Han Solo is a major character in the Star Wars universe and the deuteragonist in the original film trilogy.
Background
Han and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca, become involved in the Rebel Alliance against the Galactic Empire. Over the course of the Star Wars franchise, he becomes a chief figure in the Alliance and succeeding galactic governments. Star Wars creator George Lucas described Han as "a loner who realizes the importance of being part of a group and helping for the common good".
Personality
Han was, initially, a greedy, egotistical, cynical, reckless, selfish and money-hungry smuggler and despite these negative traits, the only thing Han did care about more than money, was his best friend Chewbacca; who often served as his conscience in their smuggling endeavors.
However, after saving Luke Skywalker from Darth Vader and joining the Rebel Alliance, Han became responsible, intelligent, calculating, dangerous, overconfident, boastful, kind, caring, brave, loyal, moral, honorable, selfless, and trustworthy, and he would soon become loyal to the Rebellion. Aside from his seemingly self-centered ways, Han was actually very loyal to his friends.
Han was known to dislike droids and discouraged them from traveling in his ship, although he relented in certain circumstances. After he joined the Rebellion, he allowed C-3PO and R2-D2 free access to the Millennium Falcon, as a special case and in attention to Luke's and Leia Organa's wishes; Han nevertheless rarely had a good word to any of the droids, he had a particular distaste for "bugs".
He was overprotective of his ship and hated times when the Millennium Falcon was modified or repaired too much, especially by droids, Han was also hesitant to let Chewbacca, Lando Calrissian or anyone else fly it.
Initially he did not believe in the Force, as he considered it to be nothing but nonsense; however, by the events of The Force Awakens, Han now fully believe in the Force, likely due to Luke's exploits and seeing his son's ability to use the Force.
Abilities
- Expert Marksman: Han was extremely skilled in utilizing blaster pistols and bowcasters.
- Expert Pilot: Han was extremely skilled in piloting every type of flying craft.
- Multilingual: Han was capable of fluently speaking English, Shyriiwook, Trader's argot, Rodese, Illodian, Huttese and Mandaba.
Weapons and Equipment
Blaster
- DL-44 heavy blaster pistol: Han utilizing a DL-44 heavy blaster pistol as his weapon of choice.
Film Appearances
A New Hope
Han and his Wookiee co-pilot, Chewbacca, first met Luke and Obi-Wan on Tatooine, who were looking for a ship to Alderaan. He accepted to take them, with a promise of being paid seventeen thousand credits. Two thousand to get them Alderaan and fifteen thousand when they arrive. Han later met up with Luke and Obi-Wan at his ship, the Millennium Falcon and flew them out of Mos Eisley just as Imperials showed up and attacked. Upon arriving Alderaan, Han and his passengers saw that the entire planet had been destroyed by the Empire's ultimate weapon, the Death Star. They followed a lone TIE Fighter to the battle station and got pulled into a tractor beam. Han tried to break free but it was no use.
After landing, Han and Luke took out two Stormtroopers and swiped them of their armor. When R2-D2 discovered that Princess Leia was aboard the station, Luke insisted on rescuing her. Han however showed no interest in risking his life for a princess. But after being persuaded by Luke with a promise of a reward for her rescue, Han realized he could pay his debt to Jabba and reluctantly went ahead with Luke's plan. Pretending that they were escorting a prisoner, Chewbacca, to the detention block, they took out the guards and found the princess. however, their escape route had been cutoff by Stormtroopers and were forced to go down a garbage chute. After near escape from being crushed by the garbage compactors and getting out of their swiped armor, Han, Luke, Leia, and Chewbacca made their way back to the ship.
It was a running fire fight back to the Millennium Falcon. Han, Luke, Leia, Chewbacca, and the droids made it back to the ship and escaped, escaped for Obi-Wan, who was killed by Darth Vader. After defeating a squadron of TIE Fighter, Han piloted the ship to Rebels' secret base on Yavin 4. Han was present at the mission briefing, and then afterwards went his on way, despite Luke's offer to join the fight. However, Han and Chewbacca showed up to help Luke. They took out the perusing fighters, giving Luke the clearance to destroy the Death Star. Following their victory, Leia rewarded Han, Luke and Chewbacca with medals for their bravery.
