There’s a grand tradition in the Star Wars franchise of female characters who defy the stereotypical damsel-in-distress role. But in The Force Awakens we find Rey, the most fully formed and powerful female Star Wars character yet. That’s right, they managed to one-up Princess—beg your pardon—General Leia. Vague plot discussion for Episode VII below.

Inspired by the intrepid Dale Arden of the old Flash Gordon serials, George Lucas created Princess Leia for the original Star Wars trilogy: a sassy heroine who knew her way around a blaster. He followed her up in the prequels with the commanding Padmé Amidala who—despite her terrible taste in Jedis—managed to take back her own castle by force and wield major influence in the galactic senate. But for all the virtues of Padmé and her daughter, neither could escape certain tropes of their roles as love interests. Compelling and sometimes-nuanced love interests they may be, but it’s Luke, Anakin, Han, and Obi-Wan who are the stereotypical heroes of the saga. It’s Leia’s beauty that draws Luke into his quest and inspires Han to stay. And it’s Anakin’s love for Padmé that causes him to fall.

There’s nothing wrong with being a love interest, but it’s refreshing for fans of the Star Wars films to see something different in Rey. (The somewhat smaller audience that fell in love with The Clone Wars and Ahsoka Tano may be be familiar with the feeling.) Though newcomer Daisy Ridley is no less beautiful than Natalie Portman or Carrie Fisher before her, her appearance is never commented on in the film. (No cringe-worthy “Are you an angel?” scene in sight.) And Rey is never subjected to the costume-based indignities that greeted the Star Wars women before her.

Yep, Padmé’s shirt was clawed into a crop top. Carrie Fisher may have called the rumored ban of Slave Leia merchandise “stupid,” but she also told Ridley “don’t be a slave like I was . . . keep fighting against that slave outfit.” In fact, Rey’s highly practical and rather sporty outfit with its criss-cross neckline and wrapped white strips of cloth evokes Luke’s original costume more than anything previously worn by a Star Wars leading lady.

But if you want a more contemporary sartorial touchstone for Rey, look no further than the titular warrior from the decidedly feminist Nickelodeon cartoon The Legend of Korra.

The Force Awakens director J.J. Abrams actually wrote an episode of the Korra prequel Avatar: The Last Airbender, so any similarities viewers might spot, costume-based or otherwise, between Korra and Rey are likely not entirely coincidental.

I don’t come here to bury Leia and Padmé in order to praise Rey. But however fond you may be of smart-mouthed princesses and imperious queens, there are simply not enough female characters in the first six Star Wars films. Wired counts only two women besides Leia with speaking roles in the original trilogy so it should come as no surprise that Empire, Jedi, and A New Hope fail to pass the Bechdel test. The prequel trilogy only just ekes by. But in one of the more emotionally arresting scenes of The Force Awakens, Rey and another female character crush the Bechdel test with flying colors.