From Supporting Hero to Central Protagonist: The Evolution of Female Representation in Star War

When Star Wars: A New Hope premiered in 1977, Princess Leia Organa stood out as one of the few strong female characters in a galaxy dominated by male heroes. While she was intelligent, brave, and outspoken, her role was still often overshadowed by Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. In 2015, Rey was introduced in The Force Awakens. This film created a shift by placing a woman at the center of the story. This transformation reflects not only changes in cinematic storytelling but also a broader cultural evolution toward gender equality and female empowerment in media. It marks a clear movement from female characters being on the margins to being fully central.1
Leia Organa’s first appearance was in Episode IV – A New Hope (1977). Leia’s role was played by Carrie Fisher. She was a Princess, Rebel leader, and diplomat. Leia was one of the first prominent female heroes in sci-fi. At that time, women were rarely shown as action leaders. Rey’s first appearance was in Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015), portrayed by Daisy Ridley. Rey is a main protagonist, Jedi-in-training, and leader of the Resistance. Her role was significant because it represented a modern female lead; fully central of the story, independent, and self-driven.2
Leia’s character was groundbreaking for her time; strong, and morally driven. Although her role was often overshadowed, she showed courage and authority. Unlike Leia, Rey was not dependent on male characters for growth. She stood on her own and led the story. This difference shows a change in how the media portrays female heroes. It also demonstrates social progress, as modern audiences expect women to lead, not support.3
Both Leia and Rey are strong female characters. Leia is known for her political leadership and diplomacy. Her intelligence represented female strength through strategy. Rey is more focused on physical combat and the force abilities. Her power represented physical and emotional independence. Another major difference is age and era. Leia’s character has been part of the Star Wars universe for 47 years, showing long-term growth from a 19-year-old princess to a 54-year-old general.5 Rey, created in 2015, has appeared in three films, growing from 19-year-old to about 20-year-old. Her journey is shorter but more self-directed.6 Leia broke 1970s stereotypes of women being passive or decorative. Leia shared the screen as part of a team; Rey carried the story alone. Together, they represent the shift from symbolic inclusion to full equality, where women are autonomous, multidimensional, and central to the narrative.
This change reflects real-world social evolution. In the 1970s, feminism was fighting for visibility. By the 2010s, audiences demanded equality and strong representation. Leia opened the door; Rey walked through it. Rey’s character symbolizes how Star Wars redefined female protagonism in response to cultural demands for gender equity. The female empowerment in these films reinforces that women can be leaders, decision-makers, and warriors. Seeing capable female heroes on screen normalizes female leadership in real life. It inspires younger girls to see strength and leadership as genderless traits. These characters show that bravery and compassion belong to everyone.2
Leia and Rey also have psychological effects on their audiences.They encourage self-confidence and leadership. Representations like Rey’s strengthen the perception of female empowerment and self-worth in a traditionally male-dominated genre.² However, some critics argue that characters like Rey create unrealistic strength standards. Even so, most audiences see them as positive examples of what women can achieve.
Their cultural impact is significant. Both characters helped shift the movie industry toward gender-balanced storytelling. There has been a rise in female-led franchises like Wonder Woman and Captain Marvel following their success. Yet, not everyone accepted this change. Some fans criticized Rey, calling her a “Mary Sue,” meaning they thought she was unrealistically perfect or too powerful. This reaction shows that some people were uncomfortable seeing a woman as the main hero. The Star Wars fan community reflects how society still struggles with changing ideas about gender and power. When movies promote equality, they can also cause debates or backlash from people who are not used to those changes.4
In conclusion, Leia laid the groundwork; Rey fulfilled the vision of a fully central female hero. Both characters signify courage, equality, and leadership. Their evolution from the margins to the center reflects women’s broader fight for recognition in society. Media depictions like theirs don’t just reflect social change—they create it. Leia and Rey together redefine heroism as courage, intellect, and compassion rather than gender.

Bibliography
Ana Cláudia Meneses and Maria Thereza de Azevedo Costa, “The Protagonism of Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens—A Feminist Reading,” Acta Scientiarum. Language and Culture 45 (2023): e64735,https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7cde/9f1b5c06f3f74ea23931cbd655409633f213.pdf?utm_source

Ane Kristine Hovde, The Women of Star Wars: Feminism, Femininity and the Force (Master’s thesis, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 2017),https://ntnuopen.ntnu.no/ntnu-xmlui/handle/11250/2446973

Yang, Luoying, Zhou Xu, and Jiebo Luo. “Measuring Female Representation and Impact in Films over Time.” ACM/IMS Transactions on Data Science 1, no. 4 (2020): Article 30.https://dl.acm.org/doi/pdf/10.1145/3411213

Buelvas-Baldiris, Tatiana, and Rainer Rubira-García. “Female Leadership Portraits in Commercial Movies: Gender Social Representations from the STEAM Sector.” VISUAL REVIEW. International Visual Culture Review 15, no. 4 (2023): 1–15.https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2613&context=gradreports

Wikipedia contributors. “Princess Leia.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last modified October 27, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princess_Leia.

Wikipedia contributors. “Rey (Star Wars).” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Last modified October 27, 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rey_(Star_Wars).

OpenAI. ChatGPT (GPT-5-mini). “Assistance with outlining, formatting citations, and improving paragraph flow, and grammar for a Star Wars essay.” ChatGPT, October 28, 2025. https://chat.openai.com/.