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CT Why didn't Vader sense Leia (in-universe explanation)?

Discussion in 'Classic Trilogy' started by Klingon Padawan, Mar 7, 2013.

  1. Klingon Padawan

    Klingon Padawan Jedi Youngling star 1

    Registered:
    Mar 5, 2013
    During the Battle of Yavin, Vader sensed that the rebel pilot (Luke Skywalker) was strong in the Force. Why didn't he sense that Leia was Force-sensitive? After all, he spent a lot of time with her in the torture cell.

    The out-of-universe explanation is that Lucas didn't plan for Leia to be Vader's daughter at the time, but what's the in-universe explanation?
     
  2. Seagoat

    Seagoat Former Manager star 6 VIP - Former Mod/RSA

    Registered:
    Jan 25, 2013
    Luke had had some minor training with the Force and knew his father was a Jedi.

    Leia knew nothing of her father's Jedihood, Vader or not, and had no Force training at all.
     
    ILNP likes this.
  3. Arawn_Fenn

    Arawn_Fenn Chosen One star 7

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    Jul 2, 2004
    Luke was using the Force at the time. Leia on the other hand had no idea she was even a Force-sensitive.
     
  4. The Supreme Chancellor

    The Supreme Chancellor Jedi Master star 4

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    Sep 4, 2012
    Agreed. Leia probably never used the Force at a level great enough for Vader to sense.
     
  5. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

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    Sep 2, 2012
    That said, in Shadows of the Empire, Vader begins to sense something- like Luke is in two places at once. He dismisses it as an "echo".
     
  6. Sara_Kenobi

    Sara_Kenobi Jedi Grand Master star 7

    Registered:
    Sep 21, 2000
    I always assumed that Leia had the ability to hide her Jedi powers from others, or everyone really believed she was Bail Organa's daughter and never knew she was adopted, and just never put it together that she was a potential Jedi because of it.
     
  7. anakinfansince1983

    anakinfansince1983 Skywalker Saga/LFL/YJCC Manager star 10 Staff Member Manager

    Registered:
    Mar 4, 2011
    Leia also was not nearly as Force-sensitive as Luke.
     
  8. PMT99

    PMT99 Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Nov 23, 2000
    When Leia heard Luke calling for her telepathically from the millennium falcon in ESB, it seemed like George did thought about making Leia as Vader's daughter/Luke's sister.
     
  9. DARTHSHAME

    DARTHSHAME Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Dec 19, 2003
    Most likely answer. Although, he did note that her resistance to the probe was considerable. He simple did not connect that resistance with her Force sensitivity.
     
  10. Arawn_Fenn

    Arawn_Fenn Chosen One star 7

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    Jul 2, 2004
    Supposedly they had the same potential ( midichlorian count ).
     
  11. DARTHSHAME

    DARTHSHAME Jedi Master star 4

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    Dec 19, 2003
    I am intrigued by this statement. You may be correct. However, one would presume that being twins they would have similar attributes and midi-chlorian counts. Are you referring to the difference in training? If so, that makes sense.
     
  12. Death T

    Death T Jedi Knight star 1

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    Nov 12, 2012
    I get the EU has made a Jedi out of Leia at this point, but just going off the movies; why should we expect her to necessarily be strong in the force? When has being related to a force-sensitive meant that they too have force potential? The Jedi find randomly force sensitive men, women, humans and aliens throughout the galaxy. Some people are born with force potential while their mom, dad, brothers and sisters aren't. It's not necessarily hereditary. I guess you have to make an exception for the children of the 'chosen one"?
     
  13. themetresgained

    themetresgained Jedi Master star 4

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    Feb 23, 2013
    Yeah the assertion that Luke is inherently stronger in the Force isn't borne out by anything that I can think of.
     
  14. Death T

    Death T Jedi Knight star 1

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    Nov 12, 2012
    Well, Luke became the powerful Jedi who fought Vader and saved the universe and Leia was the one who kept getting kidnapped and had to wear a bikini. I can see where that assertion comes from. And I know this might sound like a silly argument, but Leia's a girl. That may not mean much in-universe since there are plenty of powerful female warriors but from an outside perspective it's clear why Lucas made Luke the main protagonist and not Leia. Really, the only hint from the movies that Leia might have real force potential is when Vader says he will have to use her--and that's only if Luke refuses to turn. (she's definitely the second option) I think there's plenty to suggest Luke is more powerful in the force.
     
    Klingon Padawan likes this.
  15. DRush76

    DRush76 Jedi Master star 4

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    Jan 25, 2008

    That's because no one had bothered to teach her how to deliberately use the Force. Luke had received minimum instructions from Obi-Wan before their arrival on the Death Star.



