The following contains spoilers for Obi-Wan Kenobi, Season 1, Parts I and II.
When Obi-Wan Kenobi confirmed its timeline is set between the last film of the prequel trilogy and the first film of the original trilogy, Star Wars fans expected the journey of a hermit Ben Kenobi. One thing they didn’t expect, however, was the fascinating portrayal of a young Leia (Vivien Lyra Blair), who surprised fans with her glaring resemblances to both her parents.
Up until now, the Star Wars movies franchise has been convincingly showcasing Luke Skywalker’s extraordinary strength with the Force while remarking on Princess Leia’s leadership talent. Obi-Wan Kenobi, on the other hand, seemed to have found a balance with the young Leia, who was strong with the Force, fascinated with spaceships and took after the best of Padmé and Anakin.
Leia’s first “appearance” in Obi-Wan Kenobi Part I very much mirrored Padmé from the prequel trilogy — she asked a different kid to dress like her while the real Leia ran off into the woods. As Star Wars fans may have remembered, when Padmé was the Queen of Naboo, she used the same trick during her escape from Theed, and she didn’t reveal her true identity until the end of Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.
Early in Obi-Wan Kenobi Part I, young Leia displayed the pilot’s heritage she inherited from Anakin as she identifies the various spaceships departing and arriving, commenting on which interested her and which didn’t. Similarly, her rebellious, rule-breaking and trouble-making nature resembled Anakin more than Padmé. However, both parents were adventurous and stubborn people.
Thus far, her leadership skills are the one thing missing from Leia’s portrayal in Obi-Wan Kenobi. It’s well justified since Leia is still a child. However, her lack of interest in politics didn’t stop her from “knowing” everything about everyone. In Part I, when her cousin rudely dismissed her politeness to droids and questioned her authority as an Organa, Leia’s response accurately captured her cousin’s cowardice and lack of independence. Though it was unclear if this was the Force’s doing or if Leia was a shockingly astute observer, one thing viewers could know for sure was her sharp response and attitude were very much Padmé.
Additionally, the young Princess instantly picked up on Obi-Wan withholding information in Part II, which makes a compelling case for her inherent skill with the Force. It was simply unnatural for even a grown-up to figure out Third Sister’s personal agenda with very little information, not to mention that Leia is only ten years old.
Leia’s perception of Obi-Wan as a threat was also quite interesting. Not only did Leia not trust Obi-Wan, but she also risked her life running away from him. Normally, a kid would trust someone who came to the rescue. The only logical explanation seemed to point towards Leia’s natural Force sensitivity, which appeared to be the reason for most “odd” reactions in Star Wars.
Padmé was also cautious and clever, which Leia resembled when she was on the run, both times from Flea’s bounty hunter Vect Nokru and Obi-Wan. Unsurprisingly, the goodness and kindness in both Anakin and Padmé were also naturally inherited by Leia.
Obi-Wan Kenobi’s portrayal of Leia is nostalgic. It feels like a love letter to the prequel trilogy as Leia evoked many memories and bore resemblances to Anakin and Padmé in the early films. Since Star Wars fans already knew that Leia eventually develops a trusting relationship with Obi-Wan, their journey in Obi-Wan Kenobi will be even more intriguing.
Stream Obi-Wan Kenobi and the Star Wars prequel trilogy on Disney+