Even after the revelation that she was his daughter,Leia Organanever fully considered herself a member of the Skywalker family inStar Wars. It’s easy to imagine Leia’s shock inReturn of the Jedi, when she learns Luke Skywalker is her brother. She insisted she’d always known on some level, but realistically that looks more like a coping strategy - given she’d shared a kiss with Luke inThe Empire Strikes Back.
TheSkywalker family treewould continue down through Leia and Han’s line, with her son Ben almost hero-worshiping his grandfather, Darth Vader. The striking thing about Leia, though, is thatshe never actually changed her name to Skywalker- not even after her parentage became public knowledge. Why not?
Leia Never Really Found Peace With Anakin Skywalker
He Would Always Be Darth Vader To Her
Luke grew up idolizing his father, initially believing Anakin Skywalker was a hero from the Clone Wars who was betrayed by Darth Vader.Obi-Wan’s white lie ironically set Luke up to understand the tragedy of Anakin’s fall, because he came to believe his father was a good man who had fallen to the dark side, and who could be redeemed. Leia, however, lacked the same perspective; her memories of Darth Vader were the stuff of nightmares.
Leia would always remember Darth Vader for thedestruction of Alderaan, and the Sith Lord was personally responsible for torturing her on the Death Star beforehand. Her last interaction with Darth Vader was his cruel encasing of Han in carbonite, as he promised to do the same to Luke. Darth Vader had cost her too much, hurt her too deeply, for her to be able to look past all that.
Obi-Wan Kenobirevealed that Leia wondered about her birth parents’ identities and that Bail and Breha Organa did not discourage her from assuming the best of them. The truth must have been devastating.Darth Vader inflicted horrible things on the Rebels, and on Leia herself. The idea someone with such contempt for life could be her father filled her with horror and rage, and she held on to these feelings for years after the original trilogy.
Leia Defined Herself By Her Alderaanian History, Not As A Skywalker
The Past She Knew
Leia grew up knowing she was adopted, but she considered the Organas her true family and Alderaan her home. Her history as a young politician is known inStar Wars, butObi-Wan Kenobibrought her childhood to life.Young Leiayearned for adventure, but never wished to be free of her ties to Alderaan. She pursued politics to ensure the best for her people, following her adoptive father’s footsteps. As she grew up, she became more involved in the Rebellion. She was only 19 when Bail Organa trusted her to lead the Rebels’ mission to deliver the Death Star plans.
She considered the Organas her true family and Alderaan her home.
When Darth Vader destroyed Alderaan right in front of Leia inStar Wars, he created a wound that could never be healed. Despite the similarities between Anakin and Leia, forgiveness would feel impossible. In fact, it’s the very traits that she shares with Anakin are the very ones that prevent her overlooking his crimes. After all, it wasn’t until his death that Anakin forgave himself for his actions, using his self-loathing to fuel his power as a Sith Lord. Unfortunately, forgiveness didn’t come easily to Anakin, and he passed that trait onto his daughter.
Forgiveness and redemption are heavy themes inStar Wars, but not every character is able to completely overlook the past. Leia might come to terms with who her father really is, but she can’t bring herself to truly embrace her connection to him. RemainingLeia Organais her way of very publicly choosing which father she would emulate.
Leia Organa
The daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala, Leia inherited her mother’s political skills and her father’s Force power. She was raised on Alderaan as a member of the royal family, and followed in her father’s footsteps by becoming a senator who secretly worked alongside the Rebel Alliance. Alderaan’s destruction changed everything, and Leia became a leader in both the Rebel Alliance and its successor government, the New Republic. She served there for decades, eventually leaving to found the First Order when she sensed its darkness growing. Leia gave much for her ideals, but eventually gave her life to redeem her son Ben.
