Fans of Disney XD’s hit series Star Wars Rebels have been anticipating the day when we would see one of the three main characters from the original trilogy in the series, and now that time has come.  When Star Wars Rebels makes its highly anticipated return from the holiday hiatus on January 20, it will return with a princess in tow.

That’s right, Princess Leia Organa will be making an appearance for the first time.  Not only does it mark the character’s first appearance on the show, but the first time one of the main three (Han, Leia, or Luke) have been involved.

“One of the complex challenges of depicting Leia in Rebels is that we have to remind the audience that she is part of the Empire at this point,” says executive producer / supervising director Dave Filoni. “She doesn’t believe in the Empire, but she is acting the part, almost as a double agent. The Empire sees her as a privileged princess who runs mercy missions to wayward worlds, but in truth she is much stronger and more dangerous than they imagine.”

Appearing in her only episode of the season, the young Princess Leia is voiced by Julie Dolan, who also lent her vocal talents to the Rebel leader featured in Disney’s Star Tours attraction. Her character’s appearance in Star Wars Rebels portrays the beginnings of the seasoned general we meet again in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, her royal heritage all but eclipsed by her hard-won military stature.

Source: StarWars.com