Deleted Leia sass from The Empire Strikes Back
Leia, you were scheduled for execution.
She had it under control.
I have little doubts she would have sassed her way out.
Yeah, maybe.
Honestly, though? I don’t get the defensiveness I see on this post. I LOVE that she was in over her head and glosses over it. One of the things I really liked about Leia was she got to be in over her head is an angry impulsive type way. All the girls in the stories I read as a child were know-it-all, ultra-competent sorts or sensible mothers but Leia was the hotheaded impulsive little sister who ran into danger while her brother went “WAIT” and insisted she could handle it. I loved that she got to be dumb sometimes. It meant a lot, as a hyperactive little girl, to have a hyperactive little princess.
And part of the fun was having people around her who’d bail her out and smile about it, because they’re just as stupid sometimes too.
So many Leiafans insist she could handle everything. Naw, she couldn’t handle everything and that was okay. Neither could the other two. But when all three got together they were invincible.
THIS. None of them would have made it out of the Death Star alone. Leia would have died if she hadn’t been sprung from her cell by Luke, Han and Chewie (because everyone always forgets about Chewie but he was a vital component of the rescue too). The guys would have died in the hallway if not for Leia’s quick thinking, Luke would have been killed by the diagona if not for Han, they would have been crushed in the trash compactor if not for Luke, Artoo and Threepio (let’s not forget the droids either). And so on, Ben taking down the tractor beam and distracting Vader, Chewie and Leia piloting while Luke and Han take out the TIEs, etc.
It’s not Leia the badass dragging around two dumb-dumbs making quips and getting shit done while the they cower behind her skirts as I think fandom sometimes likes to believe. They’re a team, they all have their individual strengths and let’s face it would all be dead without the others.
Ooh I agree! Being a Strong Female Character doesn’t mean you’re always in control and rolling your eyes at those Loveable Male Nitwits. If it were a male character saying this line, I don’t think we’d all rush to assure each other that he really did have it under control, we’d fondly laugh at his defensive posturing. I like that Leia is fiery and sarky as hell but that doesn’t mean she has a clue what she’s doing half the time.
Steel Phoenix Studios 