Ghost. I could see Leia’s adoptive mother reading to her fairy tales and classics from all over the galaxy. We also know that Leia enjoys gardening as mention in the Blackfleet series. I wonder if she spent time in the royal gardens talking with the gardener, like in the Secret Garden. Alright, enough for now and sorry if I am writing too much. I have a hard time keeping quiet, just ask my family ☺
Very good point, ladies. I forgot she how young she was then. And no, a teenager should not be doing that. Probably one of the only women not flirting with Han.
DeleteI think her adoptive mom died when Leia was young, which is sad. And you paint a really nice, balanced picture of Leia's childhood. I could see it that way too. A little rebellious, but well rounded. And no worries on the length of the post. I know what it's like. ;)
I think it's easy to forget just how young Leia is when we first meet her, because she acts a lot older than her years, in contrast to her brother, who acts every bit his 18/19 years.
DeleteAnd I agree, I can't see her using those "feminine charms" until much much later. I don't actually recall a previous mention of her doing that until that scene in Dark Nest. If anyone else can, please remind me!
Another thing, I think Bail made sure that Leia knew how to take care of herself from a young age. I mean, look how awesome she is with a blaster. She's a better shot than the two boys by miles, she never misses. She must have had some good blaster training growing up I think.
I don't think there's actually anything official on what happened to Breha, is there? I'm not well versed on a lot of prequel related stuff, but I don't think that has ever been revealed. I think we all assume she died young because there's still the argument over which "mother" she's referencing to Luke in the bridge scene in ROTJ. I still say its ridiculous that she's talking about Padme, and it's more likely to be Breha. Real mother or not, this is the woman she would remember.
Oh and hello to Blazey77 :) welcome back!
She dressed up in clothes she said were racier than her usual underwear, I believe, in Children of the Jedi. Han loved that, too ;)
DeleteAnd no, I don't know that there is anything official about what happened to Breha or how old Leia was when she died or even if that is the mother she's referring to when talking to Luke in ROTJ. It'd be interesting to learn how long she had a mother figure in her life.
Back to something else, I don't know that Leia was a tomboy in the traditional sense, either. I was a tomboy and I don't see Leia being quite that bad. I think she'd enjoy getting dressed up sometimes. I... still don't ;) And given her privelaged upbringing I'm sure she was taught how to do a lot of different things. Music, dancing, athletics, all kinds of stuff. I bet her father made sure to teach her how to defend herself and just be a generally confident and secure woman.
But yeah, no way was she prepared to deal with Han ;)
Yeah, I remember that bit in Children of the Jedi, but she didn't dress that way to charm anyone else other than Han, from what I recall, so I didn't count that one.
DeleteWookieepedia says that Breha almost certainly died during the destruction of Alderaan. But points out that the fact Leia talks about being raised by Bail and those annoying Aunts suggests maybe she did die when Leia was young. But I think we have to remember, the EU references to the aunts were published way way before the prequels, so we can't read too much into that.
Haa, I hear you on the tomboy stuff, Zyra. I was also a total tomboy, and I still don't like "dressing up" either. Lol!
I love the idea of Leia's annoying Aunts trying to mold Leia into what they each thought a proper princess should be, fighting among each other each with their quirky dominant personality. I would think that is where Leia became rebellious in her childhood. Children of the Jedi makes reference to her crazy aunts and their fussing and training over proper behavior for an heir of one of the ancient houses. Yes, I remember the description of how Leia was dressed when she and Han went trolling for information at the local bars. I agree Claire, I think she wore that more for Han than for intelligence gathering, and who can forget that fanfic filling in the missing moment on their way home from the bar. Yup, she wore that outfit just for him.
DeleteI want to think she was talking about her biological mother on the Ewok bridge, because Luke asks about her real mother. I've understood it was a common knowledge she's adopted. George Lucas just didn't think about that and some EU-stuff that points Leia remembering something about her mother. Was that a surprise there's plot holes in PT? ;) Later, now that Padme died when Leia was a newborn baby, people have explained this saying that she remember her sadness through the Force or some other crap. xD I just think Lucas screwed it up with PT...
DeleteI think Leia wasn't completely wild and rebellios, but a very different princess and maybe her aunts really had hard work making her the proper princess. ;) I'm okay with Winter being mistaken as the princess. But I think Leia was after all a good girl, with a lot of spirit though. ;) I believe she studied hard because she became senator so young. I recall in the old Starwars.com database that she studied arts etc in university. I agree that she was very well educated in a many subjects, all but relation ships... ;)
I remember the part in Children of the jedi, too! :D It was actually my favorite EU-book. But they all don't appear in my country. I would really love to read the fanfic that fills in the missing moment!!!! :D
By the way, I wasn't a tomboy. I loved to dress myself a princess as a kid, but I hate dressing up now! ;D I never even use make up.
