The Grand Councilwoman is the leader of the United Galactic Federation in the Lilo & Stitch franchise. Others occasionally refer to her as "Your Majesty" and "Your Highness", and on the whole, she seems both reasonable and well-intentioned, although like many members of the United Galactic Federation, she knows almost nothing about Earth or its inhabitants. She seems to be reminiscent of the Greys, with hoof-shaped feet, big eyes and a big head. Her actual name is unknown, as she is only referred to by her status.
Personality[]
A fair but firm and very strict member of the Galactic Council, the Grand Councilwoman wishes to preserve order in the galaxy. She can be extremely testy at times, especially when those under her employment disappoint her. She has moments where she shows mercy, however, being all about the rules. This includes the laws of other planets outside the Galactic Federation, having used this loophole to allow Stitch to be adopted by Lilo as she technically was his owner by Hawaiian state law.
When demoted to the position of secretary by Hämsterviel, she seems unfazed by it, but is clearly relieved to have her office reinstated after his defeat. Due to her limited knowledge of Earth and its various inhabitants (native or otherwise), she has had no qualms about either landing military forces there or even destroying the planet outright to prevent any threat to the federation. However, she would much rather spare Earth than destroy it if another solution can be found.
Background and appearances[]
Lilo & Stitch[]
In Lilo & Stitch, the Grand Councilwoman was first seen in a courtroom with the other Galactic Leaders during the trial against Jumba Jookiba. After asking Jumba's genetic creation, Experiment 626, if he could show some good in him – and his subsequent use of an apparent (alien) obscene phrase: "Meega, nala kweesta!" (which Jumba insists he did not teach him) in a show of refusal to do so – the Grand Councilwoman sentenced the Experiment to a life imprisonment on a maximum security asteroid and Jumba to prison. However, 626 escapes in a police cruiser. At first it seems that he will land in the water, where he will sink and drown, but when she sees that 626 will land in Hawaii, she suggests that they gas the island. Agent Pleakley tells her that the planet is a protected mosquito preserve and she later allows Pleakley and Jumba to retrieve 626. During the course of the movie, the Grand Councilwoman makes frequent calls to Pleakley, questioning what they are doing and why Experiment 626 has not been captured yet. In her last call to Pleakley, she loses patience and fires him and Jumba, sending Captain Gantu to finish the mission. At the end of the movie, the Grand Councilwoman arrives with her guards to capture Stitch herself. Gantu offers to explain, but the Grand Councilwoman finally plucks up the courage to tell him to be silent, and plans to retire him for following orders in a brutal manner and endangering the lives of others along the way. She then blames Jumba for Stitch's mishaps. Stitch then states that he found his new family on Earth. After learning that Lilo and Nani paid money for 626 (now named Stitch), and therefore legally own him, she allows him to stay with them in exile on Earth and announces that the family is under protection of the Galactic Alliance, saying they will be checking in on them every now and then. She also revealed that she had previously met Cobra Bubbles during the Roswell case, commenting that he used to have hair. She doesn't allow Jumba and Pleakley to board the ship with her, and she returns to the Federation.
Stitch! The Movie[]
The Grand Councilwoman made a brief appearance near the end of Stitch! The Movie to assist in the capture of Dr. Jacques von Hämsterviel. She witnessed when Lilo put Experiment 221 (by then christened Sparky) into the lighthouse, powering it up. Nevertheless, she thought that having Jumba's remaining 623 experiments loose on Earth was too dangerous, and voiced her decision to evacuate and destroy the planet. However, Lilo and Stitch managed to change the Grand Councilwoman's mind by convincing her to allow them the chance to find, capture and rehabilitate the experiments.
Lilo & Stitch: The Series[]
The Grand Councilwoman made a special guest appearance in the episode "Finder". After Dr. Hämsterviel escaped from prison and landed on Earth, she contacted Jumba and Pleakley to have them apprehend the fugitive. However, after Jumba's latest experiment, Finder, had supposedly failed to track Hämsterviel, the Grand Councilwoman had no choice but to enlist Gantu in the mission. Gantu successfully captured Hämsterviel but also captured Mertle in the process.
Eventually, the Grand Councilwoman arrived to take Hämsterviel, but canceled her offer to reinstate Gantu to his former position after hearing from Lilo about Mertle's capture alongside Hämsterviel's. However, upon seeing Mertle sad to see Hämsterviel go, Lilo requested the Grand Councilwoman to leave the diminutive criminal on Earth at least until after show-and-tell at school, albeit in handcuffs.
Leroy & Stitch[]
She returned for Leroy & Stitch, seen making Stitch a Captain of the Galactic Alliance, briefly as Dr. Hämsterviel's secretary, then giving awards when she resumes her position at the end.
Stitch![]
In the anime series, the Grand Councilwoman was mentioned in the Japanese version when Jumba spoke to Pleakley about being given the tasks of watching over Stitch during his sudden rampage. She later appears in an episode when Stitch's robotic counterpart began to cause trouble throughout the galaxy.
Stitch & Ai[]
The Grand Councilwoman appears more in Stitch & Ai. She first calls upon Jumba and Pleakley to monitor Stitch in China after learning that the Woolagongs and Jaboodies wish to use Stitch in their space war. She also checks in with Cobra Bubbles and his agency as another set of monitors of Stitch and the new experiments Jumba begins creating.
Biology[]
Appearance[]
The Grand Councilwoman is a tall, thin, humanoid alien with pale blue-green skin, three-fingered hands, and a large head with elongated features and broad cheek bones. Her forehead is marked with three dark green stripes. Her legs are unguligrade, and she walks on two-toed hooves similar to those of camelids from Earth. She has slanted blue eyes with black sclerae and a thin mouth with pointed, white teeth that are spaced quite far apart from each other. She dresses in a high-collared, blue-black uniform with gold highlights. Her uniform's trouser legs are short, ending halfway down her thighs. There is a long strip of cloth with red inner lining covering the back of her legs. She wears a long black cape with two antler-like horns coming out of the top.
Special abilities[]
It seems that the Grand Councilwoman has a status as the supreme ruler of the Galactic Federation, and being a member of a council, it is reasonable to assume that she has been elected, although we have no idea how long her term lasts or when she was elected.
Trivia[]
- It is heavily implied that criminals disgust her. However, she still acts as a fair judge and always tries to see the good of the criminals. This is outright confirmed during the original opening of the first film.
- She is all about rules, and therefore respects the law; even on worlds not part of the United Galactic Federation. This is what convinces her to let Stitch stay on Earth; since Lilo and Nani were his owners by Hawaiian law, her attempt to detain him would count as an abduction.
- She shows indifference in her facial expression most of the time when speaking. She is, however, seen smiling on rare occasions, especially in the episode "Finder" when she congratulates Stitch for helping to find an escaped Hämsterviel, and in Leroy & Stitch when she rewards Lilo, Stitch, Jumba, and Pleakley for their success at capturing and rehabilitating all 625 of Jumba's genetic experiments.
- She is one of the few characters to appear in all three animated series.
- Carrie Fisher was considered for the role of the Grand Councilwoman before Zoe Caldwell was cast.
Gallery[]
Lilo & Stitch[]
Stitch! The Movie[]
Lilo & Stitch: The Series ("Finder")[]
Leroy & Stitch[]
Stitch & Ai[]
"Teacher's Pet"[]
"Gotcha!"[]
