This is the beginning of a mother week in our 30 day series. Last week my theme was comics characters. This week I am looking at seven of my favorite movie characters and why I love them. Obviously, movies is a pretty broad category. Most of my characters in this category will be from nerdy fandoms, but some won’t To me, films are a nerdy fandom all their own. I love a good film. I also love a corny film done well. Mostly, I just love movies.
I used to go to movies a lot more. Then I got married and we had like 30 kids and we hardly go out to the movies. Now we wait for them to come out on iTunes or on Netflix, and sometimes we don’t get around to seeing them. Despite this, though, there a lot of really great movie characters that have had a big impact on me. These are only seven of countless really great characters.
Princess Leia
Princess does not really describe Leia Organa. She is so much more. She is a rebel, a political leader, a general, a mother, and a diplomat. When we meet her in the beginning of Star Wars, it becomes apparent pretty quick that she is not the typical damsel in distress. When she came to face to face with the intimidating, formidable Darth Vader, she didn’t back down. She talked back. When she was “rescued” by Han Solo and Luke Skywalker, she picks up a gun and helps shoot their way out.This is who Princess Leia is. She is a freedom fighter, and because of people like her, the Rebellion was able to overthrow and end the Galactic Empire.
One of the great debates going on right now about the Last Jedi is whether Luke will join the Dark Side. You know what no one ever says? “Will Leia join the Dark Side?” No one says it ever. It just doesn’t enter the realm of possibility. She is too good and would never fall. It is just impossible. If they did do it, the whole fandom would riot.
Why Princess Leia?
When I was a kid, Princess Leia was just the girl character in Star Wars. I kind of thought she was lame. She wasn’t a Jedi, didn’t really seem to display any force abilities and never seemed to be in the thick of the fight. She was just kind of lame in my simple adolescent mind. As I got older, I began to realize just how much depth there was to her character. I began to realize all she had accomplished, and all she had lost. It became clear to me, that she had given up just as much, if not more than the other characters.
Leia never abandoned the cause. When we see these character 40 years later, Han has gone back to smuggling, Luke has run away and hidden himself on some secluded island on some secluded planet. Leia? Leia is right in the middle of the Resistance, fighting the First Order. She never left the cause. She is an example of what a determined, strong woman can do. That’s why I love Princess Leia.
30 Days 30 Characters
Check out the rest of the series up to this point. You can click on any of the links below to view their associated posts.
