Disclaimer: This article contains spoilers for "Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens."
"A New Hope" gave us Princess Leia. "The Phantom Menace" introduced us to Padmé. And "Star Wars: The Force Awakens," the most recent film in the "Star Wars" franchise, blessed us with Rey, a powerful woman who fights her way through the galaxy, defeats antagonist and Darth Vader-devotee Kylo Ren (at least for this movie -- there are two other movies for the trilogy currently being made) and saves the galaxy from the First Order's wrath and evil intention to destroy everyone except for themselves. She is simply refreshing, and here's why.
Rey is a character not bound by any man and does not follow orders by men simply because she's a woman. She creates her own path with the help of men like Finn and Han Solo. Because she grew up in solidarity, she has grown to become self-sufficient and completely capable of making her own path, which is exactly what she does with the help of supporting characters. She's so self-sufficient, in fact, that she questions Finn's attempts at chivalry; during multiple times at the beginning of the film, he grabs her hand and runs when they are both in danger, and Rey responds to the gesture by sharply claiming she doesn't need anyone, much less a man, to hold her hand and guide her where to go. She is perfectly capable of running by herself, for she was a scavenger who survived by herself for many years before.
These men, in fact, rely on Rey to help them in times of need. When merchants try to steal BB-8 on Jakku, Rey uses her martial arts skills to fight them off. When The Millennium Falcon is broken, Rey fixes it using her knowledge on spaceships and mechanics. When Finn is attacked by a rather, she saves him. When Kylo Ren seems to have injured Finn during the last battle scene with his lightsaber, Rey uses the Force to grab her own lightsaber and fight Ren to finish what Finn had started. The list goes on.
Above all, Rey is the first woman in the franchise to exhibit the Force within her, an idea that was previously synonymous with the male protagonists of the earlier films, Luke, and Anakin Skywalker. These men proved to be powerful and brave, just as Rey does now. Because she has the Force, she is able to create her own path and also defeat the film's villain without men controlling what she does. She is all-powerful.
"The Force Awakens" is deemed the first "Star Wars" film to have the main protagonist be a woman, making history in a predominately masculine movie franchise; most Star Wars viewers are male, as most of the franchise’s characters are male as well. Most importantly, though, up until "The Force Awakens," the hero was male. All that has changed with "The Force Awakens," so I argue that this movie, Episode VII, is the first that can be labeled as a feminist film, as Rey is simply the first female protagonist and hero. This idea will hopefully empower more of the female population to be strong, brave, self-sufficient, and above all, good-hearted. Imagine little girls looking up to Rey as a hero, wanting to buy her doll, dressing up like her for Halloween; these are ideal situations for the very current feminist movement. If we could teach girls to become empowered individuals, it could change history as we know it. This cannot be done without strong female role models, and Rey fits this idea perfectly.
Luke Skywalker was the main character in the original trilogy, with Han Solo by his side and loved by millions of "Star Wars" fans. Although Leia was an influential character with her knowledge of the Empire and fighting skills, I believe she does not live up to Rey’s standards as the main character of action. Her character is tossed around in an endless battle between empowerment and objectification by the men in the movie and the men who made the movie. Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan-Kenobi played the protagonists in the prequels; Padmé played important roles in these prequels as well, but she is simply not the main protagonist, the character of action. (Us "Star Wars" fans do not like to talk about these prequels, anyway.)
Rey is a character that will change film and society as we know. I am proud to say that as of writing this, I have seen the movie in the theater twice, and will probably see it another time. What attracts me to the film is the thrilling sense of adventure, the return of a universe I had admired before, and the character of Rey. It is refreshing to see a dynamic woman take the stage in what is referred to as one of the most successful film franchises of all time if not the most successful. I applaud Daisy Ridley for the exhilarating, powerful, and genuine performance of a character the world needed.
