I doubt Leia could let that nagging feeling go after Luke told her to wait. I got the impression her sensitivity to the Force was as much a part of her hunch as her ability to read Luke’s gaze and know that he had something he wanted to say. And if she DID get a Force twinge from Luke, then it will be bugging her EVEN MORE than the portrayal onscreen implied. I thought we should acknowledge Leia’s nagging feeling as well as make an observation about ladies (and guys) that worry too much about every little thing someone says. The thing is, in this case, Leia REALLY does have a reason to worry!

Leia was never meant to be Luke’s sister. In earlier drafts of the planned saga, Luke would learn of a sibling (I believe it was always going to be a sister) and would seek her out in a separate story arc. My impression is that it was only after the nightmare behind-the-scenes production experience of The Empire Strikes Back that Lucas decided to be done with his broader plans for sequel trilogies and wind things up in Return of the Jedi. I think this was around the time his personal life began to suffer and he was burning out. So, the Death Star and Luke’s sibling — the one Yoda called “another” in Empire were pushed forward and for lack of anyone more compelling, it became Leia.

I’ve ranted about my feelings on this matter before. I don’t have much of a problem with Leia being Luke’s sister. I can deal with their kiss as purely to spite Han. But I do have a problem with making her his sister and not following through by making the most of that. In the end, it adds a little extra weight to the final confrontation between Luke, Vader and the Emperor, but it also widens the focus to be both Skywalker kids (the Skywalker family, not just son vs Dad). We all know that Leia has had five onscreen confrontations with Vader, and even without knowing he is her father, that invests her character in wanting some sort of resolution… justice… revenge. Why should Luke be the only one to have the right to confront Vader as a father?

1. Leia had her witty repartee with Vader when she was originally captured on the Blockade Runner.
2. She was tortured by Vader personally aboard the Death Star.
3. Vader brought her to watch the destruction of millions of people (including adoptive family and friends) in orbit of Alderaan.
4. Vader had dinner with Han and Leia on Bespin (though, we never see them eat, so in all likelihood there was no real conversation, and perhaps no one even sat down).
5. Leia was forced to watch as her loved one was potentially killed in a carbon block.

Number 3 and number 4 are the most personal of all these moments that Vader and Leia shared, and it is arguable that though Luke’s hand was chopped off by his dad, Leia has a better claim to a final confrontation. So when Lucas decided she would be Luke’s sister, he could have AT LEAST had both Luke AND Leia wind up in the Throne Room scene for the film and trilogy’s climax. Instead, Leia is either so dedicated to her responsibility to the Rebellion, or more likely her attachment to Han Solo, that doesn’t seem to feel it is her problem. Before you argue with me, remember the 5 points I listed and consider Luke’s claim.

And yes, I know that the movie started out about Luke and was to appeal more to boys etc… but that doesn’t justify a sloppy late decision in the storytelling. The films aren’t flawless… but having said that, while I do see huge missed opportunities in Return of the Jedi, I still enjoyed the ride like most people. There are plenty of other characters and moments to distract from the core story, model work, Henson workshop, John Williams etc… In other words, thank Force the Star Wars Original Trilogy was a sum of its parts and not solely carried by George Lucas. I don’t think there has been nearly enough writing about the subject of Leia, as the Luke vs Vader thing continues to dominate the mainstream public’s impression of Star Wars.

It’s also the reason that Blue Milk Special Leia smokes.

smoking-leia