CREDIT: 20TH CENTURY FOX
Princess Leia Organa is just one of the notable females in the galaxy.

Star Wars is full of heroes. From Luke and Anakin Skywalker to Han Solo and Lando Calrissian, multitudes of great men have risen high and commanded great influence throughout the galaxy. But what about the women of the galaxy? Traditionally, and with few exceptions, the female characters in the films have always been overshadowed by their male counterparts, serving less than equal roles as dancers, eye-candy or damsels in distress.

Yet despite their seemingly lower station in the intergalactic culture that makes up Star Wars, some of the galaxy’s women have carved out their own slice of legend in the various stories told over the years. Looking forward to The Force Awakens, Daisy Ridley’s smuggler Rey, and Gwendoline Christie’s Captain Phasma are poised to join the ranks of Star Wars’ notable women; though they have some big shoes to fill to match those who came before.

Mara Jade Skywalker

Few characters in Star Wars media have played so many differing roles as the undeniably awesome Mara Jade.

Born a Force-sensitive child shortly after the fall of the Jedi, she was recruited and trained by Emperor Palpatine as an elite assassin. During his reign, she undertook numerous operations to consolidate her master’s power, encompassing everything from sabotage to outright murder. A brief stint as a smuggler after the fall of the empire followed, before briefly joining Luke Skywalker’s Jedi academy, where she trained under her future husband.

It took many years of rogue behaviour and confrontations before she and Luke were married, and even after, she always managed to stay firmly outside the shadow of her more illustrious husband.

She would eventually rise to the rank of Jedi Master and would serve on the High Council, helping to guide the Order through several major crises, most notably the Yuuzhan Vong war.

She would continue the Skywalker line when she and Luke gave birth to a son, but sadly her legend was cut short when she was murdered by her own nephew Jacen Solo, who had fallen to the dark side.

Jaina Solo

The daughter of Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa, Jaina Solo was the sum of the best parts of her ancestors, inheriting her father’s skills behind the controls of a Starfighter, and the powerful Force sensitivity of her mother and uncle.

Born alongside her twin brother Jacen, they would both join their uncle’s Jedi academy, where Jaina quickly distinguished herself as one of the most promising students of the New Jedi Order.

She would also serve with distinction during the Yuuzhan Vong crisis, both as a Jedi and a pilot, becoming a Master in the process. She wandered dangerously close to the dark side after the loss of her younger brother Anakin.

Her greatest test though was during the war started by her own twin, who had abandoned the Jedi and turned to the dark side. It would be Jaina who finally ended the crisis, striking the killing blow on her twin brother herself.

She would go on to live a long life, continuing her service as a Jedi until old age.

Princess Leia Organa

The first lady of Star Wars, the exploits of Princess Leia are well known throughout the galaxy. Politician, rebel, soldier and Jedi Knight are just some of the roles that she has played throughout her life.

Her path through the original trilogy is well documented, captured by Darth Vader, rescued by Luke and Han and subsequently aiding the rebellion in toppling the empire.

Her brief stint as a bikini-clad captive notwithstanding, Leia was without a doubt the strongest and most important woman during the conflict. She would continue her influence after the war, joining her brother in the ranks of the Jedi, serving on the High Council and giving birth to three of the most influential people of the next generation.

Her history does have the possibility for change, as the Expanded Universe has been rendered non-canon, and she is playing an active role in The Force Awakens. Her marriage to Han still seems a safe bet, though unconfirmed, and she has seemingly dropped her royal title, preferring to be addressed as General Organa.

Whether or not her future as a Jedi will continue in the new films is one of the most tantalizing mysteries in the new movie.