It is without question The Last Jedi had more women in major roles than any Star Wars movie to date. Between Rey, Leia, Rose, Admiral Holdo, Paige and even a quick but important check-in from Maz, the major roles of the movie were actually fairly evenly split between men and women. This really SHOULDN’T be rare in sci-fi and fantasy cinema, but sadly, it still very much is. And it’s definitely a big step up for Star Wars.
These ladies were also downright indispensable to the narrative and kicked some serious ass. Women are the movers and shakers of the resistance in this movie and it’s clear the galaxy woild be lost without them. (Sadly though, on the villain's side. Captain Phasma was given the short stick and utterly wasted. You can't win them all.) So let’s take a look at the women of The Last Jedi and all their amazing accomplishments.
Paige Tico’s Heroic Sacrifice
The movie opens with a very tense scene, where gunner Paige Tico gives her life to save the day. The importance of the sacrifice is monumental and it’s no exaggerating to say that without Paige’s bravery, the entire resistance would have died.
Poe’s plan to destroy the Dreadnought was more than a little reckless and in the end it fell on Paige to make the heavy loss of life the resistance sustained as a result worthwhile and allow the rest of the squad to escape. And against all odds, Paige pulled it off. It was her job to bomb the Dreadnought and even under heavy fire and loss of her crew, she made a dogged and dangerous climb for the trigger to unleash the payload. When the ship was hit however, the turbulence made her fall an incredibly long distance to the bottom of the ship.
When she woke up, Paige found herself on the floor. There’s no word strong enough to describe the amount of pain Paige must have been in- such a fall would have surely broken her back and cause other serious injuries. Most people would have given up and let death claim them. But Paige didn’t hesitate or let it stop her. Instead, she kicked against the ladder, over and over again, determined to knock the trigger down. Even not being able to move didn’t stop this hero from doing her duty. She persisted stubbornly up until the very last minute and it paid off- at the last second she was able to knock down the trigger and unleash the payload.
If she hadn’t done that, the First Order would have been able to decimate the resistance in an instant. They would have followed them and completely wiped them out. But thanks to Paige, some were able to live to fight another day. She faced down death fearlessly and saved everyone.
Rey Wakes Luke Up
When Rey comes to the island, she serves as a wake-up call to Luke. Many would have given up in the face of Luke’s despair and nihilism, but Rey stubbornly follows him everywhere, communicating her cause. She’s able to break through to the lapsed Jedi a little and remind him of his old self. She gets him to confide in her about his past and even scores some lessons with the legendary Luke Skywalker. The Last Jedi also continued to show us just how talented Rey is through her use of the Force. She’s able to easily communicate with Kylo across long distances and her raw strength is so much that Luke is disconcerted by it. It’s safe to say that without Rey, Luke wouldn’t have left the island.
Vice Admiral Holdo Takes Command
Vice Admiral Holdo takes over for Leia after she is injured and in many ways, she shows she has a good grasp of command and a good head on her shoulders. Due to his anger at being skipped over for command, his grief over Leia’s injury and perhaps a bit of disdain towards Holdo’s graceful and feminine manner, Poe doubts her plan to abandon ship and assumes she is being foolish and cowardly. However, he is proven wrong. Holdo’s plan is anything but that. She intended all along to distract the First Order herself (essentially offering up her own life) while the remaining resistance took refuge in a secure Rebel base. Her plan would have probably worked very well had it not been for Poe’s interference.
Though, it should be noted, while Holdo is great at strategy, her people skills could use some work. There was no reason given for why she didn’t communicate the full plan to her crew and her aloofness is what led the crew to mutiny. It wasn’t just Poe who questioned her, he had plenty of people on his side. However, she took Poe’s mutiny pretty well and didn’t hold a grudge, so she gets props for that.
Rose Teaches Finn to Look Closer
There’s a small, understated moment between Rose and Finn that’s majorly important to the film thematically and really drives Finn’s journey. Finn is wowed by the glitz and glamor of the casino on Canto Bight, but Rose informs him that there’s ugliness underneath the opulence. All the rich gamblers are war profiteers and their riches come from bloodshed. Indeed, all the luxuries the upper class enjoys are a result of exploiting the poor and enslaved. Rose was formerly one of that underclass, after all.
Finn has been isolated due to his upbringing in the first order, so he wasn’t familiar with any of this, and it’s clear that Rose’s wisdom and words have a huge impact on him and change his worldview greatly. It probably thanks largely to this revelation that he decides to side firmly with the resitance, even after being tempted to strike out on his own. Rose dropped a much-needed truth bomb and kept Finn on the right track.
