We're Living for These Badass Women of 'Star Wars'

The Force is strong with the women of 'Star Wars!'

For a genre usually dominated by men, it's refreshing to see Disney and Lucasfilm take a step back and realize their female characters (and fans!) are just as important to the Star Wars saga. At the 2017 Star Wars Celebration, there were a ton of exciting reveals, but we're especially excited to see a continued focus on the badass women of the galaxy far, far away!

Forces of Destiny

We're totally obsessed with the series of 3-minute animated shorts, Forces of Destiny. The series features Star Wars favorites Rey, Leia, Padme, Sabine, Hera, Jyn, Ahsoka, and Maz Kanata, with more characters. You can watch the micro-series on Disney's YouTube!

Forces of Destiny

The series also features other media and merchandising tie-ins, including books and a line of "adventure figures."

Jyn Erso

First introduced in 2016's Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, Jyn Erso quickly joined the ranks of badass Star Wars heroines. But her story's not over. Not only did Jyn appear in the aforementioned Forces of Destiny series, but she also headlined a Rogue One prequel book,Rebel Rising, following Jyn's pre-Rebellion adventures.

Hera Syndulla

Speaking of rebels...Hera Syndulla has led the amazing cast of Disney XD's Star Wars Rebels for four amazing seasons and has served up some amazing, memorable moments from the loveable crew of the Ghost!

Sabine Wren

Another member of the Star Wars Rebels crew is Mandalorian warrior-turned-rebel-badass, Sabine Wren!

Ahsoka Tano

First introduced in The Clone Wars animated TV show, Anakin Skywalker's padawan, Ahsoka Tano, has become a fan favorite. So much so, in fact, that she was reintroduced in the Star Wars Rebels TV show! If you just can't get enough Ahsoka in your life, you can pick up the YA novel, Ahsoka, which bridges the gap between her appearance on The Clone Wars and her reappearance on Rebels.

Iden Versio

Another fan-favorite Star Wars character, who we met in the Battlefront II video game, is definitely Imperial Special Forces Trooper, Iden Versio! There's just something so effortlessly cool about playing the game as Iden as she blazes across the galaxy, exacting revenge against the Rebels after the Imperial defeat at Endor. Hell yeah!

Inferno Squad

Don't think you're done with Iden Versio just yet! Her adventure continues in the companion novel to the Battlefront II game, Inferno Squad. If that cover doesn't get you pumped, the Force is just not strong with you!

General Leia

Of course, how could we have a list of badass female Star Wars characters without including the original badass herself, Leia?! Yes, the late and great Carrie Fisher has had a huge, continued presence in the Star Wars fandom and universe even after her passing in 2016, with stirring tributes from costars, her own daughter and the creator himself, George Lucas. Fans still got to see her grace the screen as General Leia in both The Last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.

Princess Leia

While Leia may be a General now, she started as a spirited Princess and Senator. Her early years were chronicled in the novel, Leia: Princess of Alderaan, by fan-favorite author, Claudia Gray.

Captain Phasma

One character we just didn't get enough of in The Force Awakens was Gwendoline Christie's chrome-plated Captain Phasma. Lucky for us, she has her own novel, simply entitled Phasma!

Captain Phasma

But wait, we're not finished with Phasma just yet. There's also the Captain Phasma comic miniseries, spanning the gap between The Force Awakens and The Last Jedi. We'll finally see how she escaped that trash compactor!

Rose

When talking about Kelly Marie Tran's The Last Jedi character, Rose, director Rian Johnson described her as a Resistance maintenance worker who is "not a soldier, not looking to be a hero. But she gets pulled into a very big adventure with [John Boyega's] Finn." Although we wish we saw more of her in 2019's The Rise of Skywalker, we've loved Rose ever since she was added to the Star Wars lineup!

Rey

Finally, we have one of the biggest Star Wars stars ever—Rey! She's clearly the center of the new film trilogy, and we couldn't be happier. Introduced in The Force Awakens, Rey's journey continued in The Last Jedi, and concluded epically in The Rise of Skywalker, and while there are still so many mysteries surrounding her character, she'll definitely go down as one of the best Star Wars heroines of all time!

Heroines of Star Wars

As you can see, Star Wars is embracing gender diversity like never before—and we're living for it! And with Star Wars Celebration panels that included "Heroines of Star Wars" and "LGBTQ+ in the Galaxy Far, Far Away," let's hope this trend of inclusion and representation continues. May the Force be with you!