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Saga Leia as Luke's sister....

Discussion in 'Star Wars Saga In-Depth' started by Obi-Ewan, Oct 24, 2020.

  1. Obi-Ewan

    Obi-Ewan Jedi Grand Master star 4

    Registered:
    Jan 24, 2000
    37 years on, what does everyone think of this revelation from Return of the Jedi? In the long run, was it worth it?

    My two cents: no.

    Before she was revealed as Luke's sister, we were led to believe two things:
    1. Luke and Leia could conceivably become an item, although narratively, it was unlikely. Luke and Leia got along too well to be a couple, Han and Leia hated each other too much not to be one. However, it was at least a possibility, what with her laying one in him in The Empire Strikes Back.
    2. The Force itself was very egalitarian. Luke didn't have it because he inherited it from his father, he had it because everyone had it. It was, after all, "an energy force created by ALL living things." Those who don't use it, we are told, have no faith. "You don't believe in the Force, do you?" "I find your lack of faith disturbing." Seen through the lens established by the first two films, even Leia's use of the Force to find Luke in Empire doesn't demand any explanation beyond the fact that anyone can have it.

    Afterwards, how did it affect the story?
    1. Darth Vader uses the prospect of turning her to the Dark Side to bait Luke. That's about the only useful purpose it had in that story, other than making it easy for her to choose Han over Luke.
    2. Her Force sensitivity is justified by saying "the Force runs strong in your family." Bye-bye to the Force that anyone can use, now it has to run in your family. Lucas decided we needed even more explanation that this, and gave us midiclorians.

    This creates numerous problems with the sequel trilogy. First of all, Leia never completes her own Jedi training, nor is she ever again treated as a lead character. She is in The Force Awakens for all of 10 minutes, and is sidelined in The Last Jedi in favor of Laura Dern. You'd think being Kylo Ren's mother would land you a more prominent role, but no.

    Having Rey, a character of no known lineage, be Force sensitive, appeared to be a return to form for how we treat the Force. But the films couldn't make up their mind about that. Rey thinks knowing her parents' identity is important to knowing who she is. In the second film, for all its faults, we return to an idea from the first two films: it doesn't matter who your family is. That doesn't determine your destiny or abilities. But then Rise of Skywalker says nope, you can't have the Force unless your father or, more to the point, grandfather did.
     
  2. Deliveranze

    Deliveranze Force Ghost star 6

    Registered:
    Nov 28, 2015
    I'm grateful for the the idea and how the EU expanded on their brother-sister relationship, but the execution of it within the OT is pretty half-assed imo. I don't think Luke and Leia's friendship was really even highlighted well within the films, and I didn't like the love triangle aspects either.
     
    Last edited: Oct 24, 2020
    Jedi Knight Fett likes this.
  3. darthfettus2015

    darthfettus2015 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2012
    i liked it... Lucas and SW was always the king of the retcon and certain point of view and thought it matched the Saturday morning serials it was based on which would have been written episode by episode.. the ST continues this.. the only one that was, was the PT as it had to end at a certain point
     
  4. Bee Bee

    Bee Bee Jedi Master star 3

    Registered:
    Dec 23, 2015
    Never liked it. Sloppy and pointless addition that could easily be written out and not affect the OT's plot at all.
     
  5. wobbits

    wobbits Force Ghost star 4

    Registered:
    Apr 12, 2017
    The kiss between Leia and Luke never made me think they were ever going to be a thing. Guys can say they think a girl is hot but it doesn't mean it's ever going to go anywhere. Girls kiss other guys to make a different one jealous. It was clear, to me, that Leia was yanking Han's chain by doing it. I was never bothered by later finding out that they were siblings. The fact that George decided Leia was Luke's sister really got up my hopes regarding Leia being a Jedi after hearing Luke call to her through the force at the end of ESB.

    The only thing that I dislike about it, is that George never had Leia train. Obi-Wan said, "The Emperor "knew" as I did, that "if" Anakin were ever to have any offspring, they would be a threat to him." All I could think of was that quote from ANH and knew she would be a bad ass Jedi. Even Yoda brings her up to Obi Wan with "No, there is another." As a little girl that is what I hoped would happen with Leia in future movies. I can't speak for any other female Star Wars fans who grew up with the OT but Leia being Luke's twin, the daughter of Anakin Skywalker was just an "Oh my gosh, I can't wait to see what Leia can do."

    I think what's sloppy is the way the ST thumbed its nose at George keeping her concentrated on being a Senator and TPTB give her a stupid reason for not training. Luke could have absolutely told her that visions are not always what they seem. It was so out of the blue and unconvincing to me there was no way I believe that for 40 years she was actively mastering the force to the point where she teaches Rey. :rolleyes:
     
    christophero30 likes this.
  6. FiveFireRings

    FiveFireRings Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 26, 2017
    It's terrible as a concept and embarrassingly executed in ROTJ.

    But it's central to the mythos of all the Star Wars that's been made since then, much of which I obviously like, so I'm basically over it, unless asked this specific question.
     
  7. darthfettus2015

    darthfettus2015 Jedi Master star 4

    Registered:
    Nov 15, 2012
    hopefully people will get over a lot of things.. kissing siblings, Ewoks, gungans and grumpy space wizards. i always saw the story like knights of the round table and always saw them as grumpy lol
     
  8. bb8isno1

    bb8isno1 Jedi Padawan star 1

    Registered:
    Jun 29, 2020
    The concept didnt really bother me in 1983 maybe it was my age when I first saw ROTJ in 83 nowadays it still doesnt doesnt that much I suspected something like that in 80 when i saw ESB when yoda said "no there is another" and when Luke called out to Leia towards the end though obivously I had to wait three years to find out.