Life
There is something so viscerally powerful about the image of a strong woman commanding troops into battle, armed with none of the extra-sensory powers her brother possesses, but doing just a good of a job as he could. Better, even. The acutely feminist aspect of the Star Wars franchise is in the everyday nature of powerful women. Yes, the earlier movies were dominated by men, and the strong women weren't as numerous as they are currently. But now, women in power are the norm in the series. To prove it, here's a list of 12 feminist quotes from Star Wars that will blow your mind.
The thing about Star Wars is that for so long is was assumed to be only a boys' club. It was this thing they all watched when they got together. I mean, Leia in a gold bikini, amirite? It was cops and robbers on a large scale — a party of testosterone and magic. The didn't care that it was Leia's intelligence that won them the rebellion. They didn't notice that had it not been for Padme's bravery as leader, the whole senate would've collapsed, leading Palpatine to take over before motions could be put in place to stop him.
That's why when The Force Awakens came out, and it was being led by a woman, basement-dwelling boys everywhere lost their collective minds. But it was there all along, it was just amplified by Rey and by Jyn Erso, and cemented by General Leia, Rose Tico, Vice Admiral Holdo, Maz Renata, and even Captain Phasma. It's fully feminist, but the quotes are rarely about "she can't do it, she's a girl." They're more, "let's get this done."
1
"I've never had the luxury of political opinions." — Jyn Erso
Jyn Erso says this in Rogue One. It's not just that she's a woman, she's wanted. She's living amongst an underserved population. She's fighting back.
2
"Some day, you're gonna be wrong. I just hope I'm there to see it." — Princess Leia
How to shut down your man's mansplaining tendencies in just one sentence. Sure, Solo was leading the Millennium Falcon through some seriously dangerous space terrain, but he was more cocky than anything else. He needed to be taken down a peg.
3
"I think I can handle myself." — Rey
Solo, coming in hot with the mansplaining again. Only here, it's to Rey, and she does not put up with that nonsense. In The Force Awakens, Rey has been living the hard life of a scrapper, selling parts for money, and having barely enough to feed or clothe herself. Taking orders from an old dude isn't something she's going to put up with.
4
"Afraid I was going to leave without giving you a goodbye kiss?" "I'd just as soon kiss a Wookie." — Han Solo & Princess Leia
Sorry, Solo. You thought you were going to get some play? Well, I guess that's what one should expect from a stuck-up, scruffy looking, half-witted, nerf herder.
5
"Captain, being held by you isn't quite enough to get me excited." — Princess Leia
Leia makes her feelings clear with her razor-sharp wit. Han Solo just keeps coming back for more punishment. It's pretty great, all things considered. If you've never had a guy assume you're into him because of proximity, you're pretty lucky.
6
"I don't know who you are, or where you came from, but for now, you do as I tell you, OK?" — Princess Leia
Again, Leia having to shut Solo down. She's pretty great at this.
7
"Somebody has to save our skins." — Princess Leia
When men won't do it, do you know who will? The women. Leia is the first to do most things in the films and never afraid of the scary stuff. You know, like jumping into trash chutes.
8
"You know, I was getting along just fine until I met you two moon jockeys." — Princess Leia
OK, technically, this is from a deleted scene, but anyone who has the DVD knows this scene. Yes, it's Leia, because she's perfection.
9
"Do you have something — a towel, or something — you can put on?" — Rey
This was a creepy mental power play from Kylo Ren. Not only did he invade her mind, he did it partially disrobed. Rey doesn't miss a minute, and she tells him to cover up. He doesn't, of course. He continues. However, he knew she was no delicate flower he could mess with so easily.
10
"I know how to run without you holding my hand!" — Rey
Finn and Rey are BFFs, but Finn has a tendency to go all alpha male where she's concerned, even though she's the one who saves him. When he tries to keep running while holding her hand, she lets him know. It's also a fantastic metaphor for getting on and succeeding without a guy.
11
“That’s how we’re gonna win. Not fighting what we hate, saving what we love." — Rose
Rose Tico is the unsung hero of The Last Jedi. She just wants to save her family and the galaxy, and she schools them all when she shows them just how they've lost sight of the reason they're fighting.
12
“Poe, get your head out of your cockpit.” — General Organa
Because who doesn't want to say this to a pilot?
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