Before A New Hope

     The daughter of Anakin Skywalker and Padme' Amidala, and twin sister to Luke Skywalker, Leia was separated from her brother at birth in an effort to hide their potential Force-sensitivity. She and her mother were hidden with Bail Organa on the planet Alderaan, where she grew up in the political atmosphere surrounding an Imperial Senator.
     Leia herself grew proficient in the world of politics, and eventually became a Senator herself. Her mother became Alderaan's Mistress of Education, but died while Leia was still young. Once Leia saw the internal corruption that Emperor Palpatine was fomenting, she quickly turned her idealistic mind to the growing Alliance to Restore the Republic. She became very active in the Alliance, and was chosen to escort the stolen plans to the first Death Star to their final destination.

Classic Trilogy

     After being captured by Darth Vader and tortured, her homeworld of Alderaan was destroyed by Grand Moff Tarkin. This only hardened her resolve, and crystallized her desire to overthrow the Empire. Following the Battle of Yavin, Leia began to fall in love with Han Solo. The bounty on his life, however, separated them until Leia could gain access to Jabba the Hutt's palace and rescue him, with the help of Luke Skywalker and Lando Calrissian. She then helped the Alliance prepare for the Battle of Endor, and even was a member of Han's ground assault team. Her communication with the Ewoks led to the cooperation of the two forces against the Empire, and helped the Alliance destroy the second Death Star.

The New Republic

     She then led the team assigned to the Bakura situation, and successfully teamed up with the Imperial forces there to defeat the Ssi-ruuk. During Warlord Zsinj's reign, she appealed to the Hapans for aid in overthrowing Zsinj. They Hapans agreed to help, but only if she were to marry the crown prince, Isolder. This led to the discovery of her love for Han, as well as the Witches of Dathomir. In the end, Isolder shook off his mother's mantle and agreed to help the Alliance without marrying Leia, and he gladly gave her hand to Han Solo.
     Leia's marriage to Han Solo produced three Force-sensitive children: Jaina and Jacen (twins) and young baby Anakin. She worked hard to keep both Admiral Thrawn and Caridan Ambassador Furgan from kidnapping them by hiding them on Anoth with her childhood friend Winter. Following the birth of Jacen and Jaina, Leia and Luke used their combined powers to destroy the reborn Emperor Palpatine on Byss. After the birth of baby Anakin, Leia assumed the role of Chief of State of the New Republic when Mon Mothma stepped down. However, continued attempts on the lives of her family forced Leia to take a hiatus from leading the Republic at the time when Moff Disra began his power play.
     This allowed her to assist the New Republic in resolving the situation while allowing her to maintain contact with her family. After she successfully negotiated a peace treaty with Imperial Admiral Pellaeon, Leia resigned her position as Chief of State, but remained a vital part of the government whenever she could. During the Yuuzhan Vong invasion of the galaxy, Leia was one of the strongest voices the New Republic had in identifying the threat and ensuring that there was room for refugees fleeing the warzones.
     However, the death of Chewbacca at Sernpidal plunged Han into a deep depression, and he grew snappy with his family. Leia tried to understand Han's loss, but was unable to break through. When Han left Coruscant with Roa, Leia became angry with him for trying to keep his destination a secret. When Han returned, only to leave again to locate Roa, Leia refused to have him gallavanting across the galaxy. As Han left, he and Leia had a fight, and they parted on poor terms.
     Their estrangement deepened in the wake of the Battle of Fondor, when Leia refused to reduce her efforts on behalf of SELCORE to try and patch things up. Han remained at Fondor to help Droma and his family, but would not come back to Coruscant unless Leia agreed to meet with him. Leia was unexpectedly reunited with Han on the planet Duro, as the New Republic tried to bolster the spirits of the refugees by having them help in the reclamation of the planet's surface. Han ws helped Droma with settling refugees into their new homes, while Leia was heading up the committee which was directing the clean-up of Duro.      They both realized that their petty arguments were nothing compared to what was happening in the rest of the galaxy, and began working to restore their relationship. However, the Yuuzhan Vong attacked Duro, and Leia was captured by the Warmaster Tsavong Lah. In a desparate struggle, Leia and Randa the Hutt tried to escape. The Hutt ultimately gave his life to help Leia, but she was captured by the Warmaster and nearly killed by Tsavong Lah. Jacen's assault forced the Yuuzhan Vong to flee, and Jaina Solo's timely arrival helped save Leia, who had suffered massive blood loss in the fight.

Leia Organa is portrayed by Carrie Fisher in all three Star Wars films. Leia was also portrayed by Ann Sachs for the Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back Radio Dramas on National Public Radio.

From The Completely Unofficial Star Wars Encyclopedia - Version 5.0 by Bob Vitas