Why is the Passing of Carrie Fisher Important?

[Neo-Scholastic]

The bonds people make with their fictional heroes can be very strong, and deeply meaningful on a personal (and in the case of such a popular franchise, cultural) level.  You should understand this perfectly well.

You're right. At the same time, her personal contribution to that cultural impact seems minimal in comparison to Gene Wilder for example. His achievements came directly from his talent, skills, and effort; hers were derivative. And while their deaths also got a lot of play in the media, Prince and David Bowie were genuinely talented and personally produced large bodies of work. The same with Glen Frey (who I think surpassed both Bowie and Prince) but whose death received disproportionately less attention. And as far as real cultural impact, I would point to Umberto Eco as a sort of celebrity with wide incognitio cultural impact whose passing went largely noticed.