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|homeworld=[[Corellia]]<ref name="SWEncyc">{{SWE|characters|hansolo|Han Solo}}</ref> |
|homeworld=[[Corellia]]<ref name="SWEncyc">{{SWE|characters|hansolo|Han Solo}}</ref> |
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|birth=Some time during the last years of the [[Galactic Republic]]<ref name="Ultimate">''[[Ultimate Star Wars]]''</ref> |
|birth=Some time during the last years of the [[Galactic Republic]]<ref name="Ultimate">''[[Ultimate Star Wars]]''</ref> |
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| + | |death=Thirty years after the [[Battle of Endor]], on [[Starkiller Base]]<ref name="Episode VII" /> |
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|species=[[Human]]<ref name="SWEncyc" /> |
|species=[[Human]]<ref name="SWEncyc" /> |
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|gender=[[Sexes|Male]]<ref name="SWEncyc" /> |
|gender=[[Sexes|Male]]<ref name="SWEncyc" /> |
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Han Solo was known to be alive some thirty years after the battle of Endor. Now an "old man", he went drinking in a [[Serendipity|bar]] owned by his friend [[Delia Leighton]]. There he heard three people bragging how fast their ship was. Han lectured them on this, telling them that it was a ship's crew that mattered, not its armor or engines. He then proceeded to tell them a story about the ''Millennium Falcon'' and its [[Escape from Curkon|escape]] from Cyrkon. Upon realising that Solo owned the ''Falcon'', the trio attempted to kill him and steal the ship. However Chewbacca caught them unaware and the group was defeated.<ref name="Smuggler's Run">''[[Smuggler's Run]]''</ref> |
Han Solo was known to be alive some thirty years after the battle of Endor. Now an "old man", he went drinking in a [[Serendipity|bar]] owned by his friend [[Delia Leighton]]. There he heard three people bragging how fast their ship was. Han lectured them on this, telling them that it was a ship's crew that mattered, not its armor or engines. He then proceeded to tell them a story about the ''Millennium Falcon'' and its [[Escape from Curkon|escape]] from Cyrkon. Upon realising that Solo owned the ''Falcon'', the trio attempted to kill him and steal the ship. However Chewbacca caught them unaware and the group was defeated.<ref name="Smuggler's Run">''[[Smuggler's Run]]''</ref> |
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| + | Some time later, Han and Chewbacca tracked and boarded the ''Millennium Falcon'', where Han remarked that they "were now home." Inside the cruiser, Han met [[Rey]], a female human, and [[Finn]], a stormtrooper deserter of the [[First Order]], who were in the possesion of a droid called [[BB-8]] that had a map that led to the secret location of [[Luke Skywalker]].<ref name="Episode VII" /> Han explained to them that Luke went into hiding after his [[Kylo Ren| nephew]], as his apprentice, turned to the Dark Side of the Force and destroyed all that Luke had accomplished. |
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| + | At Starkiller Base, a planet converted by the First Order into a superweapon capable of destroying entire star systems, a Force-sensitive of the dark side known as Kylo Ren learned from the leader of the organization, Supreme Leader [[Snoke]], that to overcome the call of the light side, Ren would have to kill his father, who was revealed to be no other than Han Solo. Meanwhile, The ''Falcon'' crew arrived at the planet [[Takodana]] and met [[Maz Kanata]], an old friend of Han who could help bring BB-8 to the [[Resistance]], an organization supported by the Republic that opposed the First Order. |
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| + | The First Order, tipped off to BB-8's presence, attacked Takodana. Meanwhile, Starkiller Base destroyed the New Republic-controlled [[Hosnian star system]] and its main planet, [[Hosnian Prime]]. Han, Chewbacca, and Finn battled the First Order with help from a squadron of Resistance X-wing fighters led by [[Poe Dameron]]. Rey, however, was captured by Kylo Ren and taken to Starkiller Base. Later, Han, Chewbacca, and Finn were brought to the [[Resistance]] base on [[D'Qar]] where he was reunited with Leia. As the Starkiller Base prepared to fire on D'Qar, the Resistance leaders devised a plan to sneak onto the surface and lower the planetary shields, which would allow the fighters to attack the superweapon's weak spot. Using the ''Falcon'', Han, Chewbacca, and Finn infiltrated the base, lowered the shields, and reunited with Rey. Despite their success, the X-wing fleet was still unable to penetrate the weapon, leaving Han and Chewbacca to plant explosives to create an opening. However, Kylo Ren arrived to stop them. |
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| + | Finn, Rey and Chewbacca watched helplessly as Han confronted Ren, addressing him by his birth name "Ben", and imploring his son to abandon the dark side. However, in doing so, Solo was stabbed in the chest by Ren immediately afterwards. Han lovingly caressed his son's face while dying and fell off the bridge into a reactor shaft. Moments after, Chewbacca, distraught by Han's death, ignited the explosives. This allowed Poe Dameron to critically damage the station's weak spot and cause a destructive chain reaction across the planet. |
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== Personality and traits == |
== Personality and traits == |
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Revision as of 19:23, 18 December 2015
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Template:Majorspoiler Warning: This infobox has missing parameters: parents, pronouns, children, siblings, partners, families, feathers and unrecognized parameters: imageBG, era
- "Never tell me the odds!"
- ―Han Solo
Han Solo was a human male smuggler-turned-Rebel who fought in some of the most pivotal battles of the Galactic Civil War. He hailed from the planet Corellia and, along with his best friend and first Chewbacca, worked as a smuggler for Jabba the Hutt. He piloted the Millennium Falcon, which he won in a game of sabacc from fellow scoundrel Lando Calrissian, and flew the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. Though he was Jabba's best smuggler, he ran afoul of the Hutt crime lord when an encounter with the Galactic Empire forced Solo to dump his cargo, indebting him to Jabba.
Solo's life took a turn towards rebellion when he met Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi on Tatooine, and he agreed to give them passage to Alderaan on an important mission for the Rebel Alliance. They arrived to find that the Death Star had destroyed Alderaan, and they were captured by the Death Star. Solo worked with Skywalker and Chewbacca to assist the captive Princess Leia Organa in her escape from the Death Star. Kenobi sacrificed himself in a lightsaber duel with Darth Vader so the others could escape, and Solo brought the princess and the others to the Rebel base on Yavin 4. Though he intended to collect his reward money and leave, he helped Skywalker destroy the Death Star in the Battle of Yavin and became a hero of the Rebel Alliance.
Over the next several years, Solo continued to serve the Rebel Alliance in operations such as an assault on Cymoon 1 and a battle on Vrogas Vas. He intended to leave the Alliance to repay his debts to Jabba after the Battle of Hoth, but he, the princess, and Chewbacca were forced to find safe refuge with Calrissian on Cloud City. Unknown to them, however, was that it was an Imperial trap; Vader captured them to lure Skywalker, his son, to Cloud City so he could be captured and brought before the Emperor. Solo was frozen in carbonite as a test, to ensure that the process would work on Skywalker, and was taken by bounty hunter Boba Fett to Jabba on Tatooine. He was later rescued by his friends, resulting in Jabba's death.
