From the very beginning, Star Wars has been a trailblazer for strong and independent women in media, starting of course with our beloved Leia Organa, played magnificently by the late Carrie Fisher, she was a breath of fresh air in a time when women on screen were almost always the damsel in distress, wailing away while the hero came to their aid. Leia was an instant icon and showed that not only could she stand equal to her male counterparts but even lead them, as she is a pivotal leader in the Rebel Alliance and later Chief of State of the New Republic as well as a powerful Jedi Knight.
The EU continues this trend of powerful women when we are introduced to some of the greatest written female characters in pop culture, most notably, the legendary Mara Jade. Mara was a groundbreaking character for the EU and is one of the most popular Star Wars characters ever and for good reason, she is fierce, fiery and stubbornly independent as well as incredibly powerful. Jaina Solo is another fantastic woman in the EU, she is a personal role model for me and has an amazing and complex story. Jaina is powerful, independent and just an all around badass.
These aren’t the only phenomenal women in the EU and this article would be 100 pages or more if I talked about them all but we have so many great women in the EU with amazing stories like Bastila Shan, Jan Ors, Juno Eclipse, Tahiri Veila, Tenel Ka, Mirax Horn, Mirta Gev and so many more! This is one of the greatest things about Star Wars, it was ahead of its time and I am forever thankful to George Lucas and the amazing authors of the EU who created and shaped these amazing characters.
The Expanded Universe is for everyone and it is so awesome to have amazing female characters that we get so emotionally invested in and just adore.
Happy International Women’s Day and May the Force be with you!