As previously reported, Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) is no longer referred to as a princess in "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" and is now identified as a general of the resistance. However, back in "Return of the Jedi" it was revealed she is Luke Skywalker's (Mark Hamill) sister and also has a strong connection to the Force.
Fans have since pondered why Leia hasn't become a Jedi like her brother. Speaking to IGN, director J.J. Abrams got to resolve this mystery by stating it was a topic he and Carrie Fisher did discuss while working on the film.
"Why did she not take advantage of this natural Force strength that this character had," Abrams stated. "And one of the answers was that it was simply a choice that she made, that her decision to run the Rebellion, and ultimately this Resistance, and consider herself a General, as opposed to a Jedi. It was simply a choice that she took."
According to a report from Screen Rant, this answer implies Leia has been quite busy since the death of the Emperor (Ian McDiarmid) in "Return of the Jedi." Despite the Emperor's death, the Empire did not fall and crumble away and she may have spent most of her adult life now leading their army to purge the galaxy of the Empire's remaining forces.
Despite choosing to lead the Resistance instead of spending her days training as a Jedi, Abrams did comment that she is still strong with the Force and that this is still an integral part of her character. This may imply she can still feel the Force and may even find ways of communicating with other Force users, such as Luke, using this power.
General Leia will appear alongside Luke Skywalker, Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and newcomers Rey (Daisy Ridley) and Finn (John Boyega) when "Star Wars: The Force Awakens" is out this Dec. 18.
