One hero inStar Wars’Dark Times was absolutely essential to the future of the galaxy, and he wasn’t a Jedi or a Skywalker. Few points intheStar Warstimelinehave proven more critical inStar Warsmovies and TV showsthan the Dark Times. Not only was this era the backdrop of the original trilogy, but also, this period in the galaxy has come to define all that came before and after the originalStar Warsmovies.
However, it’s very often the Jedi or the members ofthe Skywalker family treewho are most strongly associated with the triumphs of this era. As movies likeRogue One: A Star Wars Storyand shows such asStar Wars: The Bad Batchhave revealed, though, it wasn’t onlyStar Wars’most powerful Jediwho won the day for the Rebels. Rather,one key player was pivotal in overthrowing the Empire and securing the future of the Jedi and the New Republic during the Dark Times, and he doesn’t get nearly enough recognition.
The Galactic Empire Timeline Explained: The Dark Times, The Rebellion, & The Galactic Civil War
The Empire was the backdrop for much of the world-building in the original Star Wars trilogy, but what did the regime’s reign really look like?
Bail Organa Was Essential To The Rebellion
Bail Organa’s work with the Rebellion began before the Empire had even truly been established. In fact, in a deleted scene fromStar Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Bail sat down with Mon Mothma, Padmé Amidala, and other dissenting senators to prepare a plan to stop Palpatine from taking control. Sadly, their efforts were undone when Palpatine managed to eradicate the Jedi during Order 66 and tear down the Republic. Nevertheless,Bail Organa never stopped laying the groundwork for the Empire to fall and working behind the scenes to safeguard the future.
In fact, Bail Organa remained one of the most vocal senators in the Galactic Senate, holding fast to the values he’d always had and refusing to go quietly into the Imperial Era. Of course, he was also heavily involved in the Rebellion, which has been highlighted in countlessStar Warsstories, from on-screen shows such asObi-Wan KenobiandStar Wars: Tales of the Jedito books such asStar Wars: Bloodline, written by Claudia Gray. InBloodlinein particular, Leia Organa recalled her father being the most vocal senator of them all and a true leader of the Rebellion.
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Of course, the dedication Bail continued to exhibit throughout the Dark Times comes as little surprise afterRevenge of the Sith. The end ofRevenge of the Sithrevealed how quickly Bail moved to help Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda, two of the fewsurvivors of Order 66, and how willingly he accepted Leia as his daughter. The latter is particularly impressive given Bail knew that Leia was the biological child of the fallen Anakin Skywalker, which could pose a major risk to him, his family, and his planet.
Bail And Breha Organa Raised Leia To Be The Leader She Was
Bail’s decision to adopt Leia also had implications far beyond revealing how compassionate and brave he was. Specifically,Bail and Breha Organa directly shaped the courageous, empathetic, and wise leader Leia grew up to be. In fact, theObi-Wan Kenobishow made that abundantly clear with Bail in particular, as it was clear he had taken Leia under his wing, instilled his values in her, and allowed her the freedom to find her own way.
Arguably, part of Leia’s bravery and wit were a matter of nature rather than nurture. After all, in theObi-Wan Kenobifinale, Obi-Wan directly tells Leia that she has gotten many of her wonderful traits from her biological parents, Anakin Skywalker and Padmé Amidala (although he does not name them to Leia). This is undoubtedly true to an extent, as Leia undeniably exhibits plenty of Anakin’s spunk and Padmé’s brilliance. However, Bail and Breha’s influence is clear.
Bail and Breha’s influence is clear.
Luke is an excellent point of comparison when it comes to Leia’s adoptive parents' influence. In the original trilogy, Luke Skywalker quickly became an incredibly powerful Jedi and a valiant Rebel. However, inA New Hope, Luke was not nearly in the same place developmentally. While Leia was being taken prisoner and interrogated by Darth Vader for assisting the Rebels, witnessing the destruction of her planet with a brave face, Luke was on Tatooine, unsure of himself and not yet familiar with the ways of the galaxy.They both benefited from Anakin and Padmé’s genetics, but Leia’s upbringing molded her.
Bail Was The Reason Leia Knew To Ask Obi-Wan For Help
Interestingly,Bail Organa was, by extension, also the reason Luke Skywalker joined the Rebellion. InA New Hope, Leia knew to send her distress signal directly to Obi-Wan because of his relationship with Bail.Obi-Wan Kenobirevealed that there was really so much more to this than just Bail and Obi-Wan having fought in the Clone Wars together, as Bail also called upon Obi-Wan then to save his daughter. In fact, with this added history, Leia had every confidence that Obi-Wan would save her, and it is for this reason R2-D2 delivered her message to Tatooine.
Of course, this ultimately ended up drawing Luke into the battle against the Empire as well, as he intercepted the message and uncovered Obi-Wan’s true history and identity (at least, to a certain degree). While Yoda and Obi-Wan had always planned for Luke to be the future of the Jedi, this truly was the catalyzing moment that turned Luke into the Rebel hero he eventually became. After all, prior to these events inA New Hope, Luke had been contemplating joining the Imperial Academy himself.
While Bail’s influence on Luke may have been by extension, his impact on Obi-Wan was direct. At the beginning ofObi-Wan Kenobi, Obi-Wan was revealed to have completely disconnected from the Force. In part, this was in an effort to conceal himself from the Empire. However, his terror when he learned of another Jedi looking for him made it clear that this went deeper than being in exile. Rather, Obi-Wan seemed to be gutted by all that had transpired with Order 66 and the fall of the Republic, and he had walked away from the path of a Jedi.
By seeking Obi-Wan’s help specifically, Bail brought Obi-Wan back to the Force and the way of the Jedi. In fact, it was through his interactions with Leia in particular that Obi-Wan’s faith was restored. Clearly, Bail Organa’s influence before, during, and after the Dark Times was immense, both in his direct work with the Galactic Senate and the Rebellion and in the relationships he formed with those around him. While his name likely isn’t one of the first that comes to mind when it comes toStar Warsheroes, it certainly deserves to be.
