The Star Wars franchise is in a peculiar place right now. With J.J. Abrams' The Rise of Skywalker in the rear view, it's unclear when the galaxy far, far away will return to theaters. But as the franchise is expanded through live-action shows like The Mandalorian, classic characters like Carrie Fisher's Leia continue to be the heart of the property. Leia was recently given an animated tribute, and its enough to get even the most casual fans misty eyed.
Carrie Fisher's Leia Organa was the heart of the original Star Wars trilogy, and made her a household name in the process. Leia returned as a General and mentor in the sequel trilogy, with her story ending in The Rise of Skywalker thanks to unused footage of the late actress. Her tenure in the Star Wars franchise was celebrated through a new animated short, check it out below.
I'm not crying, you're crying. Leia had a long journey fighting for the Light Side and the galaxy's safety, and this quick video highlights what a source of good she was in the franchise, and especially as a mentor. And given the extra context of Carrie Fisher's unexpected death, and this tribute to the character has extra meaning.
The video comes to us from Star Wars Kids, which has been releasing animated shorts featuring some of the galaxy far far away's most iconic moments. There's no one quite as iconic as Leia and her hair buns, so it stands to reason that she would get her very own video. And this one certainly didn't disappoint.
The above clip goes through Leia's most recent appearances in the Star Wars franchise, but does have a lovely nod to George Lucas' A New Hope. Leia walks into the darkness in her white dress and hair buns, and in a flash she's transformed into the adult Leia from the sequel movies. Carrie Fisher's likeness is beautifully done, as we see her in the Resistance uniform from The Force Awakens. She first encourages Rey to travel to Ach-to in search of Luke, ensuring her future Padawan that The Force is with her.
From there the focus shifts from Rey to Poe Dameron. Poe is Leia's first apprentice, and she was shown grooming him for Resistance leadership throughout The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. Her efforts ultimately paid off, as Poe eventually rose to the occasion.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker revealed that Leia was far more powerful in the ways of The Force than we realized. She helped to finish Rey's Jedi training, in a scene that was shown in animated form above. Eventually we see shots of Leia throughout her the Star Wars timeline, before telling The Resistance to go ahead and follow her protegees.
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is currently available on video on demand, and will arrive on DVD and Blu-ray on March 31st. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
