Portrayed by Carrie Fisher, Princess Leia is one of the central characters of Star Wars. She is introduced in A New Hope—well, technically in Revenge of the Sith, but that hardly counts—and goes on to appear in the other movies, as well. A heroine who doesn't shy away from leading her people or from adventure, Leia was truly an icon when she appeared in the original trilogy, saving the universe along with Luke and Han.
From being an agent of the rebel alliance to commanding a rebel base, to fighting against imperial troops, Leia does it all. She is snarky, she is strong-willed, she's determined, and she fights for what is right. Here are some of her most iconic quotes from the original trilogy.
10 "Somebody Has To Save Our Skins"
Leia is feisty and doesn't wait around to be helped or rescued. So, Han is in for a big surprise when she takes matters into her own hands instead of letting herself be helped by these two random rogues who came to save her. Leia makes plans and actually follows them through. She is incredible here, and she decides how best to make sure she saves herself and the two others, as well.
9 "Will Somebody Get This Big Walking Carpet Out Of My Way?"
Leia meets Chewbacca the Wookie for the first time in A New Hope, and, before Leia and Chewbacca become as attached as they do, Leia spits out one of the funniest lines in the movie. Chewbacca is incredibly hairy and big, and the reference to a big walking carpet does make sense, which makes it all the funnier. Han's hurt expression through it all is the cherry on top.
8 "I Am Not A Committee!"
Leia is part of the senate and has always functioned as a member of the alliance discussing things with fellow members before coming to decisions as to how to proceed. Han Solo has always been someone who just did things his way and found it incredibly hard to follow orders or to listen to discussions before doing something.
So, when Han shouts at Leia saying that they had no time to discuss this as a committee, Leia gets rightly offended and shouts out that she's not a committee, making the moment quite meme-worthy.
7 "You Do Have Your Moments"
The budding romance and obvious flirting in The Empire Strikes Back between Han Solo and Leia is quite fun to watch. They're both very snarky characters who want to have the last word. So when Leia points out that Han does have some moments, she's talking about how he's sometimes quite smart and knows how to work his way out of sticky situations. But, she also can't stop herself from adding, "not many of them, but you have them."
6 "You Certainly Have A Way With People"
In The Empire Strikes Back, Lando makes a deal with Darth Vader that lands them all in trouble. They're used as bait to lure Luke there and Lando doesn't realize the extent to which he has messed up things until he hears what Vader intends to do.
Han and Lando start to fight, but they're quickly stopped, and Lando says that he did what he could and he had his own problems. Han is spiteful about his friend having betrayed them and is quite sarcastic when he calls him a hero. Leia witnesses all this and simply says what she's wanted to say from the beginning.
5 "I Know"
One of the most popular lines in the franchise, "I love you. I know" appears twice in the original trilogy. In The Empire Strikes Back, Leia professes her love when Han replies back that he knows this. In Return Of The Jedi, the tables have turned and it is Han who professes his love, and it is Leia who simply smiles and replies "I know."
The development of their relationship is made very evident in this manner.
4 "General, Count Me In"
When Han is looking for a command crew for his shuttle to prepare for the attack on the new Death Star, Chewie immediately signs up for this incredibly difficult task. Leia always signs up without missing a beat, and viewers can see the mutual respect that Han and Leia now have for each other. They love each other but also trust each other to have their backs and this is a momentous occasion when it is made evident.
3 "Well, Looks Like I'm Stuck Here"
In Return Of The Jedi, Leia and the rest of the gang are on Endor, which is home to the Ewoks. During the fight with the Imperial troops, Leia gets knocked out. She's woken up by an Ewok and realizes that there's no one else around. She continues to say, "Trouble is, I don't know where here is" which makes the moment quite comical in between this whole mess with the troops.
2 "Somehow, I've Always Known"
This could be one of two things; either Leia has always known that she has the Force inside of her, or she's always known that Luke was her brother. It's quite possible that this line is in reply to both of these things.
But, this reply of hers after she finds out that Luke is her brother is quite iconic because of the implications this has in the entire Star Wars folklore. Luke and Leia are the children of Darth Vader, siblings who have the power of the Force and this is a very significant revelation.
1 "I Can Feel It"
Once she's revealed the truth about her parentage and finds out about Luke being her brother, she seems to be able to understand that her strong emotions are actually more than just that. The Force is strong in her family, and she would have been able to know if her brother had died. She can feel that he's still alive, she can feel his life, and this is an incredible moment in the trilogy where viewers get a glimpse of what it means for Leia to know this.