We first meet the tiny, millennia-old alien Maz Kanata in The Force Awakens. Han Solo seeks her out in on Takodana, wading into the pirate queen’s smuggler-packed castle to ask for her help in returning BB-8 to the Resistance. We learn that Maz is a little odd, being a force sensitive being, and she hordes treasure collected from the corners of the galaxy — including the Skywalker lightsaber.
But The Last Jedi reveals something else about Maz Kanata, something that was briefly hinted at in The Force Awakens: Maz Kanata is the horniest Star Wars character. Ever.
There Is No Sex in Star Wars
When you think about the greater Star Wars universe, there is one element sharply absent. Yes, there is tons of romantic love in previous films. You have Anakin and Padme, Han and Leia, and in the new trilogy a handful of characters buzz around each other in ambiguous “will they, won’t they” patterns.
But none of these relationships every felt sexualized. They were always portrayed sweetly, almost sterile, rigidly bound to just a bunch of kissing and a lot of talk (in the case of Padme and Anakin). And even though both the famous couples above had children, we never really see them interact with one another in a way that suggested any sort of sexual desire.
The most sexualized thing in the entire Star Wars universe is Leia in her metal bikini, sitting by Jabba the Hut‘s side. But that’s not an act or character interaction. It’s just an image. It’s been an iconic symbol of the Star Wars fandom ever since we saw Carrie Fisher in the tiny outfit.
Which brings me to my point: there is no sex in Star Wars. Not in the films, at any rate. Certain tie-in novels like Lost Stars briefly touch on it but don’t really commit. It feels out of place and awkward. This is Star Wars; we’re too busy trying to save the galaxy to get it on.
Well, not for Maz Kanata.
The Thirst Awakens
In The Force Awakens, the first time we hear Maz Kanata speak she asks a question: “Where’s my boyfriend?” The very first thing we learn about her is that she “likes that Wookie.” She plays favorites and whether or not Chewbacca is actually her boyfriend, she is upfront in staking her claim on him. Maz Kanata knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to let anyone know.
She proceed to get up close and personal with Finn, staring into his eyes and telling him she’s seen “the same eyes in different people” many times over. Maz is one of the more physical Star Wars characters we’ve encountered, discounting of course everyone flipping around with a lightsaber. She gets up in Finn and other personal space, and even gets in Rey‘s head a little. It seems that Maz’s personal space bubble is very small.
But in The Last Jedi, we see this go one step further. In order to break in to the First Order’s ship, Rose and Finn need someone to break the ship’s entry codes. Maz Kanata points them to a hacker who is likely hanging out on the casino planet of Canto Bight. And when Finn asks Maz if this master codebreaker can do anything, she replies with a smile and a salacious shudder that yes — he can do anything.
The suggestion is there that this master codebreaker is also pretty good at breaking into pants. Maz Kanata’s pants. We’ve never heard anyone else reference sexual activity in the Star Wars films, but here is Maz doing her thing.
This Is Actually Groundbreaking
It’s refreshing to see a woman in such a high-profile IP take charge of her sexuality. It’s also refreshing to see a character so open about it. The trope has always been one of two things: the demure woman who denies her feelings until coerced into acknowledging them (Leia); or running away from them until she can’t anymore (looking at you Padme). And it’s not just an object or person portrayed to be sexy or just sexy to look at it. It’s actual characters talking about actual sexual things — even if they are cloaked in innuendo and body language, they’re still there. It’s awesome.
So it’s great to see a gal in the universe who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to talk about it. Maz Kanata is the most sexually free character in the Star Wars universe, and I hope we see more characters follow her lead.
