Leia will be like a “surrogate” mother to Poe in Star Wars: The Last Jedi

One of the biggest themes in Star Wars is family, both blood-related and not blood-related. It connects all of the trilogies together and it's a vital piece of the story. With Star Wars: The Last Jedi, the story will continue to expand on that theme with General Leia and Resistance pilot Poe Dameron.

Although the former Princess lost her son to the dark side, that hasn't stopped General Leia from growing closer with the heroic, talented Resistance fighter Poe Dameron. Maybe she sees a bit of Han Solo in him, maybe she just sees a strong hero who can help bring hope to the galaxy.

“Poe is in some ways a surrogate son for Leia,” Oscar Isaac told EW. “But also I think she sees in him the potential for a truly great leader of the Resistance and beyond.”

“Poe’s arc is one of evolving from a heroic soldier to a seasoned leader, to see beyond the single-mindedness of winning the battle to the larger picture of the future of the galaxy,” Isaac says. “I think Leia knows she won’t be around forever and she, with tough love, wants to push Poe to be more than the badass pilot, to temper his heroic impulses with wisdom and clarity.”

Sadly, Issac's right. Leia won't be around forever. The Last Jedi will mark the last on-screen appearance of Carrie Fisher's strong female protagonist. The character has inspired many young females across the world since 1977 and has always been a highlight of the original trilogy. Fisher tragically passed away in December and to honor her memory and the character, there are no plans to bring her back via CG in Episode XI.

“There’s no way that we could’ve known this would’ve been the last Star Wars movie she would be in, so it’s not like we made the film thinking that we were bringing closure to the character,” said director Rian Johnson. “But watching the film, there’s going to be a very emotional reaction to what she does in this movie.”

Since Issac's character is so close with Leia over the course of the eighth Star Wars film, it's no surprise that the two actors also grew close. During his interview with EW, Oscar Issac remembered a bittersweet memory from the set that is touching and heartbreaking.

“One of my favorite things that would happen from time to time on set would be when Carrie would sing old songs,” he says. “Whenever that would happen I would offer her my hand and we would waltz around the set – on a starship, in a Rebel base, on an alien planet, and she would sing and we would dance. So surreal and beautiful to think about now. For all of her delicious, wicked humor and fiery energy she also had such sweet grace. I miss her dearly.”

Star Wars: The Last Jedi will hit theaters on December 15th, 2017, the film will add a handful of new creatures and will see Rey deal with rejection from Luke Skywalker.