WARNING: The following contains major spoilers for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker, in theaters now.

When Star Wars: The Force Awakens unveiled Ben Solo's (Adam Driver) fall from grace as a disciple of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill). This left fans wondering what exactly transpired at Luke's Jedi school in the wake of Return of the Jedi. Many assumed his first student was Leia (Carrie Fisher), the other hope for the galaxy Master Yoda spoke of in The Empire Strikes Back.

Instead, she decided to become the Resistance's leader and General because she believed diplomacy and war was her forte. But as The Rise of Skywalker reveals, Leia was indeed Luke's first apprentice, and she had potential to be the most powerful Jedi ever.

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The Visual Dictionary for J.J. Abrams' 2015 film revealed that Luke intended Leia to be his student, but she wanted to lead the military against the First Order's legion and stay outside the Force drama between Kylo Ren and Rey (Daisy Ridley).  This was disappointing because Leia demonstrated a Force connection with Luke in Empire, helping to find him when he was literally left hanging from Cloud City. By the time the big revelation came that she was Luke's twin sister, it wasn't a big surprise. And given Yoda's words, many hoped she'd someday follow her dad, Anakin, and brother in the Jedi Order.

Rian Johnson explored Leia's powerful ability to use the Force a bit more in The Last Jedi. She was shown using the mystical energy to propel herself out from the vacuum of space and back into the Raddus after Kylo blew her wing apart. However, it was clear this scene barely scratched the surface of what she was capable of.

Luke teased Leia's abilities on Ahch-To to Rey but it wasn't as defining as the scene Abrams fashions in the closing chapter of the Skywalker saga where Rey meets Luke's Force ghost and he rallies her not to give up the fight against Palpatine. He offers her Leia's blue lightsaber, and in a flashback, we witness the Skywalker siblings in a forest engaged in a sparring session. They've got helmets on that block their vision so they must use the Force to feel their way through nature. It's a no holds barred training moment that ends with a shocking result as Leia bests Luke. Luke's stunned his sister became so good so fast but the look on Leia's face says it all -- she's not surprised because her ability to use the Force comes naturally to her.

Luke eventually reveals Leia gave up her apprenticeship after visions foretold a dark future for her -- alluding to Ben's downfall. That's why she left her weapon in his temple. Leia did tell him, though, that someone would come to claim the lightsaber who could reset the galaxy and achieve balance. That's why Luke's anxious to give it to Rey. And as they speak in these brief moments, you can tell Luke reveres his sister and Rey knows what she's capable of too.

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Rey only ended up on Ahch-To in a self-imposed exile like Luke because Leia Force-projected and whispered to Kylo during their fight on Endor's fallen Death Star, causing her to die. Rey felt the enormous disturbance in the Force when this happened, confirming how strong Leia's presence was in it. Taking this act into account -- which we know only the most powerful Force users can accomplish after it killed Luke in The Last Jedi's finale when he ghosted to Crait from the ocean planet -- and how Leia summoned the Force to keep her alive in the cold fringes of the galaxy, it's clear she could have harnessed the Force like no one else.

In addition, the wisdom she passed down to Rey indicates she fit the Consular rank of the Jedi Order, which the likes of Yoda and Qui-Gon Jinn held. The icing on the cake came from her Guardian behavior in battle when she manhandled Luke, something not even Darth Vader or the Emperor could fully accomplish. This sort of warrior spirit and prowess was only found in elite soldiers such as Obi-Wan Kenobi, Luke and Anakin, so clearly Leia embodies the best of both worlds. She seemed to be stronger than Luke on all fronts, and given that she started her tutelage after Return of the Jedi, Leia truly deserves to be a contender for the greatest Jedi who ever lived, leaving us wondering just how powerful she could have been had she stayed the course.

Directed and co-written by J.J. Abrams, Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker stars Daisy Ridley, Adam Driver, John Boyega, Oscar Isaac, Lupita Nyong’o, Domhnall Gleeson, Kelly Marie Tran, Joonas Suotamo, Billie Lourd, Keri Russell, Anthony Daniels, Mark Hamill, Billy Dee Williams, and Carrie Fisher, with Naomi Ackie and Richard E. Grant. The film is in theaters now.

NEXT: JJ Abrams: Carrie Fisher Is 'Very Much Alive With Us' in Rise of Skywalker