'Obi-Wan Kenobi' premiere episode brings back a major 'Star Wars' character

• Warning: This article contains spoilers for "Obi-Wan Kenobi" on Disney+
• The new "Star Wars" series premiered with two episodes on Friday.

The first episode of "Obi-Wan Kenobi" featured the surprise return of a beloved "Star Wars" character.

The new Disney+ series follows Obi-Wan Kenobi (Ewan McGregor) after the events of "Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith," in which the Jedi knights — warriors who protect the world from evil — are wiped out by their nemeses, the Sith. By the time we see Obi-Wan in the new show, he is one of the few Jedi to survive the massacre and is trying to hide from the Sith.

It had already been announced that "Obi-Wan Kenobi" would bring back many well-known characters from the "Star Wars" universe, such as the infamous villain Darth Vader, who is being played by Hayden Christensen for the first time in 17 years. Vader's relatives Owen, Beru, and the villain's son Luke Skywalker were also teased in the trailer.

However, "Star Wars" fans were treated to another major character in the first two episodes of the series: A young Princess Leia played by child actor Vivien Lyra Blair.

Princess Leia is one of the first major "Star Wars" characters introduced in "A New Hope" in 1977

Princess Leia was first introduced in "A New Hope," the first "Star Wars" movie in 1977, and played by the late Carrie Fisher. Leia was a senator who was secretly working with Rebellion to take down the evil Empire led by Vader and Darth Sidious (Ian McDiarmid) in the original trilogy.

In the first movie, she sets her droids on a mission to contact Obi-Wan (played by Alec Guinness) to help the Rebellion, which set off the chain of events in the trilogy. She eventually works with Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) and bounty hunters Han Solo (Harrison Ford) and Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) to stop the Empire.

In the sequel "The Empire Strikes Back," it is revealed that Leia and Luke are twins, and their father is Vader. Vader eventually turns to the good side in the third movie, "Return of the Jedi," and the Empire is defeated.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi" is set before all of this occurs but set after the prequel movies which depict how Vader went from being a Jedi to a Sith Lord.

In "Obi-Wan Kenobi," Leia and Luke are currently being hidden from their father, who believes they died with his wife, Padme (Natalie Portman), in "Revenge of the Sith."

Leia was fostered by a senator friend of Padme, Bail Organa (Jimmy Smits), which is where we find her halfway through the premiere episode. This is a complete surprise as the character was not mentioned during the press tour or in any trailers for the show.

Blair plays the young princess as a rebellious but respectful 10-year-old, much like Leia is as an adult. However, in the first episode, she is kidnapped, forcing Obi-Wan to come out of hiding to save her. This means Leia may be part of the story for most of the season, which is great for fans who are already loving the character.

Fans are already tweeting about Leia, played by Vivien Lyra Blair

While the first season of "The Mandalorian" was praised for its story-telling and beautiful visuals, most fans were talking about the little alien that was brought along the ride, Baby Yoda, also known as Grogu.

There were memes and "SNL" sketches, and fans seemed to adore the father-son dynamic between Grogu and the lead character Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal).

And it seems we may be in store for a similar outpouring of support for young Leia, who Obi-Wan is attempting to save in episode two. The character is already the talk of social media.

Film critic Tessa Smith wrote in reaction to the episode: "Kumail is hilarious (of course) but it's little Leia who STEALS THE SHOW!"

Another fan tweeted: "Grogu move over (temporarily) because it's Baby Leia's era now."

Many fans are also praising Blair's acting ability and drawing parallels between her and Carrie Fisher, who passed away in 2016.

"Obi-Wan Kenobi" is streaming now on Disney+.