Summary
- Star Wars Rebels corrected a mistake from Return of the Jedi by introducing Hera Syndulla, a skilled and brave Twi'lek pilot.
- Twi'leks have been sexualized and stereotyped as dancers ever since their introduction in Return of the Jedi with the Twi'lek Oola.
- Hera Syndulla broke the stereotypes of Twi'lek women, offering a refreshing and much-needed correction to the franchise's representation.
However, Rebels also introduced a number of incredible characters. One such character was Hera Syndulla, a Twi'lek pilot who effectively led the crew of the Ghost as they carried out various rebel activities to defend the galaxy against the Empire. In fact, Hera single-handedly addressed one key Star Wars issue that had lingered for decades, correcting the representation of an entire species that had begun on the wrong foot in Return of the Jedi.
Star Wars Rebels Voice Cast - What The Actors Look Like In Real Life
Star Wars Rebels features an amazing cast of live-action and voice-acting all-stars, each who bring an added edge to Star Wars.
Return Of The Jedi Sexualized Twi'leks From The Start
While Princess Leia's subjugation under Jabba the Hutt in Return of the Jedi is perhaps the most commonly referenced, Leia was not the first slave under Jabba depicted in the movie. Oola, the Twi'lek woman who was similarly trapped as a dancer for Jabba but, even worse, met her end when Jabba dropped her in with the rancor, was the slave whose place Leia took on Jabba's throne. At the time, perhaps Oola seemed to just be sexualized in the same way that Jabba's other slaves, Leia included, were.
Like Leia, Oola was forced to wear revealing, humiliating clothing to serve Jabba. She was also forced to dance for Jabba, which, although Leia never did, it was clear that this was an expectation for Jabba's slaves more generally. Again, this could have suggested that Oola was (sadly) just one of many who were forced to behave in this way for Jabba. However, over time, it became clear that this was to become a defining feature of the entire Twi'lek species and was actually much larger than one character or the nature of Jabba's Palace.
Star Wars Doubled Down On The Sexualization Of Twi'leks
Following the original trilogy's lead, the Star Wars prequel trilogy continued this unfortunate trend of sexualizing Twi'leks. Although Aayla Secura was an exciting Star Wars update, as she represented the first canon Twi'lek Jedi, her styling was also one that somewhat undercut that momentous turn. Like many female Jedi of the prequel era, Ahsoka Tano eventually included, Aayla was dressed in a revealing top that was very dissimilar to the Jedi's traditional robes seen on many other Jedi characters. Aayla hasn't been alone in that Twi'lek Jedi representation, though.
Following the original trilogy's lead, the Star Wars prequel trilogy continued this unfortunate trend of sexualizing Twi'leks.
Although notably not canon, Alema Rar was a Legends Twi'lek Jedi in the New Jedi Order era. Her history, perhaps even more than Aayla's, reinforced the Twi'lek representation in Return of the Jedi. In fact, prior to being trained as a Jedi, Alema and her sister also worked as dancers, continuing the longstanding connection between the Twi'lek species and that sexualizing form of servitude.
In part, this is due to Star Wars' pattern of categorizing species in particular ways across the board. While Twi'leks are often depicted in sexualizing ways, the women in particular, Gamorreans were often lackeys, Jawas were often scavengers and traders, and every member of Yoda's species has been Force-sensitive thus far. However, while this can partially explain why the Twi'lek representation throughout Star Wars has been so one-note, it doesn't change the problems with this archetype. Luckily, one Star Wars character truly changed the game for the Twi'lek species.
Star Wars: Every Major Species Ranked From Weakest To Strongest
There are countless species in Star Wars. While some of them are extremely powerful, others aren't as great as we thought.
Hera Syndulla Finally Fixed Star Wars' Twi'lek Problem
- Created By
- Dave Filoni
- Cast
- Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Vanessa Marshall
- First Appearance
- Star Wars Rebels
- Alliance
- Rebel Alliance, New Republic
- Franchise
- Star Wars
- Race
- Twi'lek
Rebels introduced a whole host of new characters, many of them excellent additions to the franchise. However, Hera Syndulla, the ace Twi'lek pilot leading the Ghost crew alongside Kanan Jarrus, was a particularly remarkable one. Unlike so many iterations of Twi'lek characters, Hera was a Twi'lek woman who not only wasn't sexualized but also broke the stereotypes of the species by being exceptionally skilled, brave, fierce, and free. In fact, as the antithesis of Twi'lek representation up until that point, in Rebels, Hera had a plot line where she was nearly enslaved but escaped by outsmarting and overpowering her captors.
Unlike so many iterations of Twi'lek characters, Hera was a Twi'lek woman who not only wasn't sexualized but also broke the stereotypes of the species by being exceptionally skilled, brave, fierce, and free.
In the episode "Idiot's Array," Lando Calrissian tricked Azmorigan into accepting Hera as a trade, with Azmorigan believing her to be a slave. While Hera wasn't then subjected to traditional Twi'lek dancing or other disturbing tasks similar to those depicted in Return of the Jedi, Azmorigan's behavior was trending in a more insidious direction. However, Hera wasted almost no time, tricking Azmorigan's guards into leaving, smashing him over the head, and escaping. Particularly the speed with which Hera escaped this situation was a lovely reversal of the fate of other Twi'leks thus far, Oola especially.
This was also an incredibly minor arc in Hera's Star Wars story, which has been considerable already and continues to be developed. After Rebels, Hera appeared in live-action in the Ahsoka show, working alongside the New Republic after the Empire fell. Given that Ahsoka season 2 is in the works, she will no doubt continue to appear, likely assisting in stopping Thrawn, who has just recently been unleashed upon the galaxy.
Ahsoka Ending Explained In Full
The Ahsoka finale brings the story to a triumphant close, with subtle reveals that promise great things for Anakin Skywalker's Padawan and Thrawn.
In whatever capacity she appears, though, Hera represents a truly wonderful turn for Star Wars that offered a reversal of one of its earliest mistakes. While Star Wars has an ever-growing number of amazing women characters, and although many Star Wars species tend to become monolithic, there was a particular issue with the way Twi'lek women had been treated in the franchise for decades. Now, with Hera Syndulla, Star Wars has truly corrected this one glaring Return of the Jedi error, thanks to the introduction of this skilled Twi'lek captain in Star Wars Rebels.
Star Wars Rebels
- Network
- Disney Channel
- Showrunner
- Dave Filoni, Simon Kinberg
- Directors
- Dave Filoni
Cast
David Oyelowo
Freddie Prinze Jr.
Tiya Sircar
WHERE TO WATCH
- Writers
- Dave Filoni, Greg Weisman
- Seasons
- 4
- Streaming Service(s)
- Dis
ALL STAR WARS TV SHOWS & MOVIES ARE AVAILABLE TO STREAM ON DISNEY PLUS
