Editing Princess Leia (section)

==Cultural impact==
[[File:SWCA - Princess Leia (17176977836).jpg|Princess Leia [[cosplay]] ([[Star Wars Celebration|''Star Wars'' Celebration]] in [[Anaheim, California]], April 2015)|thumb|upright]]
Princess Leia has been called a 1980s icon<ref name="EW Schou">{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2012/11/02/star-wars-female-sci-fi-directors |title=The New ''Star Wars'' and Women: Female Sci-Fi Directors on Leia, Amidala, and What Lies Ahead |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |first=Silvej |last=Schou |date=November 2, 2012 |access-date=October 25, 2015 |archive-date=October 25, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151025164641/http://www.ew.com/article/2012/11/02/star-wars-female-sci-fi-directors |url-status=live }}</ref> and a feminist hero.<ref name="WP Bikini">{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2015/10/23/the-fraught-history-of-princess-leias-infamous-bikini/ |title=The Fraught History of Princess Leia's Infamous Bikini |newspaper=[[The Washington Post]] |first=Alyssa |last=Rosenberg |date=October 23, 2015 |access-date=November 11, 2015 |archive-date=July 6, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180706035516/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/act-four/wp/2015/10/23/the-fraught-history-of-princess-leias-infamous-bikini/ |url-status=live }}</ref> In 2008, Leia was selected by ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine as the 89th greatest film character of all time,<ref name="Empire 89">{{cite web |date=2008 |title=''Empire''<nowiki />'s The 100 Greatest Movie Characters |url=http://www.empireonline.com/100-greatest-movie-characters/default.asp?c=89 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100106181531/http://www.empireonline.com/100-greatest-movie-characters/default.asp?c=89 |archive-date=January 6, 2010 |access-date=November 23, 2015 |work=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]}}</ref> and in 2010 [[UGO Networks]] listed Leia as one of the best heroes of all time.<ref name="UGO Heroes">{{cite web |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140221015640/http://www.ugo.com/games/best-heroes-of-all-time?page=7|archive-date=February 21, 2014|url = http://www.ugo.com/games/best-heroes-of-all-time?page=7|title = Best Heroes of All Time|date = January 21, 2010|work = [[UGO Networks]]|access-date = April 3, 2011}}</ref>

The character has been referenced or [[parody|parodied]] in several TV shows and films,<ref name="EW Film+TV">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2009/02/06/princess-leia-film-and-tv? |title=Princess Leia on film and TV |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |first=Jeff |last=Labrecque |date=February 6, 2009 |access-date=October 25, 2015 |archive-date=February 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213124209/http://www.ew.com/article/2009/02/06/princess-leia-film-and-tv |url-status=dead}}</ref> and is celebrated in [[cosplay]].{{Citation needed|date=June 2024}} In 2013, cartoonist [[Jeffrey Brown (cartoonist)|Jeffrey Brown]] published the bestselling ''Star Wars: Vader's Little Princess'', a comic strip-style book featuring Darth Vader and a young Leia in humorous father-daughter situations.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://herocomplex.latimes.com/books/darth-vaders-little-princess-sith-lord-no-match-for-teen-leia/#/0 |title=''Darth Vader's Little Princess'': Sith Lord no match for teen Leia |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |first=Noelene |last=Clark |date=April 19, 2013 |access-date=December 14, 2015 |archive-date=October 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181003013751/http://herocomplex.latimes.com/books/darth-vaders-little-princess-sith-lord-no-match-for-teen-leia/#/0 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/04/star-wars-vaders-little-princess_n_3215666.html |title=''Star Wars: Vader's Little Princess'' Imagines How The Sith Lord Would Have Parented A Young Princess Leia |work=The Huffington Post |first=Farah L. |last=Miller |date=May 4, 2013 |access-date=December 14, 2015 |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222110833/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/05/04/star-wars-vaders-little-princess_n_3215666.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/2013/05/31/vaders-little-princess-jeffrey-brown |title=See 10 images from ''Vader's Little Princess'' and ''Darth Vader and Son'' |magazine=Entertainment Weekly |first=Stephan |last=Lee |date=May 31, 2013 |access-date=December 14, 2015 |archive-date=November 10, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151110150004/http://www.ew.com/article/2013/05/31/vaders-little-princess-jeffrey-brown |url-status=live }}</ref>

