CT Why is Alderaan's destruction dismisssed as no big deal?

After the Death Star destroys Alderaan, Leia's home planet, we barely see a reaction. I know that people don't always have an emotional burst, but this is possibly the worst tragedy in all of Star Wars, and the next time we see Leia, she's flirting with Luke and making cracks about his height. We see a stronger reaction from Luke after Obi Wan, someone he really doesn't know all that well, is struck down, and Leia comforts him about it. Nobody makes an effort to console Leia about her culture, her people, her home, and her parents being blasted by a single laser and reduced to nothing, even though everyone knew what had happened.
I hate to criticize my favorite story, but the treatment of Alderaan's destruction has always bothered me. Aside from the Hosnia systems destruction in TFA, that was the worst catastrophe in all of Star Wars, worse than anything in ROTS.

 

"We have no time for our sorrows commander."

Or, for that matter, like most things, no time in the film. I'm sure there was plenty of mourning between ANH and ESB. Which is there in the novels and comics. As well as Leia's explanations as to her lack of reaction in ANH.

 

"Aren't you a little short for a storm trooper?"
Right after it took place. And for that matter, she should have said to Luke, "stop whining about Obi Wan! I've just lost everything I know, and you don't see me crying about it! We have a war to fight!"

 

The newcanon junior novelization did have an extended version of that scene - where Luke does acknowledge that Leia's lost far more than he has. And conversely, Leia acknowledges that sending R2 to Tatooine is connected to the deaths of the Larses.

 

Leia dealt with her grief by shooting stormtroopers and helping blast the Death Star and all it carried into dust.

 

I never liked the idea of a planet destroying super weapon, I'm more a conservative when it comes to terrorizing people

But yea, for something like this... I would just make a mental note to imagine her grieving off screen, not letting anyone see her weak... especially imperials

 

Iron Lord, are you talking about The Princess, The Scoundrel and The Farm Boy? Yes, they do go into this in that book.

 

"But that isn't the point or the theme to be conveyed, nor is it a filmmaking- oh, that was for laughs"

Either I just tore apart BBT or should write for it

 

She was too busy digging the cute farmer dude.

 

Leia demonstrates the traits of a Jedi, which is to not let emotions dictate your actions. She mourns for Alderaan, but she has let it go by the time Han, Luke and Chewie come to rescue her. She prioritizes what is most important right at the moment.

 

Which is to make sarcastic and flirting comments.

 

Because Obi-Wan never made any sarcastic comments

 

Indy probably made it so the Ark fell into US hands after the Nazis were killed. If there was no Indy, more Nazis would likely have been dispatched to the island base and retrieved the Ark. Also there is the possibility the Nazis may never have found the Ark if Indy never had dug in the right place since they lacked the info on the proper rod height. So he may have inventively helped them find the Ark. Someone who is smart like the BBT characters are supposed to be should recognize that possibility and know that the Nazis still finding the Ark without Indy's involvement is an assumption and not a given conclusion. BBT is easy to tear apart.

 

What it comes down to of course is that the OT shifted quite significantly in terms of tone between ANH and ESB, the original film is obviously considerably lighter in its focus, Luke see's the smoking corpses of his life long guardians and gets over it rather quickly as well.

It is interesting to consider what ANH might look like if it had been made with a tone similar to ESB and the serious bits of ROTJ. Luke would likely show a good deal more anger towards the Empire after the Lars deaths and I'd imagine Leia would have been considerably colder post Alderaan.

 

Are we seriously amazed that the children of the dark lord of the sith are cold hearted , selfish brats? They take after daddy.

 

Simple, she focused her anger and grief toward finding a way to blow up the Death Star. She's one of the major leaders of the Rebellion, and like any leader she has to maintain her cool.

 

Its obviously not stated outright but I do think Leia in ESB basically has the arc of someone having to deal with emotional detachment that you could argue comes partly from the destruction of Alderaan.

I think its done well too since the romance with Han does not reduce her to a damsel in distress and ultimately she's the one trying to come to the rescue of him and indeed Luke.

 

What else could she do? Crying about it isn't going to put the planet back together. Having a breakdown won't get them off the Death Star. In fact, given she is so brusque and take charge during the ''rescue'' that probably IS her way of reacting in the circumstances - no gratitude and no curiosity, she pretty much takes over the whole scheme because that at least she can control.

I'm pretty sure that if she'd ever run into Tarkin again prior to his disintegration she'd have done a number of painful things to him over an extended period (the girl can hold a grudge) but that never came up.

 

I actually wonder now if because of the upcoming Rogue One, we might see that members of the Alliance could have been emotionally preparing for something like this, so it woulnd't come as quite as much of a shock. They know now that this thing is out there, and it could've been any of their planets destroyed.

Also, it's possible that in her young adult life, Leia hadn't spent much time on Alderaan of late, what with her senatorial duties and then activities with the Rebellion. I mean I grew up in a suburb of Chicago, but I haven't lived there in years, and have only visited there a couple times in the last five. I still look back very fondly on that place, but if I were to suddenly get news that some kind of storm, or attack destroyed the whole town, I would be very sad-sure, but I don't think I'd be paralyzed with depression and emotionally unconsoleable, to the point of perhaps needing therapy or anything like that-even with some remaining family in the area. I know that's a town-not a planet, but it's the best comparison I could come up with.

I'm thinking Leia was thinking more of the big picture about what the Empire having this kind of power means for the galaxy (especially now that they've proven they intend to use it), and preoccupies herself with stopping them by all means necessary.

 

She had to put up with torture and her planet being blown up. Yes she is defo a Jedi. If you look at Luke he went from a farm boy to an ace fighter pilot in several hours. Such astonishing levels of tolerance, balance, adaptability and skill level point to certain Jedi abilities IMO. This makes it even more difficult for Sith lord Darth Vader going up against 3 Jedi’s in ANH although he is not aware of this at the time whereas in RoTJ it was 2 Sith’s against a newly recognised Jedi Knight.