After escaping Tatooine, Solo returned to the Rebel Alliance and was commissioned as a general. He led a special forces group known as the Pathfinders during the Battle of Endor, resulting in the destruction of the shield generator protecting the second Death Star. After the destruction of the Death Star and the death of the Emperor, Solo continued to lead the Pathfinders in operations against the fractured Empire. He served in the New Republic after its formation and, along with Chewbacca, intended to help liberate Chewbacca's homeworld of Kashyyyk from the Empire.
Biography
Early life
- "Just blast everything and fly a fast ship. And bring a Wookiee. Works for me."
- ―Han Solo
The Millennium Falcon, Han Solo's most prized possession
Han Solo was born on the planet Corellia during the waning years of the Galactic Republic. He was orphaned at a young age, and turned to a life of crime as a thief in order to survive the perils of the galaxy.[2] Solo, at some point, acquired a starship and became an exceptional pilot.[10] Solo began working outside of the Galactic Empire's laws, beginning a career in smuggling.[2] Solo eventually met the Wookiee Chewbacca, whom he saved from imprisonment. Chewbacca, grateful for Solo's intervention, proclaimed a life debt to the smuggler. Chewbacca thereby became Solo's first mate aboard his ship and the smuggling duo became lifelong friends.[11] Solo and Chewbacca, at some point, met the self-proclaimed galactic entrepreneur and gambler Lando Calrissian, who Solo played a game of Sabacc against, and won his YT-1300 light freighter, the Millennium Falcon. The Falcon became Solo's most prized possession, and with their new ship, Solo and Chewbacca began engaging in much more dangerous and risky smuggling operations.[2]
During his early years as a smuggler, Solo devised a plot to get revenge against a crime lord who owned a massive gambling den on the planet Stenness,[12] and had continuously double-crossed spice smugglers.[13] In order for the escapade to look as legitimate as possible, Solo and his fellow scoundrels arranged a fraudulent marriage ceremony where Solo and the woman Sana Starros were illegitimately married. The robbery occurred, too, and Solo was given his share. However, Solo also took Starros's share and fled, leaving Starros in a dire situation.[13] As a result, Starros came to believe that the only thing Solo was good for was lying, likening him to a "scoundrel."[14]
Solo and Chewbacca also crash-landed on a planet in the Monsua Nebula that was entirely covered in electrical super-storms and cyclones.[15] But beneath the storms, a beautiful oasis laid. Solo and his copilot located a cave that they turned into a smuggling den, storing Corellian wine and other things within. He and Chewbacca used the den several times over the years.[14]
Solo in the Mos Eisley cantina.
Eventually, the pair came into the employment of the Outer Rim crime lord Jabba the Hutt,[10] who was based on the desert planet Tatooine[16] and was the leader of the powerful Hutt Clan.[17] Solo and Chewbacca smuggled for Jabba for many years[5] and Solo became Jabba's top smuggler. The smuggling duo also spent much time in the Mos Eisley Cantina looking for work.[2] However, they were forced to dump a shipment of valuable spice,[18] an addictive drug,[19] when the Falcon was boarded by an Imperial crew who would have surly arrested Solo and Chewbacca if they had been caught with the illicit drug.[20] Solo and Chewbacca returned to Jabba, who placed a large bounty of 50,000 credits on the pair;[21] it was only intended to be removed if Solo paid restitution for the Hutt's loss.[2] Solo, some time later, in order to repay the Hutt, smuggled for the Pyke Syndicate, who controlled a near-monopoly over the spice trade, from the planet Kessel where the syndicate's controlled the spice mines of Kessel. Solo and Chewbacca were hired to transport spice from Kessel[2] to the syndicate's customers; known as the foolhardy Kessel Runs.[22] Using the Falcon, Solo broke a long-held record for the Kessel Run, he completed the challenge in less than twelve parsecs.[4][2]
Aiding the Rebel Alliance
A fateful business venture
- "Seventeen-thousand! Those guys must really be desperate—this could really save my neck. Get back to the ship and get it ready."
"Hurrr." - ―Han Solo to Chewbacca, after meeting with Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker
Solo and Chewbacca negotiate passage fees with Kenobi and Skywalker in the Mos Eisley Cantina.
Some time after losing Jabba's cargo, Solo and Chewbacca traveled to the Mos Eisley Cantina to look for work to pay off Jabba.[10] Chewbacca soon met Jedi Master Obi-Wan Kenobi, also known as Ben Kenobi, who was seeking charter to the Alderaan system on a mission of vital importance for the Alliance to Restore the Republic. Kenobi defended young Skywalker from criminals Ponda Baba and Cornelius Evazan with his lightsaber; revealing himself as a Jedi before making their way to Solo's booth. They arrived and began bartering terms of the deal. Solo assured Kenobi that the Millennium Falcon was the fastest around, because it had made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. Kenobi informed Solo that the cargo was only himself, Skywalker and two droids, and that they wanted to avoid Imperials entirely. Therefore, Solo set the price at 10,000 credits; higher than he normally would have. However, Kenobi raised Solo's bid to 17,000 credits: 2,000 in advance and 15,000 when they reached Alderaan. Solo was perplexed that Kenobi had raised his bid and quickly accepted the deal. The smuggler then told his temporary employer to meet him in Docking Bay 94 for departure as soon as he was ready, before warning Kenobi that some Imperial sandtroopers had entered the cantina and were looking for Evazan and Baba's attacker. Kenobi and Skywalker hastily fled, leaving Solo to express his elation to Chewbacca at having garnered such a high-paying job to pay off Jabba. Chewbacca left as well right after.[4]
As solo got up to leave, he was confronted by one of Jabba's bounty hunters: the Rodian Greedo. Greedo demanded to be payed Jabba's debt, or he would take Solo's dead body back to Jabba as payment. Solo, therefore, in self defense, nonchalantly pulled his DL-44 blaster pistol and shot Greedo from under the table a fraction of a second after Greedo fired his weapon—although, Solo hit his target and Greedo did not. Solo ignored the Murder tax[6] Jabba enforced, opting instead to let Wuher, the cantina's bartender, take care of it: he tossed some credit chips to the bartender and apologized for the mess before heading to Docking Bay 94.[4]
Jabba confronts Solo over Greedo's death and restitution for the spice shipment Solo lost.
Solo arrived in the docking shortly thereafter, and found Jabba himself, with several of his guards—including[4] Jabba's top bounty hunter Boba Fett—[2]looking for him near the Falcon. Jabba inquired as to whether Solo was going to pay him, and why he had "fried poor Greedo." Jabba was disappointed in having to put the bounty on Solo;[4] the crime lord's top smuggler.[2] Solo insisted he had had no choice but to dump the cargo, and informed the Hutt that he had secured a charter that would be able to compensate the Hutt's loss in full as soon as he completed it. Jabba was pleased and added that if Solo paid twenty percent interest all could be forgotten, however, Solo talked him down to fifteen percent, and ironically stated that the Hutt was a "wonderful Human being," before entering the Falcon.[4]
A short time later, Kenbobi, Skywalker and their two droids, the protocol droid C-3PO, and the astromech droid R2-D2, boarded the Falcon after Skywalker remarked that the Falcon appeared to be a "piece of junk." Solo corrected him: The Millennium Falcon looked out-of-shape, but had been given "special modifications" that made it one of the fastest ships in the galaxy.[4] Just then, a squad[10] of stormtroopers appeared in the docking bay and opened fire on Solo. Solo fired back while retreating on board and for Chewbacca to take off. The Falcon blasted away from the Mos Eisley spaceport and clear of Tatooine. Solo inserted coordinates to the Alderaan system into the Falcon's navigation computer while teaching farmboy Skywalker the importance of entering the correct coordinates—If it was not done correctly, the ship could run into any number of dangers associated with space travel. The Falcon outran two Imperial Star Destroyers and jumped into hyperspace.[4]
The Millennium Falcon's passengers pass the time while traveling to Alderaan.
