Princess Leia’s top 20 bravest moments

Still from The Empire Strikes Back (1980). Image is a screengrab via 20th Century Fox/Lucasfilm

13. That time she listened to her gut

After one particularly nasty brush with the Empire, Han Solo decides to fly the crew to Cloud City for safety, where he can reconnect with an old friend, Lando Calrissian. As we know, Lando is a shifty dude, so trust comes slowly anyway. But maybe because The Force is strong with our girl Leia, she knew there was more to it when she met Lando.

Lo and behold, Darth Vader and his troops ambush the small group inside Lando’s headquarters. Even though Lando tried to cut a deal with Vader for their safety, of course he went back on his word, or, in his terms, was just “altering the deal”. All the while, Leia kept making mention of her impending sense of doom. You should have listened, fellas! Everyone ended up in a conference room with guns pointed at their heads.

Leia, like most women, is encouraged by others to go through life unsure of her beliefs. Even if her body is telling her that she’s in a bad situation, she’s told to ignore the impulses and leave it to the guys. Fortunately for the Rebel Alliance, Leia does not do that. Rarely is she wrong about a first impression.