Here is another topic about a young Leia that I have pondered, (I know I really need a life.) Why did Leia become so dedicated to the Rebellion and to politics in general? It has to be a daddy’s little girl thing. I get the impression Leia and Bail were extremely close and that Leia idolized her adoptive father. I live under the impression that Leia did not know she was adopted, believing she was a full-fledged Organa. This would make an interesting story. I know I have read bits and parts here and there about Leia and Bail but nothing all in one piece. If anybody knows of a ff that covers this topic let me know. I can see Leia wanting to carry on in Bail’s footsteps and we know politics comes naturally to her. But where does her idealism come from? Growing up under tyranny can certainly drive one to the cause of freedom. Was there a strong independence movement on Alderaan? Did she witness some horrific event by Palpatine and the empire to solidify her passion for ending their reign. Did she join the Senate, foolishly thinking she could make a difference through “official” channels or did she always intend to use her being a Senator as a cover for aiding the rebellion. It certainly became her life’s work/mission, there must have been a spark somewhere along the line to ignite her passion for freedom and justice. Yes, these are the questions that keep me up at night. Sorry for so many comments.
ReplyDeleteInteresting point there, Seams, did Leia know she was adopted? And if she did, at what age did she find out about it?
DeleteI suppose I've always been under the impression she DID know, and that's probably influenced by Luke asking her to remember her "real" mother, as opposed to just her "mother". Presumably Leia had at some point mentioned her adoption to Luke, or he wouldn't have stressed the "real mother" business.
But, was it common knowledge to the people of Alderaan that she was not the Organas' natural child?
Forgot about that "real mother" line in ROTJ, but I still think as a child she did not know that she was adopted. I'm not sure when would have been the right time to tell her. Maybe she didn't find out until after Alderaan's destruction or she found out when she became a senator, or maybe Luke is just annoying and should keep his "real" mouth shut ;)
DeleteWell, I've always kind of wanted Leia to have been a psycho rebellious teenager who got drunk a lot, but I'm pretty sure that is not right, haha!
ReplyDeleteLOL Golddragon! This isn't how you're spending your teens I hope ;)
DeleteBut again, Carrie, quite possibly. Leia, absolutely not.
This is a great topic with some awesome commenting going on! I haven't read anything that I really disagreed with. Agree with Leia having very little experience in the bedroom. As far as the adoption goes and Leia being a tomboy and such, I have some thoughts on her childhood and how it may have played out. Without getting into writing the whole backstory, I think Leia may have always felt 'out of place' in her family - just FEELING like she was different without really understanding why. With that said, I don't think she grew up knowing she was adopted, but was told later - probably when she began working with Bail in the Rebellion. I imagine Bail being overly zealous in her training as far as self-defense and such went because of who her father was and fear of that getting out one day and then also, just preparing her correctly to join him in fighting the Empire. I don't think she was a total tomboy, both of her mothers (real and adopted) were queens. I think she was headstrong and perhaps a little rebellious but not to an alarming degree. I also like to imagine that her mother didn't die as it is depicted in the prequels, but maybe lived a little while with her and when Leia was finally told of her adoption, she was able to pull on those memories of her 'real' mother. But that's a whole other thing.
ReplyDeleteI agree on the "real mother" line and that I would've preferred to have seen her being raised for a bit by her real mother before she died and THEN the Organas took her in. But I don't know about them keeping that from her. Who knows?
DeleteI would have preferred that scenario too. It's actually the way I always thought it would be from tidbits of info I'd learned before the prequels, that both Leia and her mother were taken to live on Alderaan as wards of Bail Organa. Her mother would then die when Leia was still very young. At this point she was adopted by the Organas. I believe the ROTJ novel references this too.
DeleteAnother reason why the prequels suck.