Leia has also been used in a wide range of ''Star Wars'' merchandise,<ref name="Daily Beast 2011">{{cite web |url=http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/09/11/carrie-fisher-on-how-george-lucas-stole-her-identity.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110912154139/http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2011/09/11/carrie-fisher-on-how-george-lucas-stole-her-identity.html |title=Carrie Fisher on how George Lucas stole her identity |work=[[The Daily Beast]] |first=Ramin |last=Setoodeh |date=September 11, 2011 |archive-date=September 12, 2011 |access-date=December 1, 2015}}</ref> including statuettes, action figures and other toys, household items and clothing,<ref name="Blastr Merch">{{cite web |url=http://www.blastr.com/2015-11-7/star-wars-15-important-andor-insane-pieces-slave-leia-merchandise |title=''Star Wars'': 15 Important and/or Insane Pieces of Slave Leia Merchandise |website=[[Blastr]] |first=Joseph |last=Baxter |date=November 7, 2015 |access-date=December 11, 2015 |archive-date=January 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126113106/http://www.blastr.com/2015-11-7/star-wars-15-important-andor-insane-pieces-slave-leia-merchandise |url-status=dead }}</ref> office supplies, food products,<ref name="SWCA">{{cite web |url=http://theswca.com/index.php?action=proc_search&search_string=leia |title=Princess Leia |website=Star Wars Collectors Archive |access-date=December 10, 2015 |archive-date=November 16, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201116101828/http://theswca.com/index.php?action=proc_search&search_string=leia |url-status=live }}</ref> and bubble bath and shampoo in Leia-shaped bottles with her head as the cap.<ref name="Newsweek">{{cite web |title=Postcards From the Edge of the Galaxy |url=http://www.newsweek.com/postcards-edge-galaxy-167072 |work=[[Newsweek]] |first=Carrie |last=Fisher |date=May 16, 1999 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20010702134120/http://www.blueharvest.net/scoops/newsweek.shtml |access-date=December 10, 2015 |archive-date=July 2, 2001 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.starwars.com/news/luke-i-am-your-lather-shampoo-soap-and-bubble-bath-from-a-galaxy-far-far-away |title=Luke, I Am Your Lather': ''Star Wars'' Shampoo, Soap, and Bubble Bath |date=February 21, 2014 |publisher=StarWars.com |access-date=December 10, 2015 |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222135918/http://www.starwars.com/news/luke-i-am-your-lather-shampoo-soap-and-bubble-bath-from-a-galaxy-far-far-away |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://theswca.com/index.php?action=disp_item&item_id=27555|title=Princess Leia Figural Bubble Bath|publisher=Star Wars Collectors Archive|access-date=December 10, 2015|archive-date=June 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623091115/http://theswca.com/index.php?action=disp_item&item_id=27555|url-status=live}}</ref> In her one-woman show ''[[Wishful Drinking]]'', Fisher called the [[Star Wars Pez|Princess Leia Pez dispenser]] one of the "merchandising horrors" of the series.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/classicalmusic/2012/02/wishful_drinking_makes_rough_l.html|title=''Wishful Drinking'' makes rough landing at the Hippodrome, but still flies|newspaper=[[The Baltimore Sun]]|last=Smith|first=Tim|date=February 2, 2012|access-date=February 2, 2012|archive-date=May 5, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160505171436/http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/classicalmusic/2012/02/wishful_drinking_makes_rough_l.html|url-status=live}}</ref> In a 2011 interview, Fisher said:{{Blockquote|I signed away my likeness for free. In those days, there was no such thing as a "likeness" ... There was no merchandising tied to movies. No one could have known the extent of the franchise. Not that I don't think I'm cute or anything, but when I looked in the mirror, I didn't think I was signing away anything of value. Lately I feel like I'm [[Minnie Mouse]]—the identity of Princess Leia so eclipses any other identity that I've ever had.<ref name="Daily Beast 2011"/>}}

After the 2012 acquisition of LucasFilm by the Walt Disney Company, the [[Disney Store]] stated in May 2014 that the company had "no plans for Leia products".<ref name="Time 2014">{{cite news |url=https://time.com/2819623/disney-star-wars-princess-leia-toys/ |title=Exclusive: Disney Says ''Star Wars'' Toys for Girls Are Coming |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |first=Eliana |last=Dockterman |date=June 4, 2014 |access-date=December 1, 2015 |archive-date=May 16, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220516215109/https://time.com/2819623/disney-star-wars-princess-leia-toys/ |url-status=live }}</ref> After public criticism, Disney told ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' in June 2014 that it would be releasing several Leia products.<ref name="Time 2014" /> [[Funko]] has since produced several versions of Leia (at least one for each film) in their POP! line of 4.5-inch vinyl figures in the Japanese [[super deformed]] style. [[Hasbro]] released an action figure of Leia as she appears in the ''[[Star Wars Rebels]]'' animated series in 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://comicbook.com/starwars/2016/10/06/nycc-2016-grand-admiral-thrawn-leads-star-wars-hasbro-figures/ |title=NYCC 2016: Grand Admiral Thrawn Leads ''Star Wars'' Hasbro Figures |publisher=[[ComicBook.com]] |first=Lucas |last=Siegel |date=October 5, 2016 |access-date=October 8, 2016 |archive-date=October 7, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161007225749/http://comicbook.com/starwars/2016/10/06/nycc-2016-grand-admiral-thrawn-leads-star-wars-hasbro-figures/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

