Jedi Leia: A Missed Opportunity?

[M.A.C.O.]

Is anyone else a little miffed that the tease of "another" Jedi in TESB and the twist in ROTJ that Leia is also a Skywalker (strong with the Force); has essentially been unrealized? They had a chance to do something with it in TFA (which would've essentially been back-tracking due to the release of Ep VI and VII), but nothing. Leia just kept on keeping on as a leader for the Rebellion/Resistance. I just feel the whole added twist of Luke and Leia's shared heritage in ROTJ has officially hit a dead end. Sure she gives birth to Kylo Ren, but you don't really need a parent strong in the Force to be born with it.

What do you think?

 

[Arrrrgggh]

I found it especially odd since Luke clearly began teaching new students. You'd think he'd all but insist his own sister would train.

Sure, you could rationalize that she did but had to quit along with the other students when Kylo did his thing and then just gave up on it, but there's absolutely nothing in the movie to suggest or even hint at that being the case. Just a little force sensitivity that cropped up when Han bit the bullet.

 

[Ithekro]

Even in the old EU, Leia was a on again, of again Jedi. She just didn't have time to train, being too busy with the government, or running away to protect her kids from some Imperial dregs.

It also depended on the writer. Some made her quite strong. Others more or less forgot about it.

 

[P0sitr0nic]

Leia says to Han that they both retreated into what they did best, after the loss of their son. I think she simply threw herself into being a general, to help the cause, rather than dwell on her son turning.

 

[The Nth Doctor]

Leia says to Han that they both retreated into what they did best, after the loss of their son. I think she simply threw herself into being a general, to help the cause, rather than dwell on her son turning.

That suddenly has me wondering: Did Han say how old Ben was when he went to the dark side or did anyone give an indication of how long ago it occured?

Because if it wasn't that long ago (5-10 years), then there's still a long time after Return of the Jedi where Leia could/should have been training with the Force.

 

[FPAlpha]

Leia just had other responsibilities and talents and did more good on a greater scale as a leader and politician than a simple Jedi could ever do.

I think it's ok for her not to be a trained Jedi in the movies but being the glue that holds everyone together. While she is Force Sensitive a Jedi's path is not for everyone even if it lets you do cool stuff, some people just may not be interested in it.

Though, as a twist, i would love to see a scene in one of the later movies where they get attacked and she whirls around while we hear the telltale sign of a lghtsabre being ignited and a Sith dropping to the floor. Kevin Smith's head (as well as all of fandom) would explode.

 

[USS Triumphant]

I've been thinking about this a little, and maybe she's a general the same way the Jedi were in the Clone Wars era? So maybe she's fully trained, and we just haven't had reason to see that yet.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Vader was so broken down in Empire that Luke stood a chance in a fair fight, even though the real argument is that Vader was playing with Luke. Seriously it looked like Abe Simpson waving his cane around in the dark.

If Luke died in Empire, or fell to the Dark side, in another 5 years, by the time Leia was trained to Luke's level in Empire, Vader would have just been some dude in a floating iron Lung in####ingcapable of light sabre dueling.

Vaders injuries would have more than halved his life expectancy.

Sheev was 90.

Exactly how long did the Emperor and his Apprentice have left to rule over their Empire?

5 years? 10?

The plan should have been to wait out Palpatines life span, and then laugh as Annie cocks it all up, if he even manages to take power, since "Apprentice" doesn't actually mean second in line for succession considering how Tarkin pushed Darth Vader around in New Hope.

PS

You must know about these ancient alternate universe comics.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_Wars_Infinities#Star_Wars_Infinities:_A_New_Hope

In the first one, the Death Star survives the battle of Yavin 4, so Vader begins teaching Leia about the Darkside.

PPS

It's possible that a private schoolgirls education, including polo, zero G fencing, field hockey gymnastics and droid-skeet shooting, y'know games that rich people play that easily transfer into war skills, that-Leia could have been way ahead of her small animal shooting hillbilly brother as an artful warrior.

 

[CorporalClegg]

Maybe she didn't want to be a Jedi?

 

[Guy Gardener]

You're right.

A Jedi is basically a super soldier you send on suicidal specialized stealth missions.

Why would General Organa want to be demoted 80 rungs down the ladder?

Of course, figuring out a few tricks, is not the same as going the full Jedi.

Maybe choking, lightning fingers and prognostication, but more than that and her brain is going to go bananapants from all the midichlorian poo building up in her blood stream.

(I did not know this poster existed when I stated typing this post.)

 

[Alidar Jarok]

She was clearly force sensitive, feeling Han's death over light years distance, but I think it's clear she had no interest in being a Jedi.

I would also add that, narratively, another Jedi would always complicate the picture of "why aren't they doing more." And I don't think Carrie Fisher wanted that much of a larger role.

 

[FPAlpha]

And then there's the physicality of portraying a Jedi.. Carrie Fisher is not young anymore and lightsabre fighting may prove to be too exhausting for her.

I'll be curious to see if Luke will do some fight scenes in the new movies.. if he does i guess the movie theater will go nuts seeing him in action again

 

[sidious618]

I was really hoping Leia would be a Jedi, yeah. I understand why they didn't go in that direction, but I was still sad.

 

[Guy Gardener]

Leia is a general.

Her job is to guess the enemies strategy and counter it.

How far into the future can she see?

(Did Leia fight an instinct to bash her babies face in with a rock when it was still a baby?)

Perverting the natural flow of time seems way more dark sidey than lifting rocks with malice in your heart.

She can't accidentally become Jedi, but she can totally accidentally become Sith by surprise.

 

[the G-man]

I found it especially odd since Luke clearly began teaching new students. You'd think he'd all but insist his own sister would train.

What makes you think Luke could ever tell his sister what to do? Hell, from the first time they met she was bossing him around like Lucy does Linus.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ If Leia agreed to train with Luke, I'd like to think she would take his orders, but only in that kind of formal setting.

 

[ancient]

Though, as a twist, i would love to see a scene in one of the later movies where they get attacked and she whirls around while we hear the telltale sign of a lghtsabre being ignited and a Sith dropping to the floor. Kevin Smith's head (as well as all of fandom) would explode.

I have wanted this scene since I was a wee child. When I heard they were making Episode 7, I thought they'd have Luke & Leia working as a Jedi pair, like in the prequels with QuiGon/ObiWan.

I mean, they could make Christopher Lee do forward air flips with the magic of technology, so I'm still waiting to see it they dramatically reveal some neat force abilities, even if she's not a warrior.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I honestly can't remember - have we ever seen Leia wield a lightsaber? I know she's proficient with a blaster (in fact, I believe she has never missed a shot), but I'm not sure if she's ever been shown using a saber.

 

[Ithekro]

Of the three mains of the OT, we never saw her with a lightsaber at all.

 

[the G-man]

^ If Leia agreed to train with Luke, I'd like to think she would take his orders, but only in that kind of formal setting.

My point was more that if Leia did not want to be jedi, there was no one, and especially not Luke, who was going to be able to "insist" she do so.