Marion Norindale Books

Star Wars is an incredible story that stands the test of time. And a large part of the reason for its longevity is the way it defied the stereotypes and expectations of the era.

Note before we begin—while I also love the prequel trilogy and The Force Awakens, this dissertation deals specifically with the original trilogy, as it was released in a time when sexism and toxic masculinity permeated storytelling to a far greater degree than in the times of the other movies.

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First off, let’s take a look at the characters.

Luke may be the lead, but he’s a far cry from an overly macho, aggressive man with a tendency to objectify women and little to no capacity for emotional expression. Physically, he’s even short and slender, a contrast to the larger and more rugged frame of his costar Han.

Luke openly expresses his grief over the deaths of his aunt and uncle, his mentor Obi-Wan, and his best friend Biggs. He breaks down over Vader’s revelation that the man is his father; and he’s later bothered by Obi-Wan’s declaration that Luke has to kill Vader in order to become a full-fledged Jedi.

Even though Vader is just about as evil as it gets, Luke still harbors compassion for the man his father used to be. His emotions play into his decision-making process more than a desire for violence and/or vengeance. And ultimately, Luke’s compassion is what ends up successfully stirring Vader into his redemption.

Luke never ends up with the girl—in fact, the girl ends up being his sister, and they form a deep bond of familial friendship. But even before Luke realizes Leia is related to him, he never acts jealous or lashes out whenever she and Han discuss their feelings. He’s also the one pining over Leia in the beginning; she’s not hopelessly yearning for the male lead(s), as the women at the time were often portrayed.

In the opening of Empire, Luke becomes injured and is subsequently stranded in the Hoth wilderness. Unlike the typical formula, which featured a damsel in distress rescued by the dashing hero, Luke is the one put in jeopardy (though still to be saved by a dashing hero).

Neither Luke nor Han care that a man came to his rescue. Han is simply worried for his friend, and not self-conscious in the least about his feelings. As soon as he hears Luke hasn’t returned to the base, he resolves to set out to look for the man himself, regardless of the risk to his own life.

Luke is also in need of assistance at the end of Empire, when he’s been beaten down both physically and emotionally in his duel with Vader. Leia is the one he reaches out to—who hears his call, and insists the others must go back for him. Then she comforts Luke once he’s on board the Falcon. And Luke is allowed to be dazed and bruised and defeated, even as the hero.

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Han is the closest thing we get to a “macho” character in the original trilogy; but he spends most of his time destroying the assumption that he’s anything but a compassionate and emotionally intelligent man.

When we first meet him, Han plays up the mysterious, tough thug routine, hoping his nonchalance impresses his latest customers. But Obi-Wan quickly shuts this down (“You’ve never heard of the Millennium Falcon?” “Should I have?”), letting the audience know that the man’s actions are largely bravado.

Han is shown to be more than a man who thinks he can blast his way out of every situation. He can be vulnerable. He’s tortured in Empire, and when reduced to his weakest state, he’s comforted by Leia. In the beginning of Jedi, he spends the entire opening sequence in a disoriented and helpless state. Like Luke, he’s the one who gets into a danger from which he must be rescued.

Han is also unafraid to express his feelings. As discussed above, he shows extreme concern for Luke’s safety in Empire. And he frequently mentions his love for Leia, even when she isn’t yet ready to declare it herself. As he’s being lowered into the carbonite pit, he’s unashamed to proclaim to the entire room that he loves Leia, even if the confession comprises his very last words.

A bit of friction does seem to emerge between the trio as Luke is recovering from the wampa attack at the Hoth rebel base. Leia kisses Luke in an attempt to rouse Han’s jealousy. But despite the obvious tension, Han never treats Luke as merely a competitor for Leia’s affections. He continues to interact with both as respected friends who he desires to help and protect. And neither does his rift with Leia over their developing feelings stop him from aiding her in their escape from the Hoth base, nor in finding her a place to hide.

On Cloud City, Han is clearly uncomfortable with Lando’s attention towards Leia. (Part of which stems from his insecurity over whether or not they’re able to trust the man.) But Han never attempts to “claim” Leia as his partner, nor to speak to Lando on her behalf. He’s there to offer his arm to escort her when they’re invited to dinner, which is Leia’s choice to take. Symbolically, he’s there to offer her his support, however she needs it.

The exchange of “I love you/I know” is not just an iconic, heartfelt expression of love, but another indicator of the considerate way in which Han handles his and Leia’s relationship. He reveals he knew all along that she was in love with him—but he doesn’t take the opportunity to turn it into an obnoxious “I-told-you-so” moment. It’s a quiet declaration: “I knew, but I was waiting for you to be ready to say it.”

In Return of the Jedi, Han is able to put his jealousies aside to listen to Leia’s needs and offer her support after her final conversation with Luke before the man goes to turn himself in to the Empire.

Han initially reacts angrily, accusing Leia of keeping a secret between her and Luke. But then he acknowledges he’s only acting out due to a baseless jealousy. He stops, apologies for his actions, and lets Leia know that he’s there for her. (This is honestly one of my favorite moments in the entire saga. Han sets the bar high.)

