Star Wars: Why Leia Didn't Change Her Name To Skywalker

Throw a stone in the "Star Wars" universe, and you're likely to hit a Skywalker somewhere. The prolific family saturates the galaxy from generation to generation. Even those not blood-related to the clan inevitably take on their identity, as Rey (Daisy Ridley) does at the end of "Star Wars: Rise of Skywalker." Retreading old lore is common in the sci-fi series, save for arguably the most important one: Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher).

Just like her twin brother Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill), Leia remains iconic but for vastly different reasons. She doesn't rely on the superpowers of Jedi Knights but on her immovable ferocity. As the Princess of Alderaan and rebel of two wars, there is no one like her. This fact points to the reason why she did not take the given name of her father, Anakin (Hayden Christensen). Though she comes from prime Jedi stock, her identity is not tied to the infamous laser sword-wielder, but to her adoptive parents. Shown to have an unshakeable bond with her father, Bail (Jimmy Smits), it's no doubt why she proudly dons the name of Organa. However, her connection does not just have to do with her and her father's bond of politics, but the more subtle relationship with her mother, Breha.

Leia is a princess twice over, once from her birth mother Padmé's (Natalie Portman) legacy, and once from the mother who raised her, Breha (Simone Kessel). Her lineage makes an even more fascinating story than Luke's as a simple farm boy. Though Bail may be an impressive figure as a senator for Alderaan, that pales in comparison to his wife. Breha was born to be queen and showed her devotion on the Day of Demand when she underwent challenges to prove her worth. She ultimately won the right to queendom, but sustained injuries that made it difficult to bear children.

This type of sacrifice made her right for the throne and is the reason why Bail chose to serve her legacy instead of his own. Born from a noble house, he took on the surname Organa in honor of his queen and wife. Breha, as well as Bail, represent all of the ideals that Leia holds dear. She is righteous like her father and believes in the greater good like her mother. Because her parents perished in the Deathstar attack against Alderaan, that's all the more reason she would never shed her name. She is the only person to carry on the family line, and she is proud to do so. Everyone will always remember the name of Skywalker throughout the galaxy, but it is Leia's duty and honor to carry on a name that could have disappeared without her.