==="Cinnamon buns" hairstyle===
Leia's unique hairdo in ''Star Wars''—arranged in two large buns, one on each side of her head—has come to be known as the "doughnut" or "[[cinnamon bun]]s" hairstyle,<ref name="Merlock"/> and is iconic of the character and series.<ref name="EW Film+TV"/> When asked in a 2002 interview about the origins of Leia's hairstyle, Lucas said he was aiming for "a kind of Southwestern [[Pancho Villa]] woman revolutionary look" from "turn-of-the-century Mexico."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Cagle |first=Jess |date=2002 |title=So, What's the Deal with Leia's Hair? |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |url=https://time.com/time/covers/1101020429/qa.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100228043808/http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101020429/qa.html |archive-date=February 28, 2010 |access-date=May 15, 2024}}</ref> An exhibit at the [[Denver Art Museum]] credited a particular revolutionary—later identified as [[Clara de la Rocha]]—as an inspiration for the coiffure.<ref name="snopes">{{Cite web |last=Garcia |first=Arturo |date=December 30, 2016 |title=The Origins of Princess Leia's Hairstyle |website=[[Snopes]] |url=https://www.snopes.com//fact-check/origins-princess-leias-hairstyle/ |access-date=May 15, 2024 |archive-date=December 8, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231208065631/https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/origins-princess-leias-hairstyle/ |url-status=live }}</ref> The museum stated that Leia's hair arrangement was also influenced by a hairstyle worn by indigenous [[Hopi]] women of North America.<ref name="snopes"/> ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' suggested that Leia's hairdo was based on that of [[Queen Fria]], a character from the 1930s [[Flash Gordon (serial)|''Flash Gordon'' comic serial]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Smith |first=Adam |date=December 27, 2015 |title=Gordon's alive! The untold story of ''Flash Gordon'' |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/gordon-alive-untold-story-flash-gordon/ |access-date=May 15, 2024 |website=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]] |archive-date=May 15, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240515162318/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/gordon-alive-untold-story-flash-gordon/ |url-status=live }}</ref> Lucas had originally wanted to film an adaptation of ''Flash Gordon'', but unable to obtain the rights, he began developing an original project which would become ''Star Wars''.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Cinema Behind ''Star Wars'': ''John Carter''|website=[[StarWars.com]]|last=Young|first=Bryan|url=https://www.starwars.com/news/the-cinema-behind-star-wars-john-carter|date=December 21, 2015|access-date=September 17, 2018|archive-date=November 8, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201108142622/https://www.starwars.com/news/the-cinema-behind-star-wars-john-carter|url-status=dead}}</ref>

A February 1978 cover story for the British teen magazine ''[[Jackie (magazine)|Jackie]]'' included step-by-step instructions on how to replicate Leia's hair buns.<ref name="SW Covers Jackie">{{cite web |url=https://www.starwars.com/collecting/news/misc/f20071126/indexp7.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071129202445/http://www.starwars.com/collecting/news/misc/f20071126/indexp7.html |title=Checklist: 10 Strange ''Star Wars'' Magazine Covers (''Jackie'') |website=[[StarWars.com]] |date=November 26, 2007 |archive-date=November 29, 2007 |access-date=December 16, 2015}}</ref><ref name="Jackie 1978">{{cite web |url=http://starwarsmagazines.online.fr/jackie/jackie735.jpg |title=February 4, 1978 cover |work=[[Jackie (magazine)|Jackie]] |access-date=December 16, 2015 |archive-date=January 26, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170126112939/http://starwarsmagazines.online.fr/jackie/jackie735.jpg |url-status=live }}</ref> In the 1978 short film parody ''[[Hardware Wars]]'', Princess Anne-Droid has actual cinnamon buns on the side of her head.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.salon.com/2002/05/21/hardware_wars/ |title=''Hardware Wars'': The Movie, the Legend, the Household Appliances |work=[[Salon (magazine)|Salon]] |first=Bob |last=Calhoun |date=May 21, 2002 |access-date=January 4, 2016 |archive-date=August 17, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220817025049/https://www.salon.com/2002/05/21/hardware_wars/ |url-status=live }}</ref> [[Miss Piggy]] of ''[[The Muppet Show]]'' copied the hairdo in a [[Star Wars (The Muppet Show)|''Star Wars''-themed episode]] of the series in February 1980.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.sidereel.com/The_Muppet_Show/season-4/episode-17 |title=''The Muppet Show'' Season 4 – Episode 17: Mark Hamill |website=[[SideReel]] |access-date=December 16, 2015 |archive-date=December 22, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222110001/http://www.sidereel.com/The_Muppet_Show/season-4/episode-17 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In the 1987 [[Mel Brooks]] comedy film ''[[Spaceballs]]'', Princess Vespa ([[Daphne Zuniga]]) appears to have the hairstyle, which is soon revealed to in fact be a large pair of headphones.<ref name="EW Film+TV"/> In the parody film ''[[Thumb Wars]]'', the role of Leia was filled by a character named Princess Bunhead, who has two cinnamon rolls for hair. In 2015, Fisher's daughter [[Billie Lourd]]'s character in the horror-comedy TV series ''[[Scream Queens (2015 TV series)|Scream Queens]]'', a rich and disaffected sorority girl known as Chanel No. 3, wears earmuffs in every scene as an homage to Fisher's iconic Leia hairstyle.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2015/09/25/carrie-fishers-daughter-dons-leia-like-earmuffs-scream-queens/72824768/ |title=The royal reason for ''Scream Queens'' earmuffs |work=[[USA Today]] |first=Hoai-Tran |last=Bui |date=September 25, 2015 |access-date=October 25, 2015 |archive-date=October 21, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151021082151/http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/entertainthis/2015/09/25/carrie-fishers-daughter-dons-leia-like-earmuffs-scream-queens/72824768/ |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.buzzfeed.com/jarettwieselman/reason-behind-those-earmuffs-on-scream-queens |title=Princess Leia's Daughter Is Reprising that Iconic ''Star Wars'' Look |website=[[BuzzFeed]] |first=Jarett |last=Wieselman |date=September 25, 2015 |access-date=October 25, 2015 |archive-date=October 23, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023030443/http://www.buzzfeed.com/jarettwieselman/reason-behind-those-earmuffs-on-scream-queens |url-status=live }}</ref> Lourd also has a cameo in ''The Force Awakens'' (2015) in which she wears Leia's distinctive hair buns.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/gallery/even-more-cameos-and-secrets-star-wars-force-awakens/2418123_all-crops-gallery-star-wars-vii-force-awakens-2015-billie-lourde|title=''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'': A Collection of Cameos and Easter Eggs: Friend of the General|last=Breznican|first=Anthony|author-link=Anthony Breznican|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=December 18, 2015|access-date=December 18, 2015|archive-date=December 21, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151221183433/http://www.ew.com/gallery/even-more-cameos-and-secrets-star-wars-force-awakens/2418123_all-crops-gallery-star-wars-vii-force-awakens-2015-billie-lourde|url-status=dead}}</ref>

