Next month, when Star Wars: The Force Awakens finally hits theaters, Carrie Fisher will be returning to the role that made her famous, playing Leia Organa for the first time in over thirty years. According to a new report coming from Entertainment Weekly however, one thing will be very different about Leia this time around: she’ll no longer be going by the title “Princess” Leia. Instead, the war-weary leader of the Resistance will be referred to as General Leia.

According to an interview in EW with director JJ Abrams, “She’s referred to as General. But … there’s a moment in the movie where a character sort of slips and calls her ‘Princess.’” Although Abrams isn’t giving any indication about who it is exactly who pulls out the old royal title, If I were a betting man, I’d say that person’s name rhymes with Shmam Shmolo. Although I suppose good old Threepio might have a hard time letting go of all those old, formal titles. He seems the type.

We are also likely going to see a more serious Leia. Abrams said, “The stakes are pretty high in the story for her, so there’s not much goofing around where Leia’s concerned. But it felt historic to have her, especially with Harrison, back in scenes together. I can only imagine the baggage that they bring to it, I’m just a fan who loves this stuff, but they’ve been living with it — and living in it — since ’77.”

When asked by EW how Leia was holding up some thirty years after Return of the Jedi, Fisher says “Not easily.” She goes on to describe Leia as “solitary. Under a lot of pressure. Committed as ever to her cause, but I would imagine feeling somewhat defeated, tired, and pissed.” But Leia is a survivor, and and for generations of girls who grew up with her as an idol and role model, Fisher says the one thing those fans can always take away from her character is this credo: “Never give up.”

To be fair, Leia should have probably dropped the “Princess” title after the events of A New Hope. I mean, in that movie, the Death Star blows up Alderaan, the planet where she was princess. Meaning in the following two movies, she’s pretty much the princess of a bunch of floating rocks in space. Not very glamorous.

Oh, and before someone comments that she’ll always be a  princess because her birth mother was Queen Padme Amidala, that still doesn’t count. While Padme was queen of Naboo as a teen, Naboo had this weird system where they had elected queens, which were mostly teenage girls. When Padme gave birth to Leia, she was no longer Queen. Leia only had the title Princess because she was adopted in the royal family on Alderaan. Which, as we all know, went boom.

What do you think of Leia’s title change? Are you cool with General Leia, or do you wish we were getting Jedi Master Leia instead? Let us know in the comments below!

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HT: Entertainment Weekly
IMAGE: Lucasfilm