While en route to Alderaan, Solo boasted of outrunning the "Imperial slugs," but was annoyed when no one would humor him. Chewbacca and R2-D2, often shortened to Artoo, were playing a game of Dejarik when Artoo outplayed the Wookiee, so Solo warned the droids not to upset him because Wookiee rage was not something C-3PO, often shortened to Threepio, a droid programmed in protocol would want to experience. Skywalker, meanwhile, trained with a remote with his lightsaber, trying to deflect the sting bolts with the civilized weapon. Solo was skeptical of the Force—the energy field that connected all living things in the galaxy, and the Jedi, like Kenboi, were able to use to perform seemingly supernatural feats—because in all his travels he had never seen proof that pointed to its existence; to Solo, it was all "simple tricks and nonsense." Kenobi took Solo's skepticism as a challenge and but a helmet over looks face so he couldn't see. Skywalker tried to deflect the bolts again, and did, while unable to see. Solo was mildly impressed, but acquitted Skywalker's ability to luck.[4]
Immediately after, the Falcon emerged from hyperspace in the Alderaan system. The Falcon came out at Alderaan's galactic coordinates, but into an meteor shower, with Alderaan nowhere in sight. Kenobi, using the Force, realized the asteroid field was Alderaan: The entire planet had been destroyed by the Empire. Solo couldn't believe the Empire had had enough firepower to do so, even with their entire fleet, but then an Imperial short-range TIE fighter appeared, seemingly confirming Kenobi's suspicions. Skywalker and Solo both conflated that if the fighter identified them as the freighter that had blasted away from Tatooine, they would be damned. Therefore, Solo got in range to destroy it. Kenobi, however, argued against it before Solo realized that the fighter did have a base; what appeared to be a small moon that was seen in the distance. Kenobi quickly surmised that the moon was not a moon, but, but an Imperial space station, the Death Star battle station equipped with a superlaser
The Falcon is pulled into the Death Star by the station's tractor beams.
that was capable of destroying entire planets. Solo was shocked at the Death Star's 120 kilometer spherical diameter and prepared to turn the Falcon around and retreat. One of the station's tractor beams, however, began to pull the Falcon in. Solo prepared to fight his way out once they were taken aboard and shut the freighter down. Kenobi was able to talk Solo into listening to him, though: hide instead of fight. Therefore, they ejected the Falcon's five Model CEC Class-1 escape pods and hid themselves in the Falcon's smuggling compartments located under the floor.[4]
Rescuing the princess of Alderaan
- "Wonderful girl! Either I'm going to kill her, or I'm beginning to like her!"
- ―Solo to Skywalker, after Organa took the lead in their escape
The freighter was pulled into Docking Bay 327 where it was boarded and quickly searched by stormtroopers on the orders of Darth Vader,[4] the Emperor's chief lieutenant and a Dark Lord of the Sith.[23] After the troopers left, Solo and the others emerged from the compartments and Kenbobi devised a plan to disable the tractor beam from inside the station. As they worked out the plan's details, an Imperial scanning crew came aboard to more thoroughly search the ship. Solo shot them and then impersonated the crew, yelling out to a pair of stormtroopers outside for assistance. They came, Solo shot them, and he and Skywalker dressed themselves in their armor.[4]
Solo and Skywalker argue over whether to rescue the princess imprisoned aboard the Death Star.
Skywalker, now under the guise trooper TK-421, fooled an officer, Treidum, into opening the door to the hangar's control room. Chewbacca and Solo cut down the officer and his comrades, while Artoo plugged into a computer terminal to locate the tractor beam controls. Artoo found them and Kenobi departed to disable it after commanding the others to stay in the control room. Solo was fine with staying; he'd gotten much more than the he's signed on for in the cantina. Artoo, however, had learned that Princess Leia Organa of Alderaan and a leading member of the Rebel Alliance, was aboard the station, and was scheduled to be executed in Detention Block AA-23 very soon. Skywalker insisted that they go rescue her, and reasoned that if Kenobi had known she was present, he would have gone after her, too. Solo at first refused, but decided it was worth the risk when Skywalker and Chewbacca assured him there would be a huge reward from the Rebel Alliance if she was rescued. Skywalker quickly worked out a subterfuge to bluff their way into the prison using Chewbacca as a prisoner scheduled for a prisoner transfer.[4]
Soon thereafter, they set out to the fifth level of the Death Star with their "prisoner" in stuncuffs and left the droids behind. They arrived at the detention level and told the officer in charge, Childsen, of the supposed transfer. He went to check the legitimacy of the fake stormtroopers' claim, while other troopers went to detain the Wookiee. Chewbacca, per the plan, attacked. Solo kept up the charade while firing on the guards and security cameras. Solo located the princess's cell in the prison computer and sent Skywalker to get her while he tried to convince a technician that nothing had gone wrong via a comm system, before giving up and shooting the panel when the tech saw through the rouse and sent stormtroopers to investigate.[4]
Organa takes command of her own rescue mission and orders Solo to jump into a garbage chute.
The troopers blockaded the only exit to the detention block and attacked. Solo and Chewbacca returned fire while they retreated to Skywalker's position. Skywalker had gotten the princess, who critiqued their plan to rescue her without thinking through an escape route. Solo quipped that she was welcome to return to her cell and be executed rather than rescued if she desired, while they took cover in the corridor and traded fire with the Imperials. Organa lost patience with the the three men, took a blaster and shot open a chute and dove in after telling the others to follow. Solo remarked to Skywalker that he wasn't sure if he was very frustrated with Organa, or if he was beginning to like her, and shoved Chewbacca into the chute. Skywalker and Solo followed right after.[4]
They found themselves in a garbage compactor with the only exit locked. Solo sarcastically told Organa great work in getting them nowhere and tried to shoot the open the exit. The laser bounced wildly around the compactor, nearly hitting the rebels. Skywalker informed Solo that he had already tried it, that it was magnetically sealed. Organa commanded Solo to put his blaster away. Solo was unhappy at being ordered around, but did so. Just then, a low growl sounded; the four simultaneously realized they weren't alone. A moment later, a tentacle belonging to a dianoga grabbed Skywalker and pulled him under water. Solo and Organa frantically searched for him, and seconds later he reemerged. Solo grabbed Skywalker and tried to shoot the creature, but Skywalker was pulled under again. Solo had almost given up looking when the dianoga released him and vanished. Solo helped him up, before the walls of the compactor began to close in. Chewbacca the princess and Solo tried to brace them while Skywalker contacted the droids in order for Artoo to hack into the station's network and shut down the compactor. After a bit of a delay, Artoo succeeded. The three Humans and the Wookiee rejoiced, for their lives had been saved.[4]
Solo was appalled at Organa's ignorance to his authority as her rescuer.