The Empire Strikes Back
Han frozen in carbonite.
Three years after the destruction of the Death Star, Han is now a general of the Rebel Alliance.
He also begins to develop romantic feelings for Leia Organa, which becomes obvious to her on Hoth. Han helps the Rebels escape the imminent battle there after Darth Vader arrives, possibly in fear of facing him. On the run, Han brings them into an asteroid field, despite Leia's protests, and they barely make it out before latching onto a Star Destroyer for cover. They later depart onto an asteroid and fly into a "cave", only to find it is a 900-meter long space slug and they barely escape. They proceed to Cloud City, since Han thinks that his old friend, Lando Calrissian, can help them out. However, after spending a short amount of time there, they run into Vader inside the dining room. Han pulls out his blaster and fires at the Sith Lord, but Vader uses the Force to absorb the laser blasts and summon Han's gun to him. They are then surrounded by Stormtroopers, and Han is tortured for information. Later, he is handed over to Leia. After discovering a Carbon-freezing facility, Vader has Han frozen in it, turning him into a carbonite statue, in hopes to test it to ensure Luke will survive in being transported to the Emperor. (This backfires, however, when Luke escapes the freezing pit with a Force Jump and attacks Vader with his lightsaber.) Despite the efforts of his friends, Han's frozen form is loaded onto Slave I by Boba Fett, where he is to be given to Jabba the Hutt because Han never paid his debt to the latter.
Return of the Jedi
Han Solo during the Battle of Endor.
Han is rescued by Leia and unfrozen, along with Luke, Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian, from Jabba the Hutt. However, Jabba notices them, and they are dragged into a cell. There, Han is reunited with Chewie, before they are dragged out and find their place in the mission. Despite many uncertainties, the rescue mission is successful. Han proceeds to join the Rebels on Endor, after lending the Millennium Falcon to Lando in his attempt to destroy the Second Death Star. He also fights alongside the Ewoks and other Rebels. During the fight, Leia is shot, and Han helps bandage her before planting detonators in the shield generator, causing it to explode. He is also seen at the Endor celebration after the battle is won.
The Force Awakens
After the Battle of Endor, Han and Leia have a son named Ben, who studies the Force under his uncle, Luke Skywalker. However, Ben turns to the dark side, becoming Kylo Ren, and forces Luke to go into hiding. In the years following Ben's fall, Han and Leia separate, and Han returns to a life of smuggling with Chewbacca.
Han speaks with Finn and Rey.
When Finn and Rey manage to escape Jakku with the Millennium Falcon, they encounter Han and Chewbacca, who pull the ship in with a tractor beam. They board the ship, where they encounter the two stowaways, and learn about their plight. Han and Chewbacca agree to help the two return BB-8 to the Resistance, but before they can leave, Han is confronted by the Guavian Death Gang and Kanjiklub, two clans whom he is indebted to. A brief skirmish breaks out, and Han escapes in the Falcon with Chewbacca, Finn, and Rey.
Han pilots the ship to Takodana, where he introduces his newfound allies to an old friend, Maz Kanata. While there, the First Order attacks, and Han helps fight back the invading stormtroopers. Toward the end of the fight, he catches sight of his son, Kylo Ren, kidnapping Rey.
After the fight, Han encounters Leia for the first time in years, and the two have a bittersweet reunion. Han solemnly informs Leia that he'd seen their son during the battle.
Han with Chewbacca and Finn.
With BB-8 recovered by the Resistance, Han travels to the Resistance base on D'Qar, where he volunteers to help take down the superweapons' shield generator with Chewbacca and Finn. Before leaving, he and Leia discuss their son, and Leia encourages Han to bring their son home, despite Han's misgivings.
Once at Starkiller