(MILD SPOILERS)
If you’re anything like me, you grew up watching Star Wars. First it was the originals, then came the new ones. I idolized Princess Leia and Padmé, mainly because they were both royalty, but also because they were fighters. They fought against the Sith and the Empire to protect their people from the dark side.
While they were awesome female characters, the movies rarely showed a female Jedi, and if they did it was brief. This changed with Star Wars: The Force Awakens. I had only seen the trailer once, and honestly didn’t know what they were going to do with this movie, so when Rey turned out to be one of the main protagonists, I was extremely excited. Rey is not like Padmé or Leia.
She’s not royalty or "girly" in any sense. In the beginning, Rey is a scavenger, who barely has enough to eat and live in a deserted AT-AT, until she helps BB-8 find his owner. Despite not having any real training, Rey turns out to be a great fighter, and an even more exceptional pilot when she hijacks the Millennium Falcon.
It’s later revealed that Rey is strong with the Force, and she then uses the Force to escape from Kylo Ren. I think the most important thing about her escape is that she had no previous practice with Jedi persuasion, yet she was able to convince the guard to let her out on the third try. Later she even beats Kylo Ren when they both go after Luke’s light saber.
Rey being strong in the force and a main character is going to inspire girls of all ages who see the movie. It shows that women can be just as strong and useful as men.
It makes me happy that little girls will have a new female lead to look up to. I look forward to seeing the inspiration Rey brings, especially since there have been so few female Jedis. Girls will now be able to imagine themselves as a strong Jedi warrior, and not your stereotypical princess.
