It is an established fact that Star Wars has one of the biggest fan followings internationally, and has been a sub-culture in itself for over four decades now. A potential Jedi, an able pilot, a formidable warrior the lonely scavenger from Jakku brings together the best from the original trio of Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa and Han Solo, and is the rare fictional female lead, who is both believable and relatable.
So when a film franchise like Star Wars casts a woman as its lead character, without any frills and romantic interests, with a proper, functional and optimised-for-combat outfit, who flies spaceships and fights villains, and whose central purpose is not to be a love interest, it is a huge deal.Īnd Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, is not only the protagonist, but also the hero (word used in the strictest sense) of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. Just take a look at the major films releasing this year and see how Black Widow and Wonder Woman, who are both strong costumed crusaders on their own on paper, are still part of the supporting cast in someone else’s film on screen.
You can toss other names into the mix: Buffy, Katniss, Arya, Kiddo, Furiosa, maybe even Princess Elsa, and you'd be mostly right, but citing these names is an exercise in tokenism: they occupy a few square metres on an obscure corner of the farthest field of popular culture. Daisy Ridely as Rey in Star Wars: The Force Awakens.