They left the compactor and Skywalker and Solo took off the trooper armor. As they did so, Chewbacca heard strange noises coming from the compactor and ran away. Solo fired a laser blast into the compactor to prove that the Wookiee was acting with cowardice. Organa scolded him for making so much noise, and told him that he would have to take orders from her if they were going to survive the ordeal. Solo was appalled at Organa's demeanor, and informed "her worshipfullness" that he only took orders from himself. Leaving Organa to quip that it was amazing that the smuggler was still alive. Solo looked at Skywalker and muttered that no reward was worth putting up with the princess's attitude.[4]
As the group made their way back towards the docking bay, they ran into a group of stormtroopers. Solo yelled for Skywalker and Organa to go to the Falcon while he and his first mate charged the troopers. The troopers turned and ran from the screaming smuggler. Solo, however, ran into the troopers' reinforcements, and then he was being chased. He ran back into the hangar and through a blast door as it closed; stopping the troopers who had pursued him and Chewbacca. Solo caught up with Skywalker and Organa who had also run into some trouble, and they prepared to board the Falcon, but several stormtroopers stood guard outside. The troopers, however, rushed to Darth Vader who was locked in lightsaber combat with Kenobi. The group took advantage of the distraction Kenboi had created to rush aboard the freighter—except for Skywalker, who stopped. Kenobi saw that Skywalker and the others would be safe, so he let himself be cut-down by the Dark Lord. Skywalker yelled in grief, alerting the troopers to their presence. The troopers opened fire, but Solo ran and started up his ship, and once everyone was on board, blasted off and away from the battle station. There troubles were not over, however: four Imperial TIE fighters were in pursuit.[4]
Solo shoots down a TIE fighter using the Falcon's turrets.
Chewbacca piloted the Falcon in order for Skywalker and Solo to man its turrets to fight off the attackers. A dogfight ensued, where Solo shot down one fighter and congratulated Skywalker when he shot one down, as well—and advised him to not "get cocky." Solo soon shot down the final Imperial fighter and sighed in relief as they entered hyperspace to travel to Yavin 4—the location of the Rebels' hidden base. While en route to the Yavin system, Organa grimly informed Solo that the Imperials had let them escape in order to track them to the hidden base, which explained the relative ease of their escape. Solo, didn't believe it had been easy and demanded to know what information Artoo was carrying that made him so special. Organa told him: the technical readouts to the Death Star. Solo was shocked, and added that once he was rewarded, he was going to leave; he claimed he wasn't interested in the Rebels' revolution or the princess as a companion. Organa assured Solo that if all he loved was money, that's all he would receive, and stomped away. Skywalker took her place and asked the smuggler what he thought of the princess. Solo admitted she had spirit, and inquired to whether Skywalker could see Organa and Solo together. Skywalker quickly said "no," thereby admitting he had his own feeling for the princess—much to Solo's amusement.[4]
A change of conscience
- "I knew you'd come back—I just knew it!"
"Well, I couldn't let you get all the credit and take all the reward!"
"Hey, I knew there was more to you than money!" - ―Skywalker, Solo and Organa celebrate the destruction of the Death Star
Solo and his friends arrive at the Rebel base on Yavin 4.
The Falcon soon reached Yavin 4 where Solo and the others were welcomed; Alliance Alliance High Command had feared that Organa had died with her world. The plans within Artoo were analyzed and a weakness was discovered: a two-meter wide exhaust port that led to the station's main reactor. Solo and Chewbacca attended a briefing for the Rebel pilots, including Skywalker, who were going to attack the station when it inevitably arrived. General Jan Dodonna explained that a one-man starfighter could get close enough and fire proton torpedoes into the shaft that would cause a chain reaction that would destroy the station. Solo was skeptical, thinking it suicide to even attempt. Therefore, after he was given his rearward of credits, he packed up to leave, but was confronted by Skywalker who insisted he stay and fight with the Rebellion. Solo, thinking selfishly of his debt with Jabba, refused, and asked Skywalker to come with him and Chewbacca. Skywalker was dismayed with Solo's selfishness and angrily walked away. Solo called after him an old Jedi saying: "May the Force be with you." Chewbacca was disappointed in Solo—he wanted to stay and fight.[4]
Solo and Chewbacca then left Yavin 4 aboard the Millennium Falcon. Soon, however, Chewbacca's nagging and Solo's conscience eventually got the better of the smuggler and he turned around and headed towards the Death Star where the battle was raging—although he did so not for the Rebellion's cause, but to save his friend, Skywalker.[24] He arrived in his ship to find Skywalker in his T-65B X-wing starfighter being pursued by three TIE fighters in the station's meridian trench. Solo fired on the pursers, destroying one, and causing another to panic, which collided with the last. Solo yelled in glee and told Skywalker to take the shot so they could go home. Skywalker did, and it was a direct hit: The Death Star blew apart and killed everyone on board.[25] Of the thirty Alliance ships that had participated in the battle, only three returned to the base with Solo in the Falcon. Solo rushed to Skywalker as he exited his fighter and congratulated him, while the princess embraced Solo in his bravery and proving there was more to him than money.[4]
Organa awards Solo and Skywalker for their selflessness during the Battle of Yavin.
A rushed[2] award ceremony was held later for the heroes of the battle; which included Solo. The three awardees, Solo, Skywalker and Chewbacca, walked the aisle past hundreds of Alliance personnel. They reached the stage, where Organa placed a medal around Solo's neck as he winked at her. Skywalker was given his medal and they bowed to the princess and turned as the crowd clapped for them.[4] Organa delivered her speech, next. She asked them all to not forget the lives lost on Alderaan and during the battle, including her[26] adopted parents,[27] Viceroy Bail Organa and Queen Breha Organa. Dodonna followed up by informing the base's population their next course of action: evacuate Yavin 4. The ceremony was adjourned. Organa playfully told Solo that he and his first mate had better get work.[26]
Mission to Cyrkon
- "I'm not part of this! I'm not a part of your rebellion, I'm not a freedom fighter, and I don't work for you, Your Highness!"
"If you worked for me, I'd have fired you already."
