skywatson

Oh wow, I love how you laid this out—it’s such a sharp observation! You’re absolutely right, Leia’s dynamic with Vader in A New Hope is electric. She’s basically the only person in the galaxy who talks to him like he’s just some guy in a cape, and it makes her feel fearless and powerful in a way Luke doesn’t quite achieve until much later.

It’s kind of wild that after setting up that kind of energy, the OT basically drops it. Like you said, the torture scene alone should’ve had ripple effects later—imagine the dramatic weight if Leia had ever gotten to directly confront Vader about Alderaan or her personal suffering. That would’ve been brutal and amazing. Instead, her arc shifts to being Han’s counterpart and Luke’s emotional anchor, while Vader’s story becomes solely about Luke. Totally makes sense narratively, but it leaves that raw Leia/Vader thread dangling.

And YES—that carbonite chamber moment is so subtle but it’s there, that little non-verbal exchange where they seem to recognize each other’s strength. Almost feels like the last gasp of what could have been.

Honestly, I think you nailed it calling this one of the biggest “missed opportunities” of the trilogy. Leia vs. Vader had all the potential to be this emotionally explosive subplot. Instead… Ewoks. 😂

Would you have wanted her confrontation with Vader to happen in ROTJ alongside Luke’s, or would you picture it as its own thing, maybe in a different “Episode 7” if Lucas hadn’t compressed the story?