The following contains spoilers for the first two episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi, now streaming on Disney+.
Princess Leia’s relationship with the Force was never clearly defined in the Star Wars saga. Besides the fact that she was as strong with it as any in her family – and a few late-inning examples of her using it in the sequel trilogy – it was largely incidental to her character. Indeed, she ranks among the most hard-headed and practical of Star Wars’ lengthy roster of heroes, organizing, negotiating and putting in the hard work required to make a rebellion function. Force use is a little flashy for her line of work.
Her arrival in the first episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi is an effort to more clearly define how her Force abilities manifest. And according to an intriguing theory posted by jediheretic on Tumblr, they’re far more pervasive than they may seem. Leia’s political skills and ability to persuade others may stem from more than just a silver tongue, and they may have manifested very early.
Politics has always been Leia’s forte, from the moment she first arrived in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope. As a member of the Imperial Senate, she had power and influence that allowed her to shield the Rebellion in its infancy, and she did it all in her late teens. Darth Vader finally caught up with her only after she and her father had been actively assisting the Rebellion for some time. Charisma and political instincts would come naturally from her mother Padmé, but at that age and with the extent to which she succeeded in these endeavors, nascent Force skills are lurking underneath it all.
It goes beyond shrewd insight and strong-willed leadership too. Leia has periodically evinced premonitions and warnings, such as the trap waiting for them on Cloud City in Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back. There have even been instances of impossible strength, most notably when she choked Jabba the Hutt with his own chain in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Getting through the outer layers of a giant gastropod’s flesh to cut off his windpipe shouldn’t be possible without machine levels of torque. Leia accomplished it in a few quick seconds -- something Skywalker-level Force abilities could readily account for. All of that came before the sequels, which depicted her able to survive in a vacuum for a short period of time and mentally reach out to her son from a galaxy away.
Obi-Wan Kenobi strongly suggests that her abilities were present long before she became an adult. Season 1, Episode 1, “Part I” depicts the 10-year-old Leia as someone very akin to her brother in spirit, suing a bit of deception to duck out of an official ceremony on Alderaan and go playing in the woods. She convinces all of her attendants to go along with it, against the express wishes of her mother, which demonstrates that she’s well on her way to an influential career.
That picks up intensity as the episode continues. At a reception party for noble cousins, an older boy tries to bully her by revealing whispered rumors that she’s not actually an Organa. She responds by observing how scared he is of his father, and how he’d never made an actual decision for himself in his life. The astuteness is astonishing, and well beyond her age. That continues throughout both “Part I” and Season 1, Episode 2, “Part II,” revealing her all but ready to lead the rebellion immediately with her toys still in hand.
Endeavors like Obi-Wan Kenobi are chided at times for their nostalgia; looking back at older material for inspiration instead of forging a new path in a property still brimming with unfulfilled potential. But Leia’s central position early in the season aptly demonstrates the flip side of that coin: revealing a previously hidden side of a character fans thought they knew by heart. “She’s as important as he is,” Bail insists to Obi-Wan at the end of "Part I," and he’s right. Luke’s Force abilities were always front and center in the saga. Credit Obi-Wan Kenobi for putting the other twin in the spotlight for a change.
New episodes of Obi-Wan Kenobi air Wednesdays on Disney+.
