While it is arguably kind of lame that Princess Leia is the only major female character in the original Star Wars, she’s also a pretty great one. An Imperial Senator with secret ties to the Rebel Alliance, her torture at the hands of Darth Vader and the destruction of her home planet of Alderaan only strengthens her determination to bring down the Empire. She also has quite the sass mouth, which is why she and Han Solo hit it off. And yeah, Jabba the Hutt enslaves her and makes her wear that metal bikini, but she makes him pay. Oh, does she make him pay.
So Leia’s promotion to the rank of General for Star Wars: Episode VII—The Force Awakens, which director J.J. Abrams confirms in a recent interview in Entertainment Weekly, is well deserved. She was already a high-ranking Rebel officer in the original trilogy, so it’s not an unprecedented development, but it’s still nice to see the princess get some respect. Indicative of her new rank, Abrams says that Leia’s storyline in the new film will be quite serious compared to previous adventures; actress Carrie Fisher adds that Leia is “under a lot of pressure. Committed as ever to her cause, but I would imagine feeling somewhat defeated, tired, and pissed.” So unless you want to be on the receiving end of that sass mouth—or a little thing called the Force—that’s General Leia Organa Solo to you, buddy.
[via IGN]