Gooch- Princess Leia's role for the Hero

In the entire Star Wars trilogy Princess Leia plays a pivotal role in continuing the journey of the hero. She is both the inspiration for his mission and a distraction from his destiny. Unlike the heroes, Luke and Han, Leia remains constant in her conviction and her bravery for the cause. Through out the history of film, women are often portrayed simply as the damsel in distress. In Leia’s case, while she may be introduced in this fashion her character grows further and we come to see the power that she holds as a great authority figure in the fight against the empire. This empowerment gives her the ability to be more than just a girl to save, but also the woman who inspires the work of an army, and who especially sparks the action of the two leading men.

Her role as the goddess, especially for Luke, is the most obvious role she plays. The audience is constantly reminded of her importance and purity as she is almost always shown in her glowing white outfits. Despite her constant fight against the evil of the dark side, she remains pure and unwavering. It is the vision of her calling for help that first intrigues Luke to embark on his journey, and once they meet, his love is one of the inspirations for him to keep going. Although, her relationship with Han is not as glorified as it is for Luke, through her constant challenges for him not to give up the fight and her bravery in their journey together (especially in “The Empire Strikes Back”) she is his goddess and inspiration not to return to the man he was before.

Her role as the temptress is one that is slightly more hidden. It seems inconceivable that such a strong and brave character could ever serve as a contributor to the hero’s doubts, but it is not by her flaws that she becomes the temptress. It is through the weakness of the hero that she becomes, as Campbell explains, a symbol “no longer of victory, but of defeat.” In his failures, Leia becomes Luke’s reminder of all that he has left to learn. While Luke has to save her from danger in all three films, it is in “The Empire Strikes Back” that Luke abandons his training and his call to be a Jedi in order to save her. In the final film he also risks his mission to defeat Darth Vader so that he can save her from Jaba’s cave. All of these efforts distract Luke from his mission and in each challenge he becomes weaker and doubts his ability to be the Jedi he is called to be.