At the end of Jedi, Han once again samples his genuine, selfless love for Leia. Once she senses Luke is still alive in the wake of the destruction of the second Death Star, Han declares that Leia can be with Luke if that’s what she really wants to do. He promises not to interfere in any way. He understands true love—the desire to help the other person achieve happiness, regardless of how he himself feels about it.

It’s worth nothing that neither Luke nor Han’s love for Leia is ever reduced to, nor comprised mainly of, their sexual feelings. None of their thoughts or actions towards her come at the expense of their respect for their friend. Both find her beautiful; but also intelligent and worthy of awe.

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Despite serving as our female lead, Leia is never reduced to a swooning and incapable love interest, nor merely a sexual fantasy. She’s a politician secretly involved in a rebellion, a warrior willing to put her life on the line for the people of the galaxy, and a respected leader among the rebellion.

She does have to be rescued from the Empire in A New Hope, but the context is vastly different than the usual narrative of the times. She was captured volunteering herself on the front lines in a high-stakes mission to deliver the plans of the Death Star to the rebellion. She could’ve delegated the task to soldiers, but was brave and willing enough to take the mission on herself.

And now that I think about it, it’s entirely possible she let herself get captured so easily to draw the Empire’s focus away from the astromech droid carrying the plans.

Leia is also graceful and defiant to her captors, exemplifying bravery and dignity in the face of great distress.

She even aids in her own rescue. She figures out she, Luke, Han, and Chewie can escape down the garbage chute when they’re trapped in the cell bay. She grabs Luke’s gun to shoot at the stormtroopers; then later, provides Luke with some cover while he prepares the grappling hook to swing across the chasm.

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The most controversial sequence often used to dispute the saga’s unyielding respect for women is when Leia is enslaved by Jabba the Hutt at the beginning of Return of the Jedi. Though this sequence actually exemplifies the opposite of what people claim it to do.

A literal giant, disgusting slug sexualizes Leia without her consent, attempting to reduce her agency and the threat she poses by minimizing her to her sexuality. Unlike other media at the time, which commonly presented women as at least sexually desirable playthings for the male characters, here, a reprehensible villain is perpetuating the situation. The entire sequence is undercut by the idea that reducing a woman to her sex appeal, especially against her will, is something only a selfish, morally bankrupt pile of refuse would do.

Other films at the time had no problem presenting women as objects of sexual pleasure for the protagonists. The narrative always framed the male leads’ desire and lust in a positive and natural light. (Not that sexual attraction isn’t a natural thing—but nobody has the right to use someone sexually without their consent.) But here, the narrative reminds us that forcing someone to serve our sexual desires is wrong. The only character who attempts to do so is corrupt, repulsive, and ultimately ends up being murdered by the person he was victimizing.

And the rest of our heroes—Luke, Han, and Lando—never comment on Leia’s sexuality. They recognize this was a situation she didn’t want to end up in, and know it would be disrespectful to take advantage of the opportunity to objectify her.

Throughout the rest of the films, Leia dresses as she wishes without any unnecessary sexualization.

To be clear, it’s absolutely fine if a woman wants to dress in a sexy or revealing manner. We need to normalize supporting however a woman wishes to express herself, without the sexist connotation that if she chooses to expose more skin, then she wishes to be seen as nothing more than a sex object.

But in the context of the original trilogy, Leia is involved in running a military operation. She engages in physically dangerous missions, and visits climates where it doesn’t make much sense for her to dress in a revealing manner. She wears practical clothing in whatever style she wants.

(An excellent contrast to this would be how Padmé often dresses in a more upscale and indulgent manner, since she has the frequent opportunity to do so.)

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The rebellion is led by a woman, who’s highly respected by her peers and subordinates. Both Mon Mothma and Leia were once respected politicians in the Senate. One of the Imperials mentions Leia’s death would incur sympathy for the rebellion, implying she was liked a great deal by the people of the galaxy, even if she was allegedly conspiring with a treasonous entity.

And in addition to everything discussed above, no one ever makes any sexist comments or jokes throughout the entire original trilogy.

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The idea of valuing compassion over violence turns out to be the key to defeating the dark side throughout the films.

The main male lead is not required to overcome his problems by means of excessive force; he needs to draw on his emotions and his selfless love for others.

Obi-Wan tells Luke he must kill Vader in order to stop the Empire and fulfill his destiny to become a Jedi. But Luke dislikes this, as he’s just learned Vader is his father. Even though the man has committed countless atrocities, Luke’s optimistic, sympathetic, and forgiving nature can’t help but wonder if there’s a different way.

Luke turns himself in to the Imperial forces in an attempt to appeal to whatever of Anakin is left inside of Vader. Even though it doesn’t work, Luke doesn’t give up hope as he’s taken to the Death Star.

When he’s prodded to fight against his father, he continually refuses to battle in the hopes Vader will come to his senses. And after his last burst of angered violence (which is only fueled by Luke’s desire to protect his sister), he knows senseless destruction isn’t the answer, and throws his lightsaber aside.

As Luke is being electrocuted, he pleads to his father to have mercy on his son and remember the kind person he once was. In the end, it’s Luke’s compassion for Anakin and dedication to finding the good within the man that ultimately inspires his father to re-embrace his past, save his son, and defeat Palpatine.