"If I worked for you, lady, I'd have quit." - ―Han Solo and Princess Leia Organa
With the Falcon scheduled to leave shortly after the Battle of Yavin, it was already an hour late as it lay parked in the Great Temple of Massassi following the rebel's victory. Leia Organa, helping oversee some of the last stages of the evacuation approached Han in an effort to get him to aid the Rebellion once more by rescuing Lieutenant Caluan Ematt of the elite rebel recon unit the Shrikes. Initially refusing, Han was eventually persuaded to come to the rebel's aid following pressure from his companion, Chewbacca. With an even larger bounty of 224,190 credits placed on his head,[11] Han decided against his better judgement to aid the Princess, if only for feeling a pang of guilt for her and their doomed resistance movement. With the Falcon the fastest ship and only ship that could reach Ematt in time, Han and Chewie set course for the distant Outer Rim world of Cyrkon where Ematt had been last heard from. Narrowly escaping an the Imperial-class Star Destroyer Vehement by changing their ship's IFF transponder, the two landed in the city's capital, Motok, where they ran into a gang of bounty hunters set out to capture the reward Jabba had put on their heads. Feigning surrender and stalling for time, Han offered to give over the money they had to pay off their debts to Jabba for their lives. Nonetheless, the arrival of ISB Commander Alecia Beck and a quartet of stormtroopers interrupted the firefight, in which Han pretended to be the victim of a gang of rowdy rebels. With the bounty hunters now engaged fighting the stormtroopers, Han and Chewie ran off to meet with their old friend Delia Leighton of the starship Miss Fortune, a moving bar that could pack up and leave whenever local authorities realized their operations and evasion of property taxes. While initially refusing to believe that Han was working with the Rebellion, Delia ultimately agreed to help Han by providing him with the location of Ematt in a low-rent hotel on the outskirts of town. Heading there in a recently purchased high-end speeder, which Han intended to bill the Alliance, the gang of bounty hunters they had run into previously also followed them there after interrogating Delia and threatening to kill her longtime friend. Unbeknownst to Han, Chewbacca and Ematt, the bounty hunters realizing their situation for fighting the Empire earlier agreed to help the Imperials by hunting down Han Solo and the rebel he was supposed to meet, with Alecia Beck having previously ambushed Ematt's team members of Taanab. Not intending to have Ematt commit suicide as his team members did to protect the sensitive information in their heads, Beck ordered over forty stormtroopers to take up positions in and around the hangar where the Falcon was parked as the bounty hunters chased Han back towards his ship.[28]
Commander Alecia Beck captures Han Solo and his crew.
Arriving in the hanger to be surrounded by stormtroopers, Han and his compatriots believed they were done for. Nonetheless, in an effort to escape, Han pretended to instigate Chewie by referring to him as his slave, in which Chewie would angrily retort. Starting a fight, the rebels would quickly assault the nearby Imperials attempting to cuff them as Delia and her ship, Miss Fortune opened fire on the hangar, with Delia seeking to make amends with Han for her forced betrayal. Firing at the two magnetic generators protecting the hangar from the toxic fumes of the planet outside, Han managed to escape with Chewie and Ematt along with Delia in her ship as they blasted off into the planets atmosphere. Needing time for the navigation computer to plot their jump to lightspeed, Han and Chewie manned the cockpit while Ematt manned both turbolasers from the ships cockpit. Fending off several TIE/LN starfighters, the Miss Fortune suddenly took a hit to their navicomputer. After a moment's reflection, Han decided to help her and her ship instead of running away as he would have normally done, distracting the Star Destroyer as it utilized its tractor beam in an attempt to capture the Falcon. Fixing their navicomputer, the Miss Fortune was able to jump to light speed however not before the Falcon was caught in the Vehement's lock. Han, horrified by the Empire's willingness to destroy its own fragile TIE fighters in the wake of their tractor beam to capture them, he fell into a freefall towards the planet in an effort to escape the beam. Due to the planet's gravity interfering with the tractor beam, Commander Beck ordered the Star Destroyer to move closer to attain its target, however was ultimately forced to pull out after Beck realized that utilizing the tractor beam so close to the capital city of Motok would utterly destroy it, turning thousands to citizens against the Empire and resulting in mass media coverage of the atrocity. Backing off, the Falcon pulled up from its collision course with the city, and with its navicomputer plotted, jumped into the safety of hyperspace.[28]
Cymoon 1
- "I am Overseer Aggadeen. Whom do I have the honor of addressing?"
"The official emissary of his high exaltedness, the illustrious Jabba the great, mightiest of all Hutts, master of Tatooine and grand warlord of the Outer Rim. But you can call me Han." - ―Aggadeen and Han Solo upon meeting
The Rebels arrive to "negotiate"
Shortly after losing his reward money from rescuing Princess Leia, Han took part in the assault on Cymoon 1. He returned to the Rebel Alliance and he, Leia and other Rebel members devised a plan after capturing a shuttle that was sent from Jabba the Hutt, Han's former employer. The shuttle had contained an envoy that was to negotiate with the Empire about shipping resources from Hutt controlled space to Imperial factories like Cymoon 1—in order for the materials to be manufactured into Imperial war machines; such as TIE fighters and All Terrain Armored Transports Walkers. Han and the others agreed that due to Han's previous ties with the Crime lord, he would be able to pass himself off as a member of the envoy, while Luke and Leia disguised themselves as his bodyguards.[21]
Soon the plan was in motion, they boarded the captured shuttle and departed for Cymoon 1. Han led the team onto the landing platform, they were greeted by a squad of stormtroopers and an Imperial officer who introduced himself as Overseer Aggadeen. Han introduced himself as Jabba the Great's official emissary, but his name was Han, Han Solo. Han quickly dubbed Aggadeen "Aggie" and greeted him while an Imperial LOM-series protocol droid confirmed his identity as a small time smuggler who worked for the Hutt. Curiously Han also had a 50,000 credit bounty on his head, Han was eager to explain that "funny story" but was cut off by Aggadeen, who required Han and his bodyguards to leave their weapons outside—as to not start the negotiations on a sour note. Han mockingly told his "bodyguards" to leave their weapons as they were escorted into the factory.[21]
Han and "Aggie" conversed as they walked through
The Rebels reveal themselves.
the factory floor, Han bragged of being the man who had taught Jabba the Hutt's shrewd business practices. Aggadeen took this opportunity to inform Han that there would be no negotiating, the Empire's negotiator would set the terms and they would be accepted without question. Han retorted that the Empire must be getting desperate after the Death Star was destroyed, making deals with criminals—especially all the way out in the Outer Rim was not the Empire's style. They arrived at the room where the negotiations were to be held and Aggadeen ordered then inside to await the negotiator. But Han said he'd rather hold the negotiations on the noisy factory floor. Aggadeen began to question Han's intelligence and asked why. Han reminded him that he'd said it earlier; "we aren't here to negotiate", then gave R2-D2 the signal. R2 began pouring a green liquid onto the floor and electrocuted it and the stormtroopers who now found themselves standing in it. Han, Luke and Leia engaged the remaining troops in hand to hand combat. Aggie had officially decided that Han was insane, and asked, "What kind of envoy are you?" Han pointed an E-11 blaster rifle that he had confiscated from an unconsciousness trooper and said; "The Rebellious kind." and asked the direction to the main power core. But the proud Imperial officer refused to tell the Rebels—until R2 threatened to electrocute him as well. "Aggie" gave in and pointed them in the right direction. Leia thanked him with a fist to the jaw.[21] Luke and Leia removed the Hutt's armor and they headed to the main power core. Leia contacted C-3PO and informed him that the plan was now in Phase 2, Han was just worried about leaving the protocol droid alone on his ship—and made sure he knew. 3PO assured him all was in working order, but was concerned that the old YT-1300 light freighter continued to so easily be mistaken for trash. Han was insulted and "threatened" the droid. 3PO said "May the force be with you" as the team avoided stormtroopers and arrived at the main power core. R2 plugged in and shut down the safety restraints while Han and Leia rigged the core to explode. Han told Luke to look out for incoming stormtroopers—but unknown to Han, Luke fell into the force and wandered off. Soon the power station was set to blow in ten minutes time, Leia thanked Han; he didn't have to do this
Han leads the Rebels in their escape of the factory.