I agree again!!!!!!! That's what I want to think, too. PT was just a bad dream, never really happened. ;)
DeleteWhen I was a teen and saw StarWars, I thought Luke and Leia's parents had divorced when they were babies, Vader took Luke and the mother took Leia. A little like the Parent trap! xD But Vader was busy building the Empire so he dumped his son to his brother Owen and Beru. Leia and her mother lived in Alderaan. I thought that the mother married Bail Organa but died early and Leia was left to Bail who raised her as his own. Well, that was just what I thought as a kid! :D
And I thought Vader new all along about his daughter, I'm just not sure if he knew it was THE Leia?????? When Luke hid himself from Vader in the Palpatines hall in ROTJ, and Vader talks to Luke:
"Give yourself to the Dark Side. It is the only way you can save your friends. Yes, your thoughts betray you. Your feelings for them are strong. Especially for sister. So, you have a twin sister. Your feelings have now betrayed her, too."
For the poor translation in the subtitles, I thought Vader was actually telling Luke that he has a sister! :O
But as in "reality" the Organa's adopted Leia, I don't think they hid it long from her.
And I agree that Bail trained Leia so much exactly because who's daughter she is. Maybe because of that, too, he was planning and hoping to train her the person she became: heroine of the Galaxy.
Sorry haven't commented sooner. Safari on iPad was acting up and lost a whole post. And then super busy. Yeesh.
ReplyDeleteLove that part about wearing something racier than her regular underwear. Funny. I'd like to think that's not her only racy outfit though. :)
I don't see Leia a uber tomboy either. And hear, hear on dressing up. Glad I can wear jeans to work every day. I was not necessarily a tomboy, but I hate dressing up unless I have to.
Those are interesting points about if Leia knew she was adopted, how much Bail encouraged her, and where the interest in politics and the Rebellion came from. But I wonder too if Bail knew Anakin was the father? Sorry not remembering my prequels right now. Probsbly blocked them from memory. :)
Kind of a hard call where the spark for the Rebellion came from for Leia. I could see it being her idea. And her real mom was an idealist. Maybe it was in the genes. I wonder if Bail would have discouraged her from politics and not want to parade her in front of Palpatine and Vader like that. You'd think he'd want to protect her to a degree. But he may not have been able to stop her either. Given how peace loving that Alderaan was, it's not a surprise she would have wanted to resist the Empire. I would think they were to the antithesis to all the values she grew up with. She is definitely a take charge kind of gal. And I bet Bail instilled a sense of duty and civic responsibility in her.
GoldDragon, funny! That would be some image of Leia.
I think Bail knew the whole story about Leia's origins. He was present at her birth along with Obi-Wan and Yoda, and was part of the discussion when they all decided how best to separate the twins. He must have known why they needed to be split up.
DeleteShe probably got so deep into the Rebellion because Bail was so fundamental to it, and she wanted to follow the man she clearly adored so much.
I hate how they cut the foundation of the Rebellion scenes out of Revenge of the Sith. It shows what an important role was played by Bail Organa as well as Mon Mothma in the formation of the Alliance.
Interesting discussion. I'm totally late to the party but I'm rubbish with tech and just managed to get my google password fixed. SIGH.
ReplyDeleteAnyhow. I totally relate to Leia. I've thought she was a driven rule follower with a mind of her own. In other words follow the rules that she agreed with to the letter but challenge the ones she didn't head on with gusto.
I also think she knew she was adopted (the Real Mother line in ROTJ hints she knew her status pretty early). I don't know that she was a Tomboy per se but I do think knowing her own mind she would not have liked having her Aunts dictate her wardrobe etc even if she didn't mind getting dressed up.
Loss of her mom (either adoptive or real - and I don't buy the Padme dying in child birth bit from the prequels but that is another discussion) would have cemented a tight bond between her and Bail... I could easily see a natural talent from Padme along with Bail's example leading her to want to be a Senator and work towards furthering the changes to rules she didn't agree with. Pig headed but talented and trained.
I seriously doubt she had much real experience with boys like others commented. Even the gag me kiss with Luke was more like a dare that she'd seen others do this... Not sure how much experience Luke had at that point either.
I just saw Disney/Pixar's animated movie called Brave! It was very lovely! It made me think that Leia and her adoptive mother could have a relation ship like the Princess Merida and her Queen mother. At least it would make her past interesting and nice to write Fanfics! :D Merida was not a normal princess. She was very wild girl who didn't just sit in front of the mirror brushing her hair and fixing her make-up. She was more interested in riding in the woods and she was very good at archery, you know, shooting with her bow. And she was very brave and rebellious. The queen kept desperately telling her what kind of princess she should be. "A princess don't do that, a princess don't do this..." She was also pushed to marry.
ReplyDeleteHere's the trailor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEHWDA_6e3M
It doesn't show well the relation ship between mother and daughter, though.