Leia Organa, Princess and Senator from the planet Alderaan, became involved with the Rebel Alliance and soon was one of its most popular and influential cell leaders. Her foster father, Bail Organa of the Royal Family of Alderaan, raised her as though she were his own daughter, and as a princess.. learning the principles of justice and honor along with other studies. As she grew older, she became a political leader on Alderaan, eventually winning a seat on the Imperial Senate at a young age. But while she fought for reforms on the Senate floor, she also went to work for the Alliance to Restore the Republic. It was while on a two-fold mission for the Alliance and her foster father that she became involved in the events that would lead her into the company of Luke Skywalker and Han Solo.

At Bail Organa's insistence, Leia was heading for Tatooine to find General Obi-Wan Kenobi and recruit him for the Rebellion. On the way, she received plans for the Death Star battle station, which had been stolen by Rebel spies and transmitted to her ship. Before she could reach Obi-Wan, her consular ship Tantive IV was intercepted by an Imperial Star Destroyer under the command of Lord Darth Vader. She barely had time to hide the plans in the memory banks of an astromech droid and order it to find Obi-Wan Kenobi before she was captured. As a prisoner of Vader, Leia underwent terrible interrogation sessions as the Imperials sought to discover the location of the main Rebel base as well as the whereabouts of the stolen technical plans.

She withstood everything they used upon her, giving them only the name of an abandoned base for their trouble. Worse, though, she was forced to watch as her beloved adopted homeworld was destroyed in an awesome display of the Death Star's power. Shortly thereafter, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo rescued her from the battle station and ferried her and the technical plans to the real Rebel base on Yavin Four. Due to Leia's efforts and the help of her new companions, the first Death Star was eventually destroyed.

With Alderaan gone, Luke, Han and Chewbacca became Leia's new family, and she threw herself into her work with the Alliance. During the three years that followed the Battle of Yavin, Leia grew to love her companions. The group had numerous adventures, becoming heroes and the inspiration for the struggling Alliance. When Han Solo was captured, Leia was among the small team that went to bring him back. She pretended to be the Ubese bounty hunter Boushh in order to get into Jabba the Hutt's stronghold. Her identity was discovered, however, and Leia had ot endure the humilitation of being Jabba's slave for a time. But she paid back the crime lord, strangling him with the very chain that held her captive. Finally, Leia was a part of the strike force that went to the forest moon at the start of the Battle of Endor. Her diplomatic skills helped convince the native Ewoks to aid the Rebellion, thus bringing an end to the Galactic Civil War.

During the Battle of Endor, Leia learned that Luke Skywalker was her twin brother. The two had been separated at birth and placed in hiding by Obi-Wan Kenobi to keep them safe. It was believed that the twins, with their latent abilities in the Force, would be the last hope for the galaxy, provided they could be kept secret from the Emperor long enough to realize their potential.