mission—or even return to the Alliance—but he had. Han noticed Luke was missing, Leia told Han that "Now the whole galaxy will know...that Han Solo is one of us." Han tried to avoid Leia's question when she asked what the simple smuggler with a price on his head really wanted. Han did not think it an appropriate time to discuss their relationship at that time, and was saved by Luke, who had returned with more passengers—the Empire's slaves. Han contacted 3PO and told him to get the Falcon headed in their direction, but was interrupted by Chewbacca, who said a ship was arriving. Chewbacca told the team what he was witnessing—Dart Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith—the negotiater, had arrived. Han ordered the wookiee to jot fire on the Dark Lord, if he did the entire moon would know of their presence . But Leia disagreed, and commanded Chewbacca to take the shot, their lives were nothing compared to killing Vader. Chewbacca did so but was unable to hit the Sith. Chewbacca was out of contact, the entire moon was on alert and 3PO still hadn't arrived with the Falcon. 3PO informed him that native scavengers were dismantling the old freighter. Han told "Goldenrod" to go and stop them, but the droid was worried. The team and slaves retreated—while pursued by stormtroopers, into a large warehouse that contained several newly assembled All Terrain Armored Transport Walkers. Han ordered everyone on board, they were going to walk right out of the factory. Leia noticed that Luke was missing again, unknown to the rest of the team the Jedi to be had gone to confront Darth Vader—the man who had killed his father, mentor and adopted parents.[21]
Han, Leia, R2 and several slaves boarded an AT-AT; Han piloted the AT-AT as they began their escape. Han brought the foot of the walker down into a subterranean hallway where Vader and Luke had been engaged in lightsaber combat. Han told Luke and the slaves to follow him—he was going to plow their way out of the facility. Leia saw Vader and encouraged Han to "Ram this thing right down his throat!" Han agreed; thinking of how much Chewbacca would love to drive an Imperial walker. Leia acted as Han's co-pilot and again told him to crush the Dark Lord, which irritated Han; he wasn't trying to step on anyone, he just wanted to get his friends out of danger. Leia didn't think Han was performing adequately. Han told the Princess if she wanted to help she should fire back at the Imperials. Leia reminded him that he had chosen a walker that's laser cannons were not operational. Han asked R2 and a pair of Jawas on their progress in fixing this problem, Han told Leia the trio would soon have the cannons working, they just needed to give them more time.[29]
Leia contacted 3PO again and inquired why he and the Falcon had not yet arrived—the scavengers continued to dismantle Han's prized ship. The
Han tries to keep the AT-AT from falling apart.
battle raged, Han had Vader in his sights, he stated "Now I'm trying to step on somebody." Leia encouraged him to do it for General Kenobi, and the entire world of Alderaan. Han brought the walker's leg down to step on the Dark Lord but was foiled when Vader used the Dark side of the Force to hold the AT-At's leg in place, preventing it from crushing him. The power that Vader throttled at the AT-AT began to tear the walker apart. Han could not believe it, nor he believed that the Force did not exist. Han yelled to R2 that they really needed the laser cannons. R2 responded in Binary, Leia translated R2's message to "Fire!" and the AT-AT's quad laser cannons opened fire on the Dark Lord—and the factory. The Rebels burst free of the facility as Leia told R2 she could kiss him she was so happy; much to Han's annoyance—"Oh, him you wanna kiss." Han tried to speak with 3PO, but there was no reply. Han contacted Luke next and told him he believed the Dark Lord of the Sith was dead—but Luke knew the power of the Force—Vader had survived.[21]
Return of the spouse
- "Han, who is it? Who's found us?"
"Why bother asking him? He'd just lie. It's the only thing he's ever been good at. I should know. The name is Sana Solo. I'm his wife."
"Oh no." - ―Organa, Sana and Han
Within two days, the Falcon and its compliment rendezvoused with the Rebel fleet on the edge of the galaxy.[15] Solo had his head wound treated and was debriefed by Alliance High Command. Later, he and Chewbacca went to work repairing the Falcon aboard a Nebulon-B escort frigate. Solo was amazed that the old freighter had flown with the rushed repairs the Wookiee had given it. Skywalker left the fleet to continue his training as a Jedi later, even though both Organa and Solo advised against it. And unknown to Solo, Sana Starros, who claimed to be his estranged wife, was searching for him.[6]
Solo confronts Organa over the parts he needs to repair the Millennium Falcon.
Solo recovered further from his injuries and tried to acquire the parts he needed to finish repairing the Falcon, but was denied by the Alliance deck crew. So he went to Organa to ask what the deal was. She reminded him that with the Alliance absent of a home base, all resources were being checked to insure the fleet was kept in constant motion. To which Solo countered meant that the princess didn't want him to leave. Organa argued against Solo's suave, and told him that he could get the parts for free if he helped her on a mission to find the Alliance a new home base. Solo agreed—after reminding the princes that all he did was help her—and told Organa he was going to leave the fleet after the mission.[15]
Soon, Solo and Organa traveled to the Moddell sector of the Outer Rim aboard a stolen Imperial Lambda-class shuttle, the Invictus, to begin scouting. The pair argued over the legitimacy of how Solo had won the Falcon in a game of Sabacc until a pair of TIE fighters that never would have normally been out so far in the Outer Rim appeared and demanded the shuttle's identification. Organa transferred the clearance codes, but Solo took over and put the Invictus through evasive maneuvers that alerted the TIEs to the illegitimacy of the shuttle, so they opened fire. Organa expressed her disdain with Solo's brash decision while the smuggler headed towards the Monsua Nebula where Solo's smuggling den was located. They soon arrived and Solo piloted them through the nebula's cyclones and electrical super-storms. Organa was shocked that Solo had pilot them into danger willingly, even though the TIE fighters gave up the chase.[15]
Solo and Organa hike towards Solo's smuggling den in the Monsua Nebula.
