So the other way they made her more female in this one was to have her take off her clothes.
When Luke and Han rescue her on the first Death Star, she ends up rescuing them, and at the Battle of Endor, she's part of the strike team that lands on the forest moon to disable the shield generator, proving that she's helpful and loyal to her friends.
To most fans lore alone cannot justify a lack of story or proper build-up.