The iconic and original Star Wars awed America when it debuted on May 25, 1977. But since then, Star Wars has turned into a worldwide cultural phenomenon. There are action figures, dolls, backpacks, games, and endless other merchandise from which to choose, all arising from the Star Wars franchise. The films also launched the careers of many actors, making them household names nearly overnight: Harrison Ford, Mark Hamill, and Carrie Fisher just to name a few.

However, the film saga famous for taking place “in a galaxy far, far away” lost one of its brightest stars this years. Carrie Fisher, the actress who first skyrocketed to fame by playing the spunky and beautiful Princess Leia Organa, passed away just two days after Christmas due to a heart attack she suffered on a flight from London to Los Angeles. This was a devastating moment for Star Wars fans and a shock to the film industry as a whole. Even worse, Fisher’s mother, actress Debbie Reynolds, whose memorable starring roles included Singin’ in the Rain, Tammy and the Bachelor, and The Unsinkable Molly Brown, died just a day after her daughter due to a severe stroke. It was a strange turn of events that left many Star Wars fans at Benjamin stunned.

“[Carrie Fisher] was a good actress and I think it was a big hit to all the Star Wars fans out there,” said seventh grader Caden Quinn, a self-professed Star Wars fanatic. “It is going to be hard doing Princess Leia without her.”

“My favorite aspect of Carrie Fisher’s role in Star Wars is that she is not a woman to be dominated by an unfair patriarchy,” added middle school English teacher Mr. Nathan Ginnetty. “She is the princess of Star Wars.”

Sixth-grade student Darren Dharia said, “I don’t think that Star Wars will do very well without Carrie Fisher because she was in [Episodes] IV, V, VI, [and VII]. She would have been one of the main characters in Star Wars: Episode VIII.”

Fisher may have been best known for her role in the Star Wars films, but she was also an acclaimed writer. Her first novel, 1987’s Postcards from the Edge, a semi-autobiographical story about her drug addiction and relationship with her mother, earned her the Los Angeles Pen Award for Best First Novel. It was later turned into a movie by Columbia Pictures starring Meryl Streep, Shirley MacLaine, and Dennis Quaid. She also continued to act and made notable appearances in The Blues Brothers, When Harry Met Sally, and The ‘Burbs.

Perhaps Fisher’s fans can take comfort in the words of one of her former co-stars, Yoda – the ancient and sagacious Jedi master from Star Wars: “Death is a natural part of life,” he says to Anakin Skywalker in Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. “Rejoice for those around you who transform into the Force.”