Of course the late Carrie Fisher had a wide-ranging career, but on the sad occasion of her passing, it’s clear that most remember her fondly as Princess Leia.
It's GENERAL Leia btw.
— Alex von Tunzelmann (@alexvtunzelmann) December 27, 2016
Sorry …
That’s GENERAL Leia.
— Paul Fidalgo (@PaulFidalgo) December 27, 2016
Got it.
Fisher reprised the role in 2015’s “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” and the iconic title crawl made it clear from the start that Leia Organa had been promoted to the rank of general. Even C-3PO took some reprogramming to become used to referring to her by that title, and as fans remember Fisher, some are urging them to do the same.
Center for American Progress president Neera Tanden, for example, called her evolution into a respected military leader the best part of her character.
The best part of the Leia character is she grew to be a general from a princess. The former better than the latter. My kind of progress.
— Neera Tanden (@neeratanden) December 27, 2016
For those sharing images of Leia as a slave, the search term you are looking for is "General Organa." pic.twitter.com/zGSceDTzbO
— Jonathan McIntosh (@radicalbytes) December 27, 2016
Many people remember Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia, but don't discount the strides made for women as General Organa.
— Nick S. Pumpkins (@nick_dambrosia) December 27, 2016
Why Carrie Fisher Should Be Remembered As General Organa, Not Princess Leia [Bustle] https://t.co/cyB732VAQF #RIP
— UK-Skepticism (@UKSKEPTICS) December 27, 2016
Writer Anne Thériault’s thread explaining how General Leia was the true hero of the Star Wars saga, though, and an inspiration to keep fighting the oppressor in these “dark times,” is the one garnering the most attention.
Recommended
Everyone is sharing pictures of Fisher when she was young, but let me show you the Leia that was the most important to me: General Organa pic.twitter.com/xXFETlkZ8Y
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
She's not young. Not wearing a gold bikini or a robe. She's dressed to do what she's been training her whole life to do: lead the rebellion.
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
This is the Leia that has lost everything: her world, her parents, her son to the dark side, her brother to who knows where, her lover
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
This is the Leia that could easily have broken down or given up. But she was stronger than literally every man in her life. She kept going.
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
Because for Leia fighting for what is right and just is more important than her feelings or her personal life. She. Is. A. Fucking. Fighter.
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
Unlike Luke or Han, Leia keeps fighting when things seem impossible. In spite of all the losses she's suffered, in spite of impossible odds.
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
She's in it for the long haul. She is the real fucking hero in Star Wars. Without Leia, the rebellion would have be quashed long ago.
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
When I see Fisher as General Organa, I see a woman who has put up with so much shit from so many men and yet keeps showing up for them
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
Sure, men suck and all … but maybe give a little bit of credit to the ones who created the character and then wrote all of her lines?
In General Organa I see a woman changed by loss but not destroyed. I see a brilliant commander with good people skills & tactical knowledge
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
Princess Leia was great, but General Organa was Fisher's real gift to us. And she's who I'm going to be looking to in dark times.
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
May we all be able to get up every day and, in spite of our pain and loss and fear, put on our boots and vest and plan to destroy the empire
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
I often think about how Leia was born (well, adopted) into princesshood, but she earned the rank of general through hard fucking work.
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
Like oh my god you get so many montages of Luke training, but Leia worked so much harder than him with half the recognition.
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
Who even knows how much each of them was getting paid, although it was Leia promising Han Solo unspecified financial compensation for his trouble in the first movie.
And in the end it wasn't Jedis who did the bulk of the work in the rebellion, it was regular people who hadn't received any special training
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
General Organa taught me that don't have to be special or chosen to be a leader. You just have to show up and learn and do the work.
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
That was kind of nice. Just don’t ruin the moment by fact-checking a fictional work, OK?
dear fuckboys tweeting at me to say that Leia wasn't ADOPTED into princesshood, she was born into it: the answer is she was BOTH, but…
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
Since she doesn't know who her bio mother is, she gets the title of princess from being the adoptive daughter of Queen Breha of Alderaan
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
Had she been adopted by someone else she would not have been a princess until later bc she didn't know who her bio parents were
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
DON'T MANSPLAIN PRINCESS LEIA TO ME IS ALL I'M SAYING (also are you really still a princess once the planet you're princess of blows up?)
— Anne Thériault (@anne_theriault) December 27, 2016
Considering the criticism Donald Trump got for his “Mourning in America” speech at the RNC, the “darkest acceptance speech possible,” dark times really seems to be the theme of the day.
You know, we howled and cheered Carrie's tweets and wisdom and just to-hell-with-it-ness, and often said we didn't deserve her. We're right.
— ? SugarPlum Lilly ? @ LouisvilleGalaxycon B15 (@saccharinesylph) December 27, 2016
But in a horrible way, the girls who grew up under Carrie Fisher and Princess/General Leia's guidance are about to overthrow tyranny again.
— ? SugarPlum Lilly ? @ LouisvilleGalaxycon B15 (@saccharinesylph) December 27, 2016
Twitter has gone from saying farewell to Princess Leia to paying tribute to General Organa. We all must rise to this role and play it well.
— Ro “Bajoran Scum” Laren 2020 (@GinnyRED57) December 27, 2016
be princess leia in 2017:
1. fight on the front lines
2. choke fascists with the chains they made you wear
3. put white men in their place!!— darth gayder (@darthgayyder) December 27, 2016
https://twitter.com/_ElizabethMay/status/813858757868482560
Join the conversation as a VIP Member