The Untold Story of Leia Organa's Origins

The Bond Between Bail Organa and Leia

Bail and Breha Organa famously adopted their daughter Leia Organa at the end of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, after her birth mother Padm\u00e9 Amidala died in childbirth. However, there may be another reason why Leia went to the Organas.

Bail Organa and Padme Amidala in the Republic Senate from Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith

Senator Bail Organa had been good friends with Padm\u00e9 during the time of the Clone Wars and had even entered into an agreement on what would later become the leadership of the Rebel Alliance. In Star Wars Episode III - Revenge of the Sith, Bail Organa tells Obi-Wan Kenobi and Master Yoda that he and his wife Breha will take the girl, since they've always wanted one.

Bail and Beha Organa holding young Leia in Revenge of the Sith.

The Connection Between Naboo and Alderaan

As the Star Wars galaxy has expanded, audiences have got to see how integral Bail Organa was in the formation of the Rebellion. While much of Leia's tactfulness in the original Star Wars trilogy is often associated with Padm\u00e9, it cannot be overstated just how important Bail's influence on his daughter was. Without him, Leia may never have been the Rebel or leader she was. Despite Leia growing up on Alderaan, she still had deep ties to her birth mother's home world of Naboo.

Not only were the senators from Alderaan and Naboo good friends, but their planets were closely aligned. In the Star Wars Rebels season 2 sourcebook, it is explained that many Alderaanians settled on different planets - and that Naboo in particular had a significant Alderaanian population. This implies there are close relations between the two planets. This also makes sense because both planets have monarchies, with Padm\u00e9 being the former Queen of Naboo and Breha being the reigning monarch on Alderaan. Because of these similarities and overlapping populations, it's no wonder why the two planets have so many cultural similarities. In fact, the two planets even have similar architecture.

Despite this closeness in cultural and social aspects, Naboo and Alderaan were quite far in distance, with Alderaan being located within the Core and Naboo positioned within the Mid Rim. The idea of Alderaan being a haven for people of the galaxy and sharing that mentality with their close allies is based within canon. In the early years of the Empire, Bail Organa helped Ahsoka Tano evacuate farmers from the moon Raada, and most of them ended up joining the Rebellion and living on Alderaan. With so much interaction between Naboo and Alderaan, it's possible that some of these farmers even went to Naboo. After the destruction of Alderaan by the Death Star, it's also possible that many refugees went to live on Naboo, since their cultures are so similar.

The Legacy of Padm\u00e9 Amidala in Leia's Upbringing

Because Alderaan and Naboo's cultures are so closely linked, the Organas were likely able to bring Leia up similarly to the way Padm\u00e9 was. The Organas' understanding and knowledge of Naboo meant they could quietly honor some of Padm\u00e9 and Naboo's traditions. This means that, without ever realizing it, Leia Organa was still close to her mother and knew her people's traditions. It also shows Bail and Breha did not just take Leia in because they wanted a baby girl; they chose to raise her and respect her birth mother the best they could. Star Wars at its core is about family, and Bail and Breha Organa showed great devotion to their daughter's origins.