Star Wars: 5 key Princess Leia stories for fans to read

To us, she’s still royalty, and if Star Wars fans want to get to know Princess Leia a bit better, here are five of the best places to start.

Is it any surprise that after first rounding up some of the best Star Wars stories featuring Han Solo that this writer would turn to Leia Organa for Culturess? I’m not the only Leia fan around here — not by a long shot — but when trying to decide on which character to follow Han, there was only one answer.

And so, we’re about to take a dive yet again into the expanded world of Star Wars, going beyond the films to books and comics. As with the Han stories, whether or not these entries are actually canon anymore doesn’t really matter so much as how they handle Leia Organa.

Leia, Princess of Alderaan

Read if: You want a young Leia movie, not Boba Fett or Obi-Wan Kenobi spinoffs.

Details: Alright, this isn’t particularly fair. I’m a known enthusiast of Leia, Princess of Alderaan and Claudia Gray’s take on Leia in general. But anyway, this book winds things back to the days of a younger, pre-Rebel Leia, showing her first steps into government (do recall that she is an Imperial Senator in the films) as well as her first meetings with none other than Amilyn Holdo. It explains a lot about their relationship, honestly.

Bloodline

Read if: Thoughts of General Leia get you through pretty much every day.

Details: Han Solo and Luke Skywalker basically only merit mentions in this story, and that is a strength. I’ve recommended Bloodline before, too, but it is absolutely one of the key Leia books in the new canon established by The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. It’s willing to explore that period between the original and sequel trilogies, and it’s better because it does so.

Star Wars: Princess Leia

Read if: You need to know how Leia processed the events of A New Hope.

Details: As with the Han Solo comic previously recommended, Star Wars: Princess Leia takes place in the time period between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. Remember, the two don’t happen back-to-back.

This miniseries also shows off Sullust, as well as Leia finding other Alderaanians who survived the destruction of their homeworld. It’s a pretty short read — though not the shortest on this list — and, like Bloodline, it’s mostly Leia without Han and Luke beside her.

Princess…Warrior

Read if: You like your deep cuts … and you like Leia getting in on the action.

Details: Per Wookieepedia, this two-issue story from the Legends canon only appears in two places: a massive omnibus of comics as well as a collection from the Star Wars: Empire comics of the early 2000s. The omnibus will probably be easier to obtain (and it comes with more stories, too!)

But this one offers, in its own way, a pre-Princess of Alderaan and Rogue One take on Leia’s first forays into the Rebel Alliance. It also foreshadows, or at least retroactively foreshadows, her jumps into action in the original trilogy of films.

The Thrawn Trilogy

Read if: You need to see how Leia handles being Darth Vader’s daughter in a different universe entirely.

Details: How does Leia wrestle with being the daughter of Darth Vader? It’s one of the most important plot threads in Timothy Zahn’s original Thrawn Trilogy. (Yes, I’ve recommended it before, and I’ll recommend it again.) Not only is Leia married, but she’s also pregnant with twins throughout much of the book, and yet she goes out and handles things.

Next: 5 Han Solo stories fans need to read

Which is your favorite Leia story? Share your recommendations with us below!