Carrie Fisher's Leia Organa has been a little bit of everything in the "Star Wars" saga. Princess, military commander, love interest, hero, savior, potential Jedi; her titles stretch on into the vast infinity of that galaxy far, far away which is a testament to her strong and layered character. But who will she be in "The Force Awakens," 30 years after we last saw her?
No longer a Princess, General Leia will once again be a commander in the Resistance. But director J.J. Abrams believes that none of her titles truly define her.
"You are who you are naturally, but as you go through life, you harden in some ways, you hopefully become more enlightened in others," Abrams told Entertainment Weekly. "Her evolution from princess to general is part of her life experience, but she's always going to be Leia."
Abrams' nature vs. nurture characterization speaks directly to who Leia is. One would assume she was born with an iron will but then molded by her experiences under the evil rule of the galactic empire. The destruction of Alderaan obviously had a significant impact on her and who she was to become as well.
When thinking about Leia in "The Force Awakens," it's important to remember what life must have been like for her after "Return of the Jedi." Although the empire fell, the fighting did not stop as The First Order emerged from the rubble as the new evil organization with a thirst for power. Spending the majority of your life fighting and leading cannot be an easy existence. It will be interesting to see how that has changed her and if it has impacted her relationships with Han or Luke.
"Star Wars: The Force Awakens" will finally hit theaters on Dec. 18.
