The Death of a Princess

Carrie Fisher is dead. I see a lot of people online not able to get past these four words. It’s obvious that Fisher meant a lot to generations of fandom. But why?

I’ve spent a lot of time on this blog writing about the hundreds of perfect things that the 1977 Star Wars movie got right, but I haven’t yet mentioned Leia.

Leia is called a Princess, but she is not a Disney Princess. She is smart, diplomatic, sexy and fierce. Leia was a strong female action hero, before that was even a thing, and she does it effortlessly. Fisher was able to be all these things, just by being herself.

Perhaps fandom took Leia for granted and perhaps now we are just realizing what a world without Carrie Fisher means. She is the first of the “Big Three” actors of the original trilogy that we have lost. Perhaps we assumed that since she was the youngest and female, she would be with us for a long time.  Perhaps the world just wasn’t ready to lose her.

Fisher will return to big screens next winter with Episode VIII. We will witness her final portrayal of Princess Leia. As for Episode IX in 2019… there have been confirmations that Leia was supposed to be a part of this story. Perhaps, in this weird reality we now live in, Disney will find some way to resurrect Fisher’s likeness and wrap up Leia’s story in Episode IX. Perhaps not. Time will tell.

For now we can do nothing but brood and reflect and come to terms with hard truths. Carrie Fisher is dead.