Princess Leia’s metal bikini from the final entry of the original Star Wars trilogy, Return of the Jedi, launched a generation of nerds into puberty and made Carrie Fisher one of the indelible sex symbols of the 20th century, but the outfit isn’t without its detractors. The “slave girl” outfit feels like a somewhat out-of-place bit of pandering in a series that’s largely free of such things and has, unfortunately, become Leia’s most iconic look despite the fact that it isn’t a particularly accurate representation of her character. It’s just a thing a big gross space slug made her wear this one time, y’know? Carrie Fisher herself has mixed feelings on the outfit, and recently warned Star Wars newcomer Daisy Ridley against getting put in any metal bikinis.
Well, from the sounds of it, Ridley doesn’t have much to worry about. Disney’s not only avoiding skimpy outfits in their Star Wars movies, but may be looking to retire the metal bikini from all future Princess Leia-related merchandise. This is still a rumor for now, but it comes from Making Star Wars, who have had a solid track record when it comes to Star Wars-related information and scuttlebutt.
In addition to that rumor, comic artist J. Scott Campbell, who has been working on some Star Wars-related material lately, says it seems as though Disney wants to avoid depicting Leia in the metal bikini or any overly sexualized poses…
While I’m sure plenty of nerds will gnash their teeth over this, it’s hard to blame Disney. It’s a different era, and the metal bikini look has absolutely been overemphasized over the years. In 2015, a toy wearing a tiny bikini described as a “slave” outfit is, rightfully, a tough sell. Also, Princess Leia is about to be reintroduced to a new generation of young fans, likely as a more of a motherly/mentor figure, so it might inspire some youthful questions if she was half naked in the majority of her merchandise.
And hey, you’ll still have your memories, something being a little taboo makes it all the sexier, and the white dress and cinnamon bun hair from the first movie was the better look anyways, so try to chill about this.
(via Toyland & Making Star Wars)
