Do we like them?

Do we like Princess Leia?

A character from Star Wars (1977)

Our score: 9 out of 10. Yes, we'd back her. She's brave, quick-witted and a natural leader. She keeps the Rebellion going when things look bleak, and she's rarely a damsel for long.

Leia Organa is introduced in the original Star Wars film as a princess of Alderaan. She's also a member of the Imperial Senate and a secret agent of the Rebel Alliance. When her ship is captured, she has already hidden vital information for the rebels to find. From the start she is sharp-tongued and unafraid of Darth Vader.

She is more than a princess waiting for rescue. She takes charge in a crisis, trades insults with her would-be rescuers, and takes over the escape herself. She gives orders, shoots straight and plans ahead. Across the trilogy she becomes one of the Rebellion's most trusted leaders, and she is willing to go undercover or take big risks for her friends.

Her score is high because she is consistently principled, courageous and compassionate, even under torture, loss and exhaustion. Her main flaws are impatience and a stubborn streak, and those are hard to hold against someone this dedicated to a just cause.

Later in the saga she is revealed to be Luke Skywalker's twin sister, and so the daughter of Darth Vader. She doesn't let that define her. She stays on the side of freedom and goes on to lead the rebellion's successors in later stories.