Kind of like the MCU, Star Wars is built to endure the many questions that start with ‘what if’ since there are literally thousands of different ways this franchise could have gone by tweaking one thing or another. The comics have made this clear since several stories exist detailing what might have happened if Luke had died on Hoth and Leia had taken over as the last of the Jedi, or if Leia had been turned to the dark side, or if C-3PO had been damaged when Jabba the Hutt struck him in the throne room in Return of the Jedi. Trying to think about what might have happened when any of these occurrences took place would give just about anyone a headache after the first dozen since the ramifications are bound to be huge. But one such question does feel as though it would pose a serious threat to the galaxy, or a seriously different chain of events. But just imagine if Luke had been adopted by Bail Organa and his wife, and Leia had been given over to Owen and Beru Lars.
Anyone thinking that things might be the same isn’t completely off the mark since it’s fair to say that both twins would have still possessed the same type of spirit that made them so popular in the years to come. But growing up in different surroundings does make it easy to state that they might have come to react to the worlds around them in very different ways. Luke was always pictured as headstrong and ready for adventure, while Leia’s strength of will and responsibility to those around her came to be the way that many defined her. As a moisture farmer, Luke didn’t know what adventure was all about since he was stuck on Tatooine more often than not, but as a member of royalty, Leia didn’t have much more freedom to be fair.
Both twins knew there was something out in the galaxy for them aside from what they’d been raised in, but neither of them really understood the depth of who they were and why it was important. For Leia though, her sense of self and her strong character would have likely helped her to survive Tatooine, and it does feel as though she would have grown just as tough, but perhaps a little more cynical and hard-edged, which is saying something since her character in the movies could never be described as soft. If anything, life on Tatooine would have likely made somewhat like Rey, though with a little more attitude and an air of something not quite the same as superiority, but still every bit as strong. Luke almost feels as though he would still be the type of kid that wanted to see everything and do everything that didn’t have to do with the day-to-day life of a royal. That goes to show that there’s one thing that both twins likely felt and were born with; their sense of adventure and faith that there was something more they were destined to do. Considering who their parents were, this isn’t surprising at all.
When I mentioned above that Leia would have been an earlier version of Rey, it would have likely been combined with the grace of Padme, but the streetwise nature of her grandfather, as just surviving the streets of Mos Eisley or Mos Espa would have taken a crafty and cunning mind and a diplomatic manner that would keep her out of trouble or negate any trouble before it happened. Luke feels as though he would have been reminiscent of his grandfather when Anakin joined the Jedi Order, as he might have been a little more mischievous and less prone to listening to anyone other than his parents. One has to remember that despite his protestations, he did listen to his aunt and uncle fairly well, even if he often grumbled at his station in life. It doesn’t feel as though this would change, but with more access to different ways to rebel and get into trouble, as well as the likelihood that his royal parents would never punish him too harshly, it’s possible that Luke would find many ways to annoy the attendants as much as possible.
When all is said and done it does feel as though both twins would have still found their way to the Rebellion, since trying to assume that they weren’t meant to be in one spot or another when deciding to take on the Empire feels kind of foolish. But putting the twins in different environments would have certainly changed them in ways that would be noticeable, as Leia feels as though she would have had Tatooine on lock at some point, while Luke might have become the tragic hero of Alderaan. Any way one looks at it, they would probably still have a huge part to play in the main story.
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