A stunning Star Wars fan art illustration captured one of Princess Leia’s most painful moments, demonstrating how brave and strong the character truly was. Princess Leia Organa was introduced in A New Hope, and it was immediately clear that in spite of everything she had to face, she remained resolute and resilient. Despite terrible loss, continuing throughout the sequel trilogy until Leia sacrificed her life to redeem Kylo Ren in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, the princess never wavered, and she always fought for others, even if it meant setting her suffering aside.
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The art, created by Karen Hallion Kenney, depicts Princess Leia in A New Hope, with Darth Vader behind her, gripping her shoulder. This moment came just before Leia brutally watched her planet, Alderaan, destroyed by the Death Star, taking her parents and her people with it. Despite the cruelty of that moment, Leia never backed down, and she faced the slaughter of her homeworld with a stiff upper lip and determination.
Leia had countless moments of bravery throughout her appearances in Star Wars, but this was perhaps the most significant of all of them. When she saw her planet destroyed, she didn’t fall apart. Instead, she used this moment to fuel her, and her contributions eventually helped the Rebellion to overthrow the Empire.
Princess Leia Was An Organa In Every Way, But She Was Also A True Skywalker
In the Obi-Wan Kenobi show, Bail Organa, Leia’s adoptive father, assures her that she is “an Organa in every way,” which was an extremely touching moment and a representation of the relationship with her father that hadn’t been depicted in Star Wars until that point. This is certainly true; Leia is the Princess of Alderaan, and she is Bail and Breha’s daughter as much as, perhaps even more so, than she is Anakin and Padmé’s. However, in addition to being an Organa, Leia captured the true spirit of a Skywalker.
Obi-Wan makes this point clearly during the Obi-Wan Kenobi ending when he tells Leia that she is “wise, discerning, and kind-hearted” like Padmé and “passionate, fearless, and forthright” like Anakin. Leia had clearly proven this throughout the show even at her young age, but the moment when she watches Alderaan destroyed solidifies that connection. Padmé, at just 14 years old, kept a level head as her own planet, Naboo, was under attack, and she had to manage it as Queen. Anakin, although not exactly level-headed, never backed down.
Leia ultimately didn’t identify as a Skywalker, which made sense. She didn’t seem to ever forgive Anakin for what he had done, so adopting the name wouldn’t have felt right, neither for the character nor the audience. Despite that, though, she carried on Padmé’s and Anakin’s greatest strengths, and it helped her bring peace (multiple times) to the Star Wars galaxy that all four of her parents had consistently worked so hard to save.