===Feminist analysis===
Leia has been the subject of [[Feminism|feminist]] analysis. David Bushman, television curator at the [[Paley Center for Media]], said in 2012, "From the male perspective ... Princess Leia was a very creditable character for her time—not perfect, but certainly defiant, assertive, and strong."<ref name="EW Schou" /> Alyssa Rosenberg of ''The Washington Post'' wrote in 2015, "Leia wasn't just the first great heroine of science fiction and fantasy to capture my imagination. She was one of the first characters I encountered whose power came from her political conviction and acumen."<ref name="WP Icon"/> In her 2007 article "Feminism and the Force: Empowerment and Disillusionment in a Galaxy Far, Far Away", Diana Dominguez cited Leia as a welcome change from the previous portrayals of women in film and TV.<ref name="Merlock" /> She wrote:

{{Blockquote|Here was a woman who could play like and with the boys, but who didn't have to become one of the boys and who could, if and when she wanted to, show she liked the boys, a woman who is outspoken, unashamed, and, most importantly, unpunished for being so. She isn't a flirty sex-pot, tossing her hair around seductively to distract the enemy ... She doesn't play the role of "Maternal caretaker", although she does display caring and compassion, or "the sweet innocent damsel" who stands passively by while the men do all the work, but does step aside to let them do what they're good at when it is wise to do so ... Leia is a hero without losing her gendered status; she does not have to play the cute, helpless sex kitten or become sexless and androgynous to get what she wants. She can be strong, sassy, outspoken, bossy, and bitchy, and still be respected and seen as feminine.<ref name="Merlock"/><ref>{{cite book |last=Dominguez |first=Diana |chapter=Feminism and the Force: Empowerment and Disillusionment in a Galaxy Far, Far Away |title=Culture, Identities and Technology in the Star Wars Films: Essays on the Two Trilogies |editor1-first=Carl |editor1-last=Silvio |editor2-first=Tony |editor2-last=Vinci |location=[[Jefferson, North Carolina]] |publisher=[[McFarland & Company|McFarland]] |date=2007 |pages=109–133}}</ref>}}

Rosenberg writes that, though at first Luke is an apolitical innocent in search of adventure and Han is a detached opportunist in search of money, both are "influenced by Leia's passion [and] take their places as full participants in the Rebellion".<ref name="WP Icon" /> She notes, "Everyone else eventually comes around to Leia's view of the world."<ref name="WP Icon" /> Leia herself, singularly dedicated to her political movement against the Empire, "finds a partner in Han, acknowledging that personal happiness can help her sustain her commitment to building a better galactic order".<ref name="WP Icon" /> Rosenberg cites "Leia's willingness to see the best in him, and Han's desire to live up to her belief in him" as a foundation of their relationship, also pointing out his attempts to make her recognize that she has needs like anyone else and should acknowledge that she needs him.<ref name="WP Icon" />

