Yesterday, Star Wars fans across the globe bid farewell to Carrie Fisher, a Star Wars legend. I was eight years old when I saw Star Wars in 1977. These films and characters have been a part of me for nearly my entire life. The suddenness of her death and the fact that she was young and full of life makes her loss especially hard to take. The closer I get to 60, the more I realize how much beyond 60 a rocking chair on the porch of the “old folks home” really is.
In Star Wars: The Old Republic, fans have been paying tribute to Carrie by visiting House Organa on Princess Leia’s home planet of Alderaan. Players have been posting screenshots and videos, like the one I’ve posted below, of their pilgrimages. It’s touching to see the outpouring of love from fans in-game, and it’s raised the question should BioWare add a permanent tribute to her in the game? I certainly don’t see why not. I’m sure there are many things they could do without breaking the timeline so-to-speak. The question though is should we honor Princess Leia or Carrie Fisher?
I think with Star Wars fans the lines are blurred, and I certainly can’t think of one without the other. Carrie Fisher brought Princess Leia to life, and Leia is an amazing character. She showed that you could be both a Princess and a bad-ass without having to choose.
Carrie Fisher was not Princess Leia. She was a special person in her own right, and remembering and honoring who she was is just as important. She was smart, funny and outspoken. She wasn’t perfect but she was comfortable in her own skin and she dared to be herself with complete and utter disregard of what others thought she should be.
As for what BioWare should do, I like the idea of honoring Princess Leia and what she stood for, and most recently that’s hope. A hope monument on Alderaan of an unnamed figure who looks like Princess Leia would be quite appropriate.
As for myself, I decided to honor both with a new Smuggler named Ashier Ferric. When I looked at the classes in Star Wars: The Old Republic I really couldn’t find one that quite matched the Princess Leia archetype. None of the Imperial classes worked, and while Leia has a background in the Force, I don’t see her as Jedi Knight or Consular. She is a general in The Force Awakens, but the Trooper is not a good fit either.
In the end, I settled on the Smuggler. Princess Leia was pretty handy with a blaster and Carrie Fisher was certainly a clever, witty, no-BS, tell it like it is person. I dare say that there is more Carrie than Leia in the Smuggler, and that’s alright by me.
Carrie Fisher was charming to the last. She died much too young and far too soon. May the Force be with you, Carrie. Always.
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