Star Wars Women

When the world was first blessed with Star Wars in 1977, every little girl wanted to be Princess Leia. 

When most people hear the word “princess” they think of a damsel in distress waiting for their knight in shining armor. Leia Organa was a special case. This natural-born leader was a stunning role model for everyone who felt trapped by the preconceived “weaknesses” that came with their female identity. 

Carrie Fisher showed her fans how to stand up and fight by portraying a character that is still deemed to be one of the most influential players in the entire saga over 40 years later.

For the longest time, Leia seemed to be one of the only women in the entire Star Wars universe aside from Aunt Beru and Mon Mothma. Then came the prequel trilogy. Suddenly the galaxy seemed to be much, much larger. 

For starters, Padmé Amidala is everything you would expect Leia’s mother to be: Strong, courageous, and determined to fight for what’s right. But Padmé wasn’t the only cosplay option for girls of this generation. On top of politicians, you could add bounty hunters, pilots, and even Jedi to the list of titles occupied by female characters.

Capable women of all races, species, and occupations had become a no-brainer in the Star Wars universe. But as the female side of the fandom continued to grow, Disney decided to take the next big leap.

In 2015, The Force Awakens gave us the very first female lead in a Star Wars film. Once again, the next generation of girls had an incredible milestone to celebrate. Many of them looked up to Rey, who was kind, yet fierce. They were moved by the young scavenger who learned to fend for herself, but at the same time never hesitated to put herself in harm’s way to protect her friends. 

In giving us this easy-to-love gem of a being both powerful and selfless, another door had opened in our beloved galaxy.

Throughout the sequel trilogy we’ve met other female characters like Rose, Paige, Maz, Jannah, Zorii, and many more. But since the introduction of the new Canon era of Expanded Universe novels, there are actually dozens more women who make their name offscreen, many of them featured as the lead for their very own novel. 

Ciena Ree from Lost Stars, Iden Versio from Battlefront II: Inferno Squad, and Vi Moradi from Black Spire are just a few of the countless examples of favorite female characters from the book-reading fandom. 

What’s even more incredible is that many of the amazing Star Wars stories we see today are written by talented women like Claudia Gray, Christie Golden, Delilah S. Dawson, and E.K. Johnston just to name a few. 

The influence that women have on Star Wars, whether it be through media or the fanbase, will only grow stronger as long as we keep our heads up high into the future of what’s to come.

If you’re a female member of the passionate Star Wars fandom, you may come across people who will argue that we don’t belong here. But they’re wrong. No matter how difficult things may seem, no matter how hard people try to drag you down, just know that you’re not alone. 

Always remember that women have been integral to Star Wars since day one and we will continue to leave our mark on Star Wars until the end of time because it is and always has been for everyone. 

We are brave, we are strong, and we will prevail together. Never lose your fire.