In their 2012 essay "Lightsabers, Political Arenas, and Marriages", Ray Merlock and Kathy Merlock Jackson cite Leia as the successor of earlier science fiction heroines [[Wilma Deering]] of ''[[Buck Rogers]]'' and [[Dale Arden]] of ''[[Flash Gordon]]'', and the embodiment of "a new stage in the ongoing presentation of the fairy-tale princess in jeopardy". Writing that "after Leia, no longer would princesses be passive and salvaged simply with a kiss," they note the reflection of the character in later [[Disney Princess]] animated films and in woman warriors such as [[Ellen Ripley]] from the [[Alien (franchise)|''Alien'' franchise]] and [[Xena]] of the adventure TV series ''[[Xena: Warrior Princess]]''.<ref name="Merlock">{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fHgKDWAZ0SIC&q=Sex%2C+Politics%2C+and+Religion+in+Star+Wars%3A+An+Anthology+lightsabers+princess+leia&pg=PA77 |title=Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars: An Anthology |editor1-first=Douglas |editor1-last=Brode |editor2-first=Leah |editor2-last=Deyneka |chapter=Lightsabers, Political Arenas, and Marriages for Princess Leia and Queen Amidala |first1=Ray |last1=Merlock |first2=Kathy |last2=Merlock Jackson |date=2012 |pages=77–87 |publisher=[[The Scarecrow Press]] |isbn=978-0-8108-8514-1 |access-date=November 19, 2020 |archive-date=January 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230115160953/https://books.google.com/books?id=fHgKDWAZ0SIC&q=Sex%2C+Politics%2C+and+Religion+in+Star+Wars%3A+An+Anthology+lightsabers+princess+leia&pg=PA77 |url-status=live }}</ref> [[A. O. Scott]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' described Leia as "a foremother of [[Hermione Granger]] and [[Katniss Everdeen]] and of countless latter-day Disney princesses. She also foretold the recent, somewhat belated feminist turn in the ''Star Wars'' cycle itself".<ref name="scott20161228">{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/27/arts/carrie-fisher-a-princess-a-rebel-and-a-brave-comic-voice.html |title=A Princess, a Rebel and a Brave Comic Voice |last=Scott |first=A. O. |date=December 28, 2016 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |page=A17 |author-link=A. O. Scott |access-date=February 12, 2017 |archive-date=March 5, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170305000237/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/12/27/arts/carrie-fisher-a-princess-a-rebel-and-a-brave-comic-voice.html |url-status=live }}</ref>

Mark Hamill described Fisher's performance as:
{{blockquote|She was effortlessly feminist, you know? She wasn't some shrinking violet that needed a guy to come to rescue her. In fact, she made Han and Luke look like chumps. She was anything but what I expected. I mean, I sort of thought, "Well, she's 19, that's barely out of high school." And in many ways, she was a lot older and wiser than I was.<ref>{{cite interview|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxIuDJyzvDY|first=Mark|last=Hamill|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191108030538/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxIuDJyzvDY |archive-date=November 8, 2019|title=Mark Hamill (Luke Skywalker) Reacts to His Original ''Star Wars'' Audition // Omaze|via=[[YouTube]]|access-date=June 3, 2024}}</ref>}}

Fisher herself described Leia as a "huge" feminist icon, dismissing the suggestion that the character was ever a "[[damsel in distress]]". Fisher said of Leia, "She bossed them around. I don't know what your idea of distress is, but that wasn't it! And I wasn't some babe running through the galaxy with my tits bouncing around. So I wasn't threatening to women".<ref name="RS Strike 2015">{{cite magazine |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/star-wars-strikes-back-behind-the-scenes-of-the-biggest-movie-of-the-year-20151202 |title=''Star Wars'' Strikes Back: Behind the Scenes of the Biggest Movie of the Year |first=Brian |last=Hiatt |magazine=[[Rolling Stone]] |date=December 2, 2015 |access-date=December 16, 2015 |archive-date=February 13, 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160213015239/http://www.rollingstone.com/movies/features/star-wars-strikes-back-behind-the-scenes-of-the-biggest-movie-of-the-year-20151202 |url-status=dead }}</ref> She added, "I ''like'' Princess Leia. I like how she was feisty. I like how she killed Jabba the Hutt".{{r|scott20161228}} "I think I am Princess Leia, and Princess Leia is me. It's like a [[Möbius strip|Möbius]] [[striptease]]."<ref>Archived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211205/NuhxUwK6kYA Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20200409080107/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuhxUwK6kYA Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite web| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NuhxUwK6kYA| title = The Very Best of Carrie Fisher (aka The 40 Year Roast of Mark Hamill & Harrison Ford) | website=[[YouTube]]}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/9023899-i-think-i-am-princess-leia-and-princess-leia-is|title=A quote by Carrie Fisher|access-date=October 29, 2021|archive-date=October 29, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211029125706/https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/9023899-i-think-i-am-princess-leia-and-princess-leia-is|url-status=live}}</ref>

