Oh, that mighty Skywalker blood! It’s something we have all been privy to since the very beginning of Star Wars, starting with Luke taking out the Death Star in his X-Wing fighter at the end of A New Hope. He accomplished the impossible because of his unique ability to use the Force. Luke believed in it. He trusted it. Therefore, Luke made the impossible, possible.
Making the impossible, possible has become a Star Wars signature since A New Hope. In fact, these so-called feats are what inspire that nostalgia for hope. As fans, we too can relate to having that feeling that we can take on the entire Empire by ourselves. It’s empowering. Hope. Hence the mantra, “May the Force be with you.”
Yes, “May the Force be with you” is nostalgic. Heck, without it, it just wouldn’t be Star Wars now would it? You could say the same about the name Skywalker too. After all, it’s the name of a family we’ve been following for generations. And we’ve watched their “Forceful” career with great interest. The ups, the downs, and everything in between. Even when they’re not on screen, the Skywalker presence is strong. It’s kind of like being a kid at Christmas time. Kids don’t need to see Santa Claus to know he exists. Seeing isn’t believing, believing is seeing. And that, too, is the magic of Star Wars and the Skywalker legacy.
The Skywalker legacy is legendary. In fact, even for those that have never seen a Star Wars film (I still can’t understand the reasoning behind this), the name Skywalker is common knowledge. Their story has made them so. A legend that has become a gospel of Hope. Hope that Luke Skywalker will return with his laser sword and destroy the entire First Order. Interesting. Sometimes, things don’t go the way we hoped they would. And sometimes, the unexpected is better than the expected. Ultimately, hope will present itself in a way it is needed most. Like Leia surviving the blast on the bridge of her flagship, the Raddus.
Leia was the only sole survivor on that bridge. She survived because she needed to. Not to undermine the others, like Admiral Ackbar, but Leia is their symbol of hope. Leia has been their hope since the dawn of the Rebellion. Without her to see this mission through to the end, well, the spark goes out. And all is lost. But Leia won’t let that happen. No, she will fight until the end. Always. It is her nature. It’s who she is. She is the other Skywalker.
The Force is strong with Leia. Her father had it. Her brother has it. It’s part of who they are. It’s part of who she is. Regardless of her training or lack thereof it. So, when Leia is consumed by the blast and sucked out into the vacuum of space, it’s her innate ability to use the Force that allows her to sustain the cold harshness of outer space.
Her natural attunement to the Force is what allowed her to answer Luke’s call for help in The Empire Strikes Back. It also gave her the strength to take down the massive Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi. Like Yoda says, “size matters not.” The same idea is demonstrated here for Leia in The Last Jedi. For her ally is the Force, and a powerful ally it is.
Indeed the Force is a powerful ally. But as Luke stated, to say it is only to be used by the Jedi is vanity. The Force doesn’t belong to one party or living being. It resides in all living things. So, to say Leia isn’t worthy of such an act due to her lack of training is hubris. She can do it and did do it because she believed she could. Leia trusts the Force. Most importantly, she trusts her brother, Luke Skywalker. Luke tells Leia that she shares his power and so, that alone is enough for her to make the impossible, possible.
Leia is a survivor, that much is true. She has proven this time and time again. We do not question it. So why start now? Let’s face it, Leia has been known to defy the odds. She resisted Vader’s mind probe on the Death Star. She also rescued herself from the Death Star and her rescuers too. Leia’s list of feats can go on and on. That said, to say Leia isn’t strong enough in the Force to survive space and return to her crew is blasphemy. Well, from a Star Wars standpoint I would suppose that’s true. You know, like Obi-Wan Kenobi says, “from a certain point of view.”
All in all, Leia survived space and propelled herself back to the Raddus because the Force deemed it so. Her resolve and her faith in the Force are her allies. And this has given her crew, Poe, Connix, and the whole Resistance a reason to have hope.
So, when watching that scene again, think of the last words shared between Leia and Rey as they escape Crait. Rey, full of doubt, asks Leia how they are to recoup after this? Well, our calm and encouraging Princess, now General says, “We have everything we need.”
Hope.
Remember, seeing isn’t believing. Believing is seeing.
May the Force be with you. Always.