It's the new craze that isn't so new. Star Wars has a keen ability to draw the admiration of every generation from 1977 to 2016, and I feel comfortable suggesting that Star Wars will continue to appeal to future generations. It is quite rare that a series can overcome generation gaps, so how does Star Wars do it? At least some of the continued interest in the film series must be alloted to the casting of the lead actress.

One key characteristic of Star Wars is the main female character always stays up-to-date with what "look" Star Wars' demographic idolizes. In the first three movies (Episodes 4, 5, and 6), which were all released around 1980, the main female character, Princess Leia, is mature, relatively conservative, and a bit feisty. Women around this time were gaining ground and marking their territory. For example, Sandra Day O'Connor was named the first female Supreme Court Justice and Sally Ride became the first U.S. women to go into space. The creators of Star Wars thus thought it would be most appropriate if the female lead portrayed some of these qualities. Because of this, they looked up to a mature woman like Leia whose audacity could sustain her own sense of power and independence. Men around this time married this type of powerful woman, conservative woman, so Star Wars took the somewhat relatable Leia and threw her into a gold bikini-- a scene that became a fantasy for men everywhere. "Friends" even anchored an entire episode over Ross's fantasy of this scene.

In the second three movies (Episodes 1, 2, and 3), which were all released around the early 2000s, Queen Padmé Amidala, is a strong independent woman similar to Leia. However, Queen Padmé Amidala is also a vulnerable ruler and very young. Women around this time had started to achieve independence and admired the realistic vulnerability that Queen Padmé Amidala displays. In the early 2000s women truly began to achieve equality with men within the workforce as they brought in 50% of the household income. Therefore, it makes complete sense for women in this time period to idolize a woman in a very powerful position just as Queen Padmé Amidala was portrayed to be. Played by Natalie Portman, Queen Padmé Amidala is beautiful and skinny. Men wanted her and women wanted to look like her.

In the most recent film, released in 2015, Rae, is played by a more athletic-looking actress (compared to Natalie Portman) and demonstrates humility and strength. Women of present-time want to be fit instead of skinny. Rae's healthy appearance appeals to the current demographic of women. Women still desire independence, which comes across in Rae's strength, but also appreciate humility over arrogance. Men have certainly come a long way since the mid to late 1900s in accepting women of power. In fact, men now find someone who has Rae's strength and dominance very attractive rather than intimidating. This is especially true because Rae's resilience does not overpower Fin's character (her male counterpart).

Basically, Star Wars owes a big round-of-applause to its casting director and three leading ladies, without whom the film may not have had as much success in reaching multiple generations.