===Metal bikini===
[[File:Carrie Fisher aka Princess Leia figure at Madame Tussauds London (cropped).jpg|thumb|upright|Princess Leia figure wearing the metal bikini costume at [[Madame Tussauds London]]]]
Leia's slave costume when she is held captive by [[Jabba the Hutt]] at the beginning of ''Return of the Jedi''—made of brass and dubbed Leia's "Metal Bikini" or "Gold Bikini"—immediately made the character (and Fisher) a "generational [[sex symbol]]" celebrated by [[pin-up]] posters,<ref name="EW Schou"/><ref name="Merlock 79">{{cite book |chapter-url=https://books.google.com/books?id=fHgKDWAZ0SIC&dq=princess+leia+slave+costume+copper&pg=PA79 |title=Sex, Politics, and Religion in Star Wars |chapter=Lightsabers, Political Arenas, and Marriages |first1=Ray |last1=Merlock |first2=Kathy |last2=Merlock Jackson |date=2012 |page=79 |publisher=[[Scarecrow Press]] |editor-first1=Douglas |editor-last1=Brode |editor-first2=Leah |editor-last2=Deyneka |isbn=978-0-8108-8515-8 |access-date=November 19, 2020 |via=[[Google Books]] |archive-date=July 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715035210/https://books.google.com/books?id=fHgKDWAZ0SIC&dq=princess+leia+slave+costume+copper&pg=PA79 |url-status=live }}</ref> and later merchandising and [[cosplay]].<ref name="WP Bikini"/><ref name="Blastr Merch"/><ref name="SWCA"/><ref name="Townsend">{{cite news |title=Princess Leia's Gold Bikini in ''Return of the Jedi'' |first=Allie |last=Townsend |date=July 5, 2011 |url=http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2081310_2080985_2081016,00.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110709010359/http://www.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,2081310_2080985_2081016,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=July 9, 2011 |magazine=[[Time (magazine)|Time]] |access-date=August 15, 2013}}</ref> Philip Chien of ''[[Wired (website)|Wired]]'' wrote in 2006, "There's no doubt that the sight of Carrie Fisher in the gold sci-fi swimsuit was burned into the sweaty subconscious of a generation of fanboys hitting puberty in the spring of 1983."<ref name="Wired">{{cite magazine |last=Chien |first=Philip |date=July 11, 2006 |title=The Cult of Leia's Metal Bikini |url=http://archive.wired.com/culture/lifestyle/news/2006/07/71267 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161227174837/https://www.wired.com/2006/07/the-cult-of-leias-metal-bikini/ |archive-date=December 27, 2016 |access-date=March 14, 2019 |magazine=[[Wired (website)|Wired]]}}</ref> Fisher said in 2015, "I am not a sex symbol, so that's an opinion of someone. I don't share that".<ref>{{Cite interview |date=October 28, 2015 |title=Daisy Ridley |url=https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/daisy-ridley |access-date=June 1, 2024 |website=[[Interview (magazine)|Interview]] |first=Daisy |last=Ridley |subject-link=Daisy Ridley |interviewer=[[Carrie Fisher]] |archive-date=August 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240825001026/https://www.interviewmagazine.com/film/daisy-ridley |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=McMillan |first=Graeme |date=October 30, 2015 |title=''Star Wars'': Carrie Fisher Tells Daisy Ridley 'Don't Be a Slave Like I Was' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/star-wars-carrie-fisher-tells-835546/ |access-date=September 18, 2022 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |language=en-US |archive-date=September 20, 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220920170805/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/star-wars-carrie-fisher-tells-835546/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

Allie Townsend of ''[[Time (magazine)|Time]]'' wrote in 2011 that the so-called "slave Leia" outfit has gained a cult following of its own.<ref name="Townsend"/> Rosenberg noted that "the costume has become culturally iconic in a way that has slipped loose from the context of the scenes in which Leia wore it and the things she does after she is forced into the outfit."<ref name="WP Bikini"/>  Acknowledging the opinion of some that the "slave Leia" iconography tarnishes the character's position as "feminist hero",<ref name="WP Bikini"/> Rosenberg argued:
{{Blockquote|Leia may be captive in these scenes, but she's not exactly a compliant fantasy. Instead, she's biding her time for the moment when she can put that fury into action, carrying out a carefully laid plan to rescue her lover. And when that moment comes, the bikini doesn't condemn Leia to passivity. She rises, and uses the very chains that bind her to strangle the creature who tried to take away her power by turning her into a sex object.<ref name="WP Bikini"/>}}

