Han shot first

"I happen to like to shoot first, Rekkon. As opposed to shooting second."

- Han Solo, Han Solo at Stars' End (1979)

To say "Han shot first" is to refer, often with distaste, to George Lucas's changes to the original trilogy. Often cited by film purists, this phrase refers to the changes made to Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope Special Edition, in the scene involving the characters Han Solo and Greedo in the cantina. In the original version, after Greedo says "I've been looking forward to this moment for a long time" (talking about killing Han), Han shoots Greedo under the table while Greedo was pointing a blaster at him (the phrase "Han Shot First" is thus technically incorrect, since only Han shoots in the original version). In the special edition, Greedo shoots at Han and misses, without explanation, from point blank range, and then Han shoots him. Later, it was altered again to have Han and Greedo shooting at almost the same time (though Greedo still shoots first), with Greedo still missing from point blank range.

The principal objection from critics seems to be that the change dilutes and compromises Han's rebellious and ruthless nature. The change is felt to detract from Han's 'anti heroic' qualities, and also diminishes the character's growth and development over the story from a Machiavellian smuggler who cares only about himself (and his co-pilot Chewbacca) into a committed member of the Rebel Alliance fighting to bring freedom to the galaxy, as his shot is clearly in self-defense.

A secondary objection considers the improbability that the character Greedo would miss at that range if he fired deliberately. Thus, his gun must have discharged accidentally: a rather unromantic death for such a poignant character.

This retroactive sanitizing was loosely paralleled in a 2002 DVD version of E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, in which the firearms held by police officers in the original 1982 film were digitally altered to walkie-talkies.

Although fan criticism of "Greedo shot first" is generally considered to be a legitimate point of view, the incident also provided early inspiration (and ongoing ammunition) for those who engage in verbal attacks on George Lucas, a practice known as Lucas bashing.

Repercussions in Star Wars media

 * The phrase has been enshrined as a T-shirt emblazoned with the words "Han Shot First". The shirt seller is Scott Kurtz, author of the webcomic PVP. Purportedly, the product advertises the wearer's geek credentials and disagreement with Lucas's modification. In the PVP strip, Kurtz is shown wearing the T-shirt when he breaks the fourth wall.


 * In the bunny reenactment on Angry Alien's website, an outtake shown at the end of the Macromedia Flash movie has Han shooting first.


 * In the game Star Wars: Battlefront II it is possible, while playing as Solo, to hear the enemy troops exclaim, "It's Solo, and he's shooting first- that's not fair!"


 * Aaron Allston, by way of his recent novel Betrayal, has chimed in on the subject with a reference of his own. After a gun battle, when queried as to the status of her husband, Leia replies that he is fine. "Han shot first," she glibly explains.


 * After the assassination of Thrackan Sal-Solo in the novel Bloodlines, Boba Fett remarked that Han should learn to shoot first.


 * Ironically, Han said that he prefers shooting first, "as opposed to shooting second", in the novel Han Solo at Stars' End, which was first published nearly seventeen years before Special Editions were made.


 * Greedo appears as a minor character in the board game Star Wars: Epic Duels. His power attack is a card labeled "Desperate Shot": a decent attack, but if it does not kill the target, then Greedo is immediately killed instead. It is the only card where an attacker's miss is automatically fatal.


 * Wizards of the Coast released a scenario for the Star Wars Miniatures game featuring the cantina shootout between Solo and Greedo. It is referentially titled "Who Shoots First?"


 * In Underworld: A Galaxy of Scum and Villainy (Star Wars Insider 89), an in-universe report states that Han "is prone to 'shooting first'."


 * In the Star Wars Tales non-canon spoof The Emperor's Court, Han Solo is actually prosecuted in court by Greedo's mother Neela, who claims that her son was shot first.

In the novel
In Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (novel), this infamous scene is left very vague. The book only says that "light and noise filled the little corner of the cantina", it never says who shot first.

Other Mentions

 * In the 2001 movie Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back, Ben Affleck refers to the creation of a Jay and Silent Bob movie as "The worst idea since Greedo shooting first."

Han Shoots First.org
In 2004, Han Shoots First.org, a website that started as a rant/petition site for the release of an unadulterated, non-revisionist, theatrical release of Star Wars. Han Shoots First started their mission of "Preservation of a Star Wars that Doesn't Suck."

Over the course of two years, Han Shoots First became the de-facto website for the "Greedo incident." Han Shoots First enjoyed exposure from Forbes Magazine and Movies.com, as well as receiving much fandom acclaim.

In 2006, The Star Wars Fan Bois released Han Shoots First.org 2.0. Han Shoots First now allows fans to express their opinions and rants about the Star Wars Universe, as well as continuing on with their mission of a "Star Wars that doesn't suck."