Credit: StarWars.comFor long-time Star Wars fans — myself included — sometimes it’s still hard to believe that Carrie Fisher, who brought Princess General Leia Organa to life for over 40 years, is no longer with us.
Fisher tragically passed away four years ago yesterday on December 27, 2016 — and just one day later, her mother, Debbie Reynolds, also died. On the anniversary of Fisher’s death, fans and Star Wars co-stars took to social media to remember the actress, who remains an icon.
Mark Hamill — who has long played Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars franchise — Tweeted a graphic reading “In Loving Memory of our Princess Carrie Fisher,” simply captioned:
#AlwaysWithUs
#AlwaysWithUs? pic.twitter.com/9pM042ZOt8
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) December 27, 2020
Fisher’s daughter, actress Billie Lourd — who played a young Leia in Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker (2019) — shared a photo of her and her mom with an inspirational message on Instagram. She wrote:
Sending my love and strength to everyone out there that’s missing a loved one they’ve lost. Especially those of you who have lost someone during this crazy year. You’re not alone.
Twitter user Kristin Baver shared a GIF of Fisher quipping, “If my life wasn’t funny, it would just be true, and that’s really unacceptable,” with the caption:
Missing this icon today and every day. #carriefisher
https://twitter.com/KristinBaver/status/1343376899909812233
The Imaginative Hobbyist posted a gorgeous picture of Fisher dressed as Leia, writing:
Four years since we lost this amazing woman…:(
#CarrieFisher #CarrieOnForever #RIPCarrieFisher
Four years since we lost this amazing woman… 🙁 #CarrieFisher #CarrieOnForever #RIPCarrieFisher pic.twitter.com/irWblDbhg3
— The Imaginative Hobbyist (@TheImgHobbyist) December 28, 2020
MonsterMash Ken Tweeted a selfie with Fisher and posted a touching message about meeting her just before her untimely death:
Best Celebrity Royalty I ever met randomly. Carrie passed away 2 weeks later. #CarrieOnForever #CarrieFisher #ThisDayInStarWarsHistory #StarWars
Best Celebrity Royalty I ever met randomly. Carrie passed away 2 weeks later. #CarrieOnForever #CarrieFisher #ThisDayInStarWarsHistory#StarWars pic.twitter.com/nAiFBADeZi
— MonsterMash Ken (@MonstermashKen) December 28, 2020
Finally, Michael Bussard Jr. posted a movie quote that sums up how most Star Wars fans feel about Fisher:
“To me…She’s royalty.” #StarWars #CarrieFisher
“To me… She’s royalty.” #StarWars #CarrieFisher pic.twitter.com/oa9RsXZQJW
— Michael Bussard Jr (@RebelAwakening) December 28, 2020
Related: Twitter Pays Tribute to Cameron Boyce, Carrie Fisher, Robin Williams and More
As another year comes to a close and Star Wars moves forward with Jon Favreau and Dave Filoni’s hit streaming series, The Mandalorian, at its epicenter, fans will never forget the actress who started it all alongside Hamill and Harrison Ford (Han Solo) in Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977), Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980), and Star Wars: Episode VI – The Return of the Jedi (1983).
George Lucas’s original trilogy remains — and will probably always remain — an iconic part of cinematic history. The Skywalker Saga lasted for over four decades and we can’t wait to see how Carrie Fisher’s legacy is remembered moving forward.
Carrie last played Leia in the Star Wars sequel trilogy — Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens (2015), Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi (2017), and Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of the Skywalker (2019). Some CGI technology was used to splice old footage into the later films.
What is your favorite Princess Leia moment?