Solo landed the Invictus near his old smuggling den while Organa confessed that she never would have guessed that under Monsua's storms a beautiful land rested. Solo admitted he hadn't either until he had crashed landed their with Chewbacca years earlier. The pair made their way to the smuggling den where Solo offered the princess some Corellian wine that he had stashed some time before, after telling her that no one except he, she and Chewbacca knew the Monsua Nebula's secret. Solo poured a glass of the wine for Organa, who promptly threw it into Solo's face and accused him of trying to seduce her when they were running for their lives from the Empire. Solo, however, argued that he would "rather seduce a gundark." Organa berated Solo, telling him that if he hadn't lost his nerve and fled from the Imperial fighters they wouldn't have been in the mess they currently found themselves in. Solo countered Organa's claim that he had "lost his nerve." Saying that there was not a single thing in the galaxy that could make him lose his nerve.[14]
Just then, a ship came into view: Sana Starros's ship. Solo instantly recognized it as Sana's ship, lost his nerve, and told Organa to run. Sana fired a laser blast down that knocked both Solo and Organa off their feet, and they watched as Sana emerged from the ship and introduced herself to Organa as Solo's wife. Solo could only put his hand over his face and mutter "oh no" as she pointed a blaster cannon at them and demanded to know who the princess was.[14]
At the Battle of Hoth
Afterwards, the Rebels relocated to Echo Base on Hoth. Solo, meanwhile, ran into a bounty hunter on Ord Mantell, forcing him to leave and fulfill his debt to Jabba. While repairing the Falcon, Solo learned Luke had gone missing on patrol. Riding out on a tauntaun in the midst of snowstorm, Han found Luke had been attacked by a wampa. After the tauntaun collapsed and died from the cold, Han used Luke's lightsaber to cut the animal open and placed him inside to prevent him from freezing to death.[30]
After bringing Luke back to recover from his injuries, Han and Chewbacca went out to investigate a signal and encountered an Imperial probe droid. Realizing the Empire had discovered their location, the Rebels decided to evacuate. During the ensuing battle, Han rescued Leia from the collapsed command center, and escaped on the still unrepaired Falcon.[30]
Fleeing to Cloud City, a tibanna gas mine on Bespin run by Calrissian, Han was betrayed and handed over to Boba Fett, who had agreed to fulfill the bounty so Vader could lure Skywalker into a trap. Solo was encased in carbonite and loaded onto Slave I.[30] Jabba kept his encased body as a trophy. Solo was eventually rescued by Skywalker, Organa, Chewbacca, and Calrissian, while both Jabba and Fett were killed in the rescue, allowing him to continue his services with the Rebellion unhindered.[31]
At the Battle of Endor
With Skywalker, Organa, and Chewbacca, Han took a strike team to the forest moon of Endor to disable the shields protecting the Emperor's new Death Star. The Rebels had received information from Bothan spies on the location of the base and its shield generators. Although this information proved a trap, Organa, Solo, and Chewbacca were eventually able to access the base thanks to the help of a local Ewok tribe. These creatures provided much needed support during the final battle against the Imperial forces on the moon. With the Imperial forces defeated, Han was able to place detonators inside the Imperial base on Endor, effectively leaving the Death Star vulnerable to attack.[31]
After Endor
- "There were stories about what happened."
"It's true. All of it. The dark side, the Jedi. They're real." - ―Rey and Solo
Solo and Chewbacca aboard the Falcon years after the Battle of Endor.
Several months after the Battle of Endor, Han and Chewbacca were informed that Chewbacca's home world of Kashyyyk would have a decreased Imperial presence so they gathered all their smuggler friends and people who owed them favours to liberate the planet.[9]
Han Solo was known to be alive some thirty years after the battle of Endor. Now an "old man", he went drinking in a bar owned by his friend Delia Leighton. There he heard three people bragging how fast their ship was. Han lectured them on this, telling them that it was a ship's crew that mattered, not its armor or engines. He then proceeded to tell them a story about the Millennium Falcon and its escape from Cyrkon. Upon realising that Solo owned the Falcon, the trio attempted to kill him and steal the ship. However Chewbacca caught them unaware and the group was defeated.[28]
Some time later, Han and Chewbacca tracked and boarded the Millennium Falcon, where Han remarked that they "were now home." Inside the cruiser, Han met Rey, a female human, and Finn, a stormtrooper deserter of the First Order, who were in the possesion of a droid called BB-8 that had a map that led to the secret location of Luke Skywalker.[3] Han explained to them that Luke went into hiding after his nephew, as his apprentice, turned to the Dark Side of the Force and destroyed all that Luke had accomplished.
At Starkiller Base, a planet converted by the First Order into a superweapon capable of destroying entire star systems, a Force-sensitive of the dark side known as Kylo Ren learned from the leader of the organization, Supreme Leader Snoke, that to overcome the call of the light side, Ren would have to kill his father, who was revealed to be no other than Han Solo. Meanwhile, The Falcon crew arrived at the planet Takodana and met Maz Kanata, an old friend of Han who could help bring BB-8 to the Resistance, an organization supported by the Republic that opposed the First Order.
The First Order, tipped off to BB-8's presence, attacked Takodana. Meanwhile, Starkiller Base destroyed the New Republic-controlled Hosnian star system and its main planet, Hosnian Prime. Han, Chewbacca, and Finn battled the First Order with help from a squadron of Resistance X-wing fighters led by Poe Dameron. Rey, however, was captured by Kylo Ren and taken to Starkiller Base. Later, Han, Chewbacca, and Finn were brought to the Resistance base on D'Qar where he was reunited with Leia. As the Starkiller Base prepared to fire on D'Qar, the Resistance leaders devised a plan to sneak onto the surface and lower the planetary shields, which would allow the fighters to attack the superweapon's weak spot. Using the Falcon, Han, Chewbacca, and Finn infiltrated the base, lowered the shields, and reunited with Rey. Despite their success, the X-wing fleet was still unable to penetrate the weapon, leaving Han and Chewbacca to plant explosives to create an opening. However, Kylo Ren arrived to stop them.
Finn, Rey and Chewbacca watched helplessly as Han confronted Ren, addressing him by his birth name "Ben", and imploring his son to abandon the dark side. However, in doing so, Solo was stabbed in the chest by Ren immediately afterwards. Han lovingly caressed his son's face while dying and fell off the bridge into a reactor shaft. Moments after, Chewbacca, distraught by Han's death, ignited the explosives. This allowed Poe Dameron to critically damage the station's weak spot and cause a destructive chain reaction across the planet.
Personality and traits
- "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid."
- ―Han Solo to Luke Skywalker
Han Solo was a cynical, disagreeable individual whose primary concern was gaining enough money to preserve his own life. He and Luke immediately disliked each other: Solo found Luke irritating and overly eager, and his open disdain for Kenobi's beliefs and actions did little to change Luke's initial view of Solo as an extortionist. However, after Han demonstrated his bravery on the Death Star and proved his loyalty, they became genuine friends.
Behind the scenes
Origins and development
- "You old stardog. Took a war to get you out here…"
- ―Han Solo's opening line in the rough draft of The Star Wars
Han Solo was created by George Lucas during the development of Lucas' 1977 film Star Wars and is present in Lucas' 132-page The Star Wars: Rough Draft, completed in May 1974. In the draft, Solo is a Ureallian, and is described as a huge green-skinned monster with no nose and large gills. He is a member of the Jedi Bendu and an old friend of General Skywalker.[32] As Lucas refined his story, Solo evolved into a burly, bearded, flamboyantly-dressed pirate.[33] Although Lucas had originally intended for Solo to be a nefarious alien character, he settled on the idea of a human so that he could develop more of a relationship between the film's three primary characters. Chewbacca thus filled the role of the alien sidekick.[34] By August 1975, when Lucas had written his third draft, Solo was described as: "A tough James Dean style starpilot about twenty-five years old. A cowboy in a starship -- simple, sentimental and cocksure of himself."[35] This incarnation of Solo's character went on to appear in the finished film.[4][33]
While developing Solo's character, Lucas defined him in relation to the film's hero, Luke Skywalker. Selflessness was an important theme throughout the film, and Skywalker was a selfless young idealist. Lucas thought of Solo as the sidekick with contrary morals to the hero, and wrote him as a selfish character.[34] Harrison Ford, who portrayed Solo in all three films of Star Wars's original trilogy, has described Solo as the smartass to Skywalker's callow youth, with each character having had a clear section of turf to explore.[36]
Portrayal
- "I thought that the luck of the character was that he represented something close to the audience's sensibilities because of his distance and resistance to the mythology."
