Carrie Fisher Wrote Leia's Funniest Lines In The Last Jedi

This post contains spoilers for Star Wars: The Last Jedi. 

In the wake of her untimely passing, it's only fitting that Star Wars: The Last Jedi was dedicated to the Carrie Fisher, ending with a note commemorating the "loving memory of our princess". But Fisher's final appearance in the role of Leia Organa was also a showcase for the actress and writer's wit, with Leia's funniest lines in the movie being a result of her contributions.

According to an interview between People magazine and writer-director Rian Johnson, Fisher's input on the script was invited, with several of her lines making it into the final movie. 

One example is when Luke and Leia make their long-awaited onscreen reunion. Leia cuts the tension of the moment, greeting her brother with the comedic remark, "I know what you're gonna say—I changed my hair."

"That was her," Johnson said. "That was a Carrie Fisher line. Of course it was." 

Fisher also undercut the weight of the oft-repeated "May the Force be with you" phrase, telling Laura Dern's Vice Admiral Holdo "You go, I've said it enough" when it came time to exchange the lofty pleasantry. Clearly, all these years of having the Force with her have taken a little bit of the mysticism out of the whole thing.

"In the scene with Holdo, that was Carrie," Johnson said. 

According to Johnson, having a little bit of humor in the movie was extremely important to him, even if it took some viewers by surprise. 

"I think that as Star Wars fans, especially as adults, you can get into a mindset of wanting it to just be the heavy opera," Johnson said. "And I don't know, I was 10 years old when Return of the Jedi came out. That was the perfect age for it. And the humor and the slight goofiness of it also, and kind of the slight free-wheeling feel of it, and how it's unafraid to have fun, that to me is essential."

The Last Jedi's release was met with much gnashing of teeth for the perceived changes the movie had in tone and style compared to the previous movies in the series, with some finding the humor of the flick to be off-putting. It's pretty difficult to get up the energy to argue against Carrie Fisher, however, and her lines of levity in particular are ones that definitely worked, true to her character and steeped in series history. (Also fun was when she told the frozen-faced droid C-3PO to stop looking so nervous all of the time.)

If you've watched, oh, any interview (or George Lucas roast) Fisher ever gave, you know she's far and away the funniest person ever to be involved with Star Wars. The fact that her wit got to shine through during her bittersweet sendoff is, if unintentional, perfectly fitting. 

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is in theaters now.