    And while wearing a bikini, she managed to strangle Jabba the Hutt to death . . . and help destroy his barge. You make Leia sound like a passive victim, because of her gender.
     
  16. themetresgained

    themetresgained Jedi Master star 4

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    Feb 23, 2013
    Er what. Luke became the powerful Jedi who fought Vader and rid the galaxy of the Empire because he was taught how to. Leia was one of the two most powerful political people in The Rebel Alliance. She manages to resist torture at the hands of Vader/Tarkin on the Death Star. Then, without her, half the stuff that Luke does for the Alliance (destroying the first Death Star) wouldn't be possible. Not to mention she saves HIS life when he's dangling from the bottom of Cloud City when she senses him in the Force and convinces Han to turn the Falcon around. She infiltrated Jabba's palace disguised as a bounty hunter to help rescue Han. And as DRush76 pointed out, she killed Jabba the Hutt and helped destroy his barge, contributing to saving all of them. She is every bit as brave and capable as Luke or anyone else. Her lack of Force-use is incidental and circumstantial, not evident of a lower level of power, BECAUSE it's Luke's story, not hers. There's nothing at all to suggest that there is any other reason.

    You're being weirdly bigoted in two ways: suggesting one has to use the Force to be brave and capable and contribute to saving the galaxy, and one also has to be a man to do the same.

    And if you think about it, Luke's the one who's less capable because he's a decent pilot and can use the Force. Leia can do that and is also a skilled political operator, being a Senator as a teenager and instrumental to the organisation and operation of The Rebel Alliance.
     
  17. Samuel Vimes

    Samuel Vimes Force Ghost star 4

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    Sep 4, 2012
    That need not be the case, Luke called out TO Leia. If a telepath speaks in another persons mind that doesn' have to mean that this other person is also a telepath. In the X-Men films, Xavier speaks in Logans mind but Logan isn't a telepath.

    Bye for now.
    The Guarding Dark.
     
  18. themetresgained

    themetresgained Jedi Master star 4

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    Feb 23, 2013
    That's not how it works in Star Wars. Luke isn't a telepath; he uses the Force. For a message like that to get through, it requires the other person to be Force-sensitive too. Otherwise, wouldn't he have just called out to Han? That would have made more sense seeing as Han is flying the ship that is Luke's ticket to safety.
     
  19. Iron_lord

    Iron_lord Chosen One star 10

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    Sep 2, 2012
    Han's in carbonite. Given that Luke sensed Han & Leia "in pain" in the future, Luke might have sensed Han getting carbonited in the present as well.

    Still, it does look like potential foreshadowing- maybe a bit of "Force guidance", since at that moment, as far as Luke knows, Leia is still in Imperial captivity.
     
  20. PMT99

    PMT99 Jedi Grand Master star 4

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    Nov 23, 2000
    Then how do you explain Vader making the same telepathic call to Luke later on? Luke heard Vader calling out to him the same way Leia heard Luke calling out to her so like Iron Lord said, there's definitely some potential foreshadowing of a Skywalker family connection.
     
  21. DARTHSHAME

    DARTHSHAME Jedi Master star 4

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    Dec 19, 2003
    I do not know about this. Luke did not necessarily know that Leia was Force sensitive at the moment he called to her. Why he called out to her as opposed to Han is a matter of debate. Perhaps, he tried and could not detect Han (Han in carbonite) I do not think you have to be Force sensitive to receive a telepathic message from a Force user. If so, where does it say this?
     
  22. Orochi Oni

    Orochi Oni Jedi Knight star 2

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    Mar 8, 2013
    Luke called out to Obi-Wan first, then called out to Leia. Maybe he was going in order of those he felt closest to.
     
  23. themetresgained

    themetresgained Jedi Master star 4

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    Feb 23, 2013
    Ahh yeah my bad, I forgot about Han being in carbonite.
     
  24. anakin_sal-solo

    anakin_sal-solo Jedi Master star 1

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    Mar 2, 2011
    with regards to the issue of why vader could sense luke and not leia, look back to that exact scene in the x-wing, kenobi had just called out to luke, therefore luke was actively using the force (he knew he was using it) while when leia was resisting the mind probe, she was passively using the force therefore vader could not sense her reaching out to the force because the force was reaching out to her. the old AnakinVJacen arguement
     
  25. rumsmuggler

    rumsmuggler Chosen One star 7

    Registered:
    Aug 31, 2000
    Leia has the same potential her brother has, but didn't embrace it until later in life.
     
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