- ―Harrison Ford
When casting the role of Solo, Lucas sought actors who had individual screen presence as well as chemistry with Skywalker. He wanted Solo to be older than Skywalker and to possess a cynical edge. Lucas desired new and unknown actors to play Star Wars's major roles, and originally forbade Harrison Ford from auditioning, having worked with him on the 1973 film American Graffiti.[36] Ford was working as a carpenter on the set of the auditions,[37][38] and was brought in by Lucas to feed lines to the actors who were auditioning,[36] including Kurt Russell, Nick Nolte, Christopher Walken,[33] and Perry King. While feeding lines, Ford impressed Lucas by giving the character a mix of mercenary swagger and world weariness, and convinced the director to let him play the part.[36]
Harrison Ford and his co-stars relax on the set of Star Wars.
Ford went on to portray Solo in both of Star Wars's sequels, 1980's The Empire Strikes Back and 1983's Return of the Jedi, as well as 1978's The Star Wars Holiday Special.[39] He was hesitant to sign the contracts for the sequels, however, feeling that Solo's character should be killed off.[40] When Lucas was discussing the script of Return of the Jedi with director Richard Marquand and screenwriter Lawrence Kasdan, the three were unsure if Ford would return for the film. Solo's character had been frozen in carbonite during the climax of The Empire Strikes Back, and Ford was a rising star in Hollywood following his starring role as Indiana Jones in 1981's Raiders of the Lost Ark. Ford himself thought that Solo should die in Jedi, sacrificing himself to save Skywalker and Princess Leia. He reasoned that Solo had no family, future, or responsibilities to the story,[36] and that his death would give the story some resonance.[40] Kasdan also believed that a major character death early in Jedi would keep audiences worried, believing that none of the characters were safe. Lucas vetoed the idea, however, and Solo ultimately survived.[36]
The script of The Empire Strikes Back originally called for Solo to respond to Princess Leia's declaration of "I love you" with "I love you too". Ford disliked the line, feeling that the established character of Solo wasn't being taken advantage of. After many takes, director Irvin Kershner wasn't satisfied either. He told Ford not to think about it, and to say whatever he thought that Solo would say. When Ford improvised the line "I know", Kirshner felt that it was perfect for the character, and it was included in the film's final cut.[36]
Harrison Ford has referred to Solo as an inherently relatable character to audiences, owing to his separation from the overarching mythological themes of the saga.[38] However, he saw Solo as a chess piece that could be moved around and even killed, as the character wasn't as important to Star Wars as its Force-using characters.[40] Ford has called Solo a thin character,[41][42] and one that wasn't interesting enough to be developed throughout several sequels, unlike Indiana Jones.[40][42] As such, Ford thought that if Solo died in Return of the Jedi, it would introduce a needed complication for the character and give the story resonance.[36][40][41]
Concept art of a young Han Solo, originally set to appear in Revenge of the Sith
Several unused concepts and shots of Solo exist within Star Wars film lore. The scene that sees Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the viewer first meet Solo and Chewbacca in the original film was at one point set to feature Solo sitting with and kissing a woman named Jenny.[36][43] A young Han Solo was slated to appear on Kashyyyk in 2005's Star Wars: Episode III Revenge of the Sith, living among the planet's Wookiees as well as assisting Yoda. No actor was cast and the character was cut from the final draft.[44][45] However, the concept was somewhat recycled with Jaybo Hood in the Star Wars: The Clone Wars episode "Mystery of a Thousand Moons".
Before reprising the role for Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens, Ford indicated that he was unlikely to portray Solo again.[42][46]
Impact on popular culture
See also: Han shot first
See also: - "Han Solo is that character that we always wished we could be. I think most of us felt like Luke Skywalker, but we would have loved to have been Han Solo."
- ―Peter Jackson, director of The Lord of the Rings film trilogy
In 2005, Solo placed #14 on the list of greatest film heroes composed by the American Film Institute.[47] The criteria involved in the lists's selection included cultural impact, legacy and inspiration to contemporary artists and audiences, and heroism defined as prevailing in extreme circumstances coupled with a sense of morality, courage and purpose.[48] Empire magazine deemed Solo the fourth greatest movie character of all time, citing him as full of charm and laconic cool that was brought by Harrison Ford.[49] The magazine Entertainment Weekly ranked him at #7 on their list of the all-time coolest heroes in pop culture,[50] and the website Fandomania.com placed him at #15 on their 2009 list of the 100 greatest fictional characters.[51]
George Lucas sporting a "Han shot first" t-shirt on the set of Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull
The developers of the 2008 video game Prince of Persia cited both Solo and Indiana Jones as having inspired their nameless protagonist.[52] Actor Chris Pine also named both characters as sources he drew upon when preparing to play James T. Kirk in the 2009 film Star Trek, mentioning their humor and "accidental hero" traits.[53]
Solo's likeness has been used in a variety of media, including the American television shows Mind of Mencia and Robot Chicken.[39] In the cartoon Family Guy's Star Wars-themed episodes Blue Harvest and Something, Something, Something, Dark Side, the character Peter Griffin plays the role of Solo.[54][55] Mel Brooks's 1987 Star Wars spoof Spaceballs features a protagonist named Lonestar, who parodies both Solo and Skywalker.[56][57]
When George Lucas made a slight edit to one of Solo's scenes for the 1997 Special Edition of the original Star Wars film, the change and its consequent fan response developed into somewhat of a pop culture meme.[58][59] The original version of the film depicted Solo shooting the bounty hunter Greedo before Greedo could fire a shot of his own,[60] but the Special Edition added in a laser blast from Greedo that preceded Solo's shot but harmlessly hit the wall.[61] Many fans disapproved of the change, and an online petition that called for Lucas to re-release the original cut of the scene was signed by thousands.[62][63] T-shirts were produced reading "Han Shot First",[59] and Lucas was even spotted wearing one on the set of the 2008 film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull.[64]
Arguments over the subject appear in the films Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back and Clerks II,[65][66] and a scene from the 2005 movie Serenity was inspired by the debate.[67] When the original versions of the Star Wars trilogy were released on DVD in 2006, a promotional article on StarWars.com stated that fans could "yes, see Han Solo shoot first."[68]
Appearances
Sources
Notes and references
External links
- Han Solo on Wikipedia
- Han Solo at the Internet Movie Database