Rey Kicks Ass and Resists the Dark Side
Rey kicked some serious tail with Kylo’s lightsaber, easily decimating the mooks of the first order. She really is a fighter and it’s a joy to watch her do her thing.
There’s also the fact that throughout the movie, Rey reaches out to Kylo Ren and tries to bring him to the light. It ultimately proves futile, but it is an impressive show of compassion and detemination on her part. She wants him to come back, for the sake of Luke, Leia and the late Han Solo, who tried to reach out to Kylo even with his dying breath. But Kylo proves to be too far gone. He then tempts Rey with the dark side after breaking her heart with the revelation that she comes from nothing. It’s clear to see in her despair that Rey is tempted by Kylo’s offer, but in the end she has the strength he does not- the strength to resist and the strength to know right from wrong.
She rejects him and they struggle over Anakin’s lightsaber. Impressively, Rey proves to be an even match for Kylo and the lightsaber is destroyed by the clash of wills. After this, Rey symbolically cuts Kylo off, slamming the door in his face when he reaches out to her with the Force. She may be compassionate, but she knows when to give up on a lost cause too. That’s an invaluable strength to have. Even with the revelation she doesn’t have some special destiny or bloodline, she remains a hero and does the right thing-she proves she can be important just by being her strong, confident self.
Rose Frees and Inspires
Many have complained that Finn and Rose’s arc on Canto Bight was a waste of time, but I actually think the way they tear through the town and make an impact on the people (and falthiers)was one of the most important, and thematically resonant parts of the movie. Rose expresses and desire to put her “fist through the whole lousy, beautiful town” of Canto, destroying the excess riches earned through blood and cruelty. And she succeeds in doing just that. She and Finn utterly tear up the town, symbolically destoying this ugly offshoot of the Empire.
What’s more, during her time on Canto Bight, Rose is one of the few in the movie who mananges to do some good things that don’t end in devastation and failure. She actually makes a positive impact. First, she frees the abused falthier, an act of resistance and compassion she says is worth the risk of death. But she also inspires some abused children to resist and gives them hope, which could prove to be one of the most important and lasting accomplishment in the movie.
As Rogue One told us, “rebellions are built on hope”. So Rose inspiring some kids to rise up is invaluable and could even turn out to be something that turns to tide of resistance. We see the boy at the end holding his broom like a Jedi, wearing the resistance badge. It seems very likely this kid will be important- for all we know he could save everything. And it’s thanks to Rose if he does. Even if it doesn’t come to something huge, the fact that they changed these kids lives and kept them going and spread the message of the resistance is important in itself.
Rose’s actions in Canto Bight show that even small victories and kindnesses can be shockingly important and that’s something that’s valuable to remember in everyday life.
Amilyn Holdo's Heroic Sacrifice
Vice Admiral Amilyn Holdo’s sacrifice to save the resistance was breathtaking. The way she selflessly threw herself into the fray was beyond heroic and the blow she struck against the First Order in doing so was huge. It’s certainly one of the most epic heroic sacrifices in the franchise and it was visually stunning. The moment where she rams into the ship Supremacy and cleaves it in half sent chills through the theatre I was in. The utter silence and muted colors allowed the audience to really feel the weight of her heroic last stand. And once again, the entire resistance would have definitely perishes if it weren’t for Holdo’s actions. She decimated much of the opposition in one fell swoop and bravely gave her life to do so.
Rose Saves Finn
Finn rushing suicidally into the fray had many in the theatre cringing and scared the beloved hero would meet his end. But Rose swooped in and saved the day, ramming his ship out of the line of fire and greatly injuring herself in the process. After this she delivers the line, “it’s not about fighting what you hate, it’s about saving what you love.” Rose proved herself to be the heart of the movie with that bit- she embodies the ideals of resistance and the bravery and love we should all aspire too. And thanks to her, Finn is still breathing!
Rey Saves the Resistance
The resistance had no hope at the end of the movie- there were only a few of them left and now they were trapped with no chance of escape. That is, until Rey arrives and saves the day! By in her own words, “lifting a bunch of rocks”, a Force technique she previously scoffed at, Rey frees the resistance. It’s entirely thanks to her that the rebellion lives on at all. With this action, she proved herself worthy of being the last Jedi, something Luke himself confirms. After all, the Jedi way is about being a representative of peace. Saving people by lifting rocks may not be flashy, but it’s important.
Leia...just...Leia
Leia was amazing throughout the movie and Carrie Fisher’s final performance was breathtaking. Leia really shone as a leader, commander and strong figure overall. She showed off some new powers, taught valuable lessons and generally just took charge and got things done. In fact, Leia did SO many amazing things, I had to write an entire article to cover them all. So go check it out!