Science fiction filmmaker Letia Clouston concurred, saying "Sci-fi has had a long history of strong female characters. Yes, Princess Leia was in a gold bikini, but she was also the one who single-handedly killed Jabba. When you take into account movies and TV shows like ''[[Terminator (franchise)|Terminator]]'', ''[[Alien (franchise)|Aliens]]'', ''[[Battlestar Galactica]]'', and even video games like ''[[Metroid]]'', you can see sci-fi has consistently promoted the strength of women more than any other genre."<ref name="EW Schou"/> Peter W. Lee argues that the bikini connotes Leia's hopelessness and helplessness, but even in that demeaning costume she retains her dignity and remains an icon of feminism.<ref>{{cite book |first=Peter W. |last=Lee |title=A Galaxy Here and Now: Historical and Cultural Readings of Star Wars |pages=68–69 |publisher=[[McFarland & Co.]] |date=2016 |isbn=978-1-4766-2408-2}}</ref> Noah Berlatsky argued in ''[[The Guardian]]'' for a deeper significance to the costume beyond its function as a sex symbol, stating that the outfit represents an important stage in Princess Leia's complicated relationship with [[Han Solo]].<ref>{{cite news |work=[[The Guardian]] |title=The 'slave Leia' controversy is about more than objectification |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/05/slave-leia-controversy-star-wars-objectification |first=Noah |last=Berlatsky |date=November 5, 2015 |access-date=December 29, 2016 |archive-date=October 4, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231004104109/https://www.theguardian.com/film/2015/nov/05/slave-leia-controversy-star-wars-objectification |url-status=live }}</ref>

The outfit was created by [[Aggie Guerard Rodgers]] and [[Nilo Rodis-Jamero]], costume designers for ''Return of the Jedi''.<ref name="Wired"/><ref>{{Cite web |title=Princess Leia Slave Costume |url=http://www.padawansguide.com/leia_bikini.shtml |access-date=May 26, 2024 |website=The Padawan's Guide |archive-date=May 16, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210516201307/http://www.padawansguide.com/leia_bikini.shtml |url-status=live }}</ref> According to Rodgers, the design was inspired by the work of fantasy illustrator [[Frank Frazetta]].<ref name="Wired"/> Author [[Rikke Schubart]] suggested the design was also inspired by the work of science fiction illustrator [[Earle K. Bergey]].<ref>{{cite book|first=Rikke|last=Schubart|title=Super Bitches and Action Babes: The Female Hero in Popular Cinema, 1970–2006|page=225|publisher=[[McFarland & Co.]]|date=2007|isbn=978-0-7864-2924-0}}</ref> The outfit featured a sculpted metal [[string bikini]] top, paired with a bottom consisting of sculpted metal plates in the front and back covering a red silk [[loincloth]]. Fisher wore leather boots, serpentine jewelry and a collar and chain that bound her to her captor, which she ultimately uses to strangle him.<ref name="Merlock 79"/> Multiple versions of the metal bikini were created to accommodate different scenes in the film, including metal pieces by sculptor [[Richard Miller (visual effects)|Richard Miller]] for scenes in which Fisher remained still,<ref name="Wired"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2022/12/richard-miller-dead-sculptor-behind-princess-leia-gold-bikini-1235195768/|title=Richard Miller Dies: Sculptor Behind Princess Leia's Gold Bikini Was 80|first1=Armando|last1=Tinoco|website=[[Deadline Hollywood]]|date=December 10, 2022|access-date=December 11, 2022|archive-date=June 3, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240603040400/https://deadline.com/2022/12/richard-miller-dead-sculptor-behind-princess-leia-gold-bikini-1235195768/|url-status=live}}</ref> and a rubber version she and stuntwoman Tracy Eddon could wear comfortably while performing stunts.<ref name=Wired/> The costume designers made a mold of Fisher's torso so it could be designed to a custom fit.<ref name="Wired"/> Fisher quipped that the bikini was "what supermodels will eventually wear in the seventh ring of hell."<ref name="Newsweek"/>

Fisher posed in the costume for a 1983 cover story in ''[[Rolling Stone]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/scifi/carrie-fisher-talks-feminism-gold-bikinis-vintage-return-jedi-rolling-stone-interview.html |title=Carrie Fisher Talks Feminism and Gold Bikinis in Vintage ''Return of the Jedi'' ''Rolling Stone'' Interview |website=GiantFreakinRobot |date=November 29, 2013 |first=David |last=Wharton |access-date=November 28, 2015 |archive-date=June 3, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240603050413/https://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/ent/scifi/carrie-fisher-talks-feminism-gold-bikinis-vintage-return-jedi-rolling-stone-interview.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|last=Wild|first=Chris|title=1983: The Gold Bikini at the Beach, Because that Makes Sense|url=https://mashable.com/2016/01/04/princess-leia-beach/|access-date=July 22, 2020|website=[[Mashable]]|date=January 4, 2016|language=en|archive-date=July 23, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200723011332/https://mashable.com/2016/01/04/princess-leia-beach/|url-status=live}}</ref> The costume has been parodied in various TV series and films, including ''[[Friends]]'' (1996), ''[[Family Guy]]'' (2000) and ''[[Fanboys (film)|Fanboys]]'' (2009).<ref name="EW Film+TV"/><ref name="Wired"/><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://ew.com/movies/princess-leia-pop-culture/|title=Princess Leia Costumes in Pop Culture|first=Breanne L.|last=Heldman|date=December 28, 2016|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123075143/https://ew.com/movies/princess-leia-pop-culture/|archive-date=November 23, 2021|access-date=June 2, 2024|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Yvonne Strahovski]]'s appearance wearing the costume in ''[[Chuck (TV series)|Chuck]]'' (2009) prompted ''[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]]'' to rank her No. 24 of the 25 sexiest women on TV in 2008.<ref>{{cite web |work=[[Wizard (magazine)|Wizard]] |date=February 18, 2008 |url=http://www.wizarduniverse.com/02180825hottvwomen.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225195555/http://www.wizarduniverse.com/02180825hottvwomen.html |archive-date=February 25, 2008 |title=Top 25 Sexiest Women on TV |access-date=December 1, 2015 |first=Jake |last=Rossen |author2=''Wizard'' Staff}}</ref> ''[[IGN]]'' gave Strahovski the top honor in a similar list.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://stars.ign.com/articles/852/852183p5.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080225213611/http://stars.ign.com/articles/852/852183p5.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=February 25, 2008 |website=[[IGN]] |title=25 Boob Tube Babes |date=February 15, 2008 |access-date=December 1, 2015}}</ref> Comedian [[Amy Schumer]] wore a replica of the outfit for the August 2015 cover of ''[[GQ]]''.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.gq.com/gallery/amy-schumer-photos-star-wars-trainwreck#1 |title=Photos: Amy Schumer's Sexy ''Star Wars''-Themed ''GQ'' Shoot |work=[[GQ]] |first=Mark |last=Seliger |date=July 15, 2015 |access-date=November 28, 2015 |archive-date=November 17, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151117160627/http://www.gq.com/gallery/amy-schumer-photos-star-wars-trainwreck#1 |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine |url=http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/16/amy-schumer-star-wars-gq-cover |title=Amy Schumer's sultry ''Star Wars'' cover wasn't authorized by Lucasfilm |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |first=Anthony |last=Breznican |author-link=Anthony Breznican |date=July 16, 2015 |access-date=October 26, 2015 |archive-date=October 26, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151026081346/http://www.ew.com/article/2015/07/16/amy-schumer-star-wars-gq-cover |url-status=live }}</ref>

An original rubber version of the costume sold for $96,000 at auction in 2015,<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/princess-leias-star-wars-bikini-829279/|title=Princess Leia's ''Star Wars'' Bikini Costume Sells for $96K at Auction|first=Natalie|last=Stone|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=October 3, 2015|access-date=June 1, 2024|archive-date=January 27, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230127192952/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/princess-leias-star-wars-bikini-829279/|url-status=live}}</ref> and another version sold for $175,000 in 2024.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date=2024-08-01 |title=The Notorious Gold Bikini Worn by Princess Leia in 'Star Wars' Is a Hit at Auction |url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/star-wars-princess-leia-bikini-sale-2519177 |access-date=2024-08-06 |website=Artnet |language=en-US |archive-date=August 6, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240806015321/https://news.artnet.com/art-world/star-wars-princess-leia-bikini-sale-2519177 |url-status=live }}</ref>
Despite its iconic status among many fans of the franchise, the slave Leia outfit has sometimes incited controversy.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Carl|last1=Silvio|first2=Tony M.|last2=Vinci|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=VVKQBQAAQBAJ&q=bikini&pg=PR4|title=Culture, Identities, and Technology in the Star Wars Films|page=117|publisher=[[McFarland & Co.]]|date=2007|isbn=978-0-7864-2910-3|via=[[Google Books]]|access-date=May 27, 2024|archive-date=May 27, 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240527101543/https://books.google.com/books?id=VVKQBQAAQBAJ&q=bikini&pg=PR4|url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="fox 29">{{Cite web|url=https://www.fox29.com/news/2029186-story |date=July 13, 2015 |first=Chris |last=O'Connell |title=''Star Wars'' Action Figure Has Parents Furious |publisher=[[WTXF-TV]] Fox 29 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160205205854/http://www.fox29.com/news/2029186-story |archive-date=February 5, 2016 |url-status=dead}}</ref> In response to a 2015 news segment in which parents described difficulties explaining toys featuring the costume (including a chain around Leia's neck) to their children, Fisher said, "Tell [the kids] that a giant slug captured me and forced me to wear that stupid outfit, and then I killed him because I didn't like it."<ref name="fox 29"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/carrie-fisher-on-her-return-to-star-wars-1449088590|title=Carrie Fisher on Her Return to ''Star Wars''|first=Michael|last=Calia|website=[[Wall Street Journal]]|date=December 3, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151203042728/https://www.wsj.com/articles/carrie-fisher-on-her-return-to-star-wars-1449088590|archive-date=December 3, 2015|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}}</ref>