Princess Leia’s top 20 bravest moments

Still from Return of the Jedi (1983). Image is a screengrab via 20th Century Fox/Lucasfilm

16. Every time she had to handle Han Solo

Yeah, speaking of that guy… if he weren’t such a cute galactic freighter/smuggler, how could any woman put up with him? He’s a surly perpetual bachelor with seemingly no respect for anyone except himself, especially women. Like I said before, he is an unfortunate example of an old popular Hollywood trend. But I’d like to think that Han Solo exists purely as a foil to our strong, independent Princess Leia.

If it weren’t for Solo’s constant “negging” and harassment of Leia, we wouldn’t be able to see what a strong woman she is. Leia is cool because she stands up for herself and flicks clever barbs at Solo without being “shrill.” I use that word gingerly and with quotation marks because I think it’s a nasty word that people use to put down women who do stand up for themselves, or a feminist cause. I think it’s applicable to any person (not just a woman) who comes off as pontificating or reprimanding.

Leia is not this. She can recognize the hubris in Solo and tell him to shut up as needed. No more, no less. “Shut up, Han Solo. You’ve said enough. For the last time NO I will not kiss you.” (That’s a rough draft of how I would rewrite that specific scene between Leia and Han.)