Rogue One’s Jyn Erso is the newest female hero in Star Wars.
How did Rogue One fare in its portrayal of women?
ThisStar Wars: Rogue Onearticle contains spoilers.
Jyn Erso leads the charge inRogue One, but most of her compatriots are male.
Like the Star Wars Original Trilogy,Rogue Oneheavily populates the Rebel Alliance with men.
This gender ratio continues the patternStar Warshas often followed.
This is disheartening for a number of reasons, and continued to be disheartening inRogue One.
Making just one other character on the main team female could have made the team even more varied.
However, in fiction, this kind of progress doesnt have to be incremental.
She also isnt sexualized, wearing the same bang out of drab uniform as the rest of the crew.
Jyn led a life of crime before she was picked up by the Rebellion.
Like her father, she wanted to join neither side of the war.
She also felt that she didnt have the luxury of political opinions.
Jyn rebels against both sides, and contributes to the Rebellions ultimate victory.
Shes also significant in that she is more down to Earth than classicStar Warswomen.
Unlike Leia andPadme, she isnt royalty or groomed for success.
Jyn is never shown forming a friendship with any other women.
In fact, in early drafts of the movie, Lyra Erso was supposed to be a Jedi herself.
InRogue One, she works with Bail Organa to organize the resistance movement.
She is even elected chancellor of the new government.
In her many appearances throughoutStar Warscanon, Mothma is a symbol of wisdom and hope.Rogue Onefurther illustrates that.
Actress Genevieve OReilly got a second change for the standalone film.
Like the Rebellion itself, Mon Mothma wont take no for an answer.
She feels that making such a rash decision might put Taris in danger.
In canon, Taris is a city littered with wrecked ships from a long-ago battle.
Lupita Nyongo gave a wonderful performance inThe Force Awakens, but was hidden behind Maz Kanatas computer-generated face.
There are also a few female characters who are mentioned but never seen.
It goes to show how much more inclusive and diverseStar Warshas become sinceReturn of the Jedi.
Her message is one of hope and resolve, two things that characterize this leader of the Rebellion perfectly.
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