Star Wars. Possibly the largest and most-followed franchise on earth. Originating in 1997, the legendary tales of Jedi force and fighting against the dark side, the Star Wars movies have become a much-loved part of many people's lives. Now after ten years of anxious waiting, Star Wars has come out with a new chapter to add to this thrilling saga, with Episode VII: The Force Awakens. And there’s a new perspective on the movies that we have not seen much of before. This movie is centered  a female protagonist.

Rey, played by up and coming British actress Daisy Ridley, is an independent young woman living by herself in the planet Jakku when an escaping former storm trooper crosses her and path and they go on an adventure to fight against the dark forces of the First Order

Now I'm aware that there have been previous, strong female roles (including Princess Leia and Padmé Amidala) however, here is a slight yet significant difference between these three characters. Unlike previous characters, Rey has not needed a male significant other to “protect her” or “guide her. She is fully independent and capable of taking care of herself without someone watching over her.

Somehow this gave me a much larger and profound respect for the franchise. To me, it was long overdue to have a female leading the course of them movie, rather than having he rdeep in the shadows of the male.

Stereotypically, the Star Wars franchise has been seen as more of a “boy-oriented” commodity, with all the male protagonists leading the story, but what about all the little girls, who dream of holding a lightsaber?