WATCH: Star Wars fans honor Carrie Fisher with light saber vigil
Carrie Fisher passed away due to a heart attack on Tuesday (Wednesday in Manila), but her legacy as one of the most revered pop culture icons lives on.
READ: Carrie Fisher, ‘Star Wars’ princess dead at 60
Fondly remembered by the massive Star Wars fandom as Princess Leia, the 60-year-old actress was also a successful author and a vocal figure on the topic of mental illness.
Fans gathered around the Downtown Disney Disneyland Resort in Anaheim, California on Wednesday (Thursday in Manila) to pay their respects by holding a lightsaber vigil.
Light sabers are fictional energy swords popularized by the film and was a staple of the highly successful franchise.
In honor of Fisher, fans raised their glowing plastic sword replicas high in the air and even shared some of their fondest memories watching Fisher on the big screen.
“She impacted people obviously of all generations and it’s heartbreaking to know that she’s no longer here with us, but she touched all of our lives and is bringing us all together now,” one fan told The Hollywood Reporter.
Jeff Rowan, the man who organized the gathering through Facebook, also shared his decision to create the event.
“Last night at about 11:00 I decided to go ahead and make an event myself and see if anything would happen,” he said. “In all honesty, The Empire Strikes Back was the first movie I ever went to see in the theater and to this day Star Wars has played a huge part in my life.”
A similar memorial tribute was also held at the Alamo Drafthouse in San Antonio, Texas the same day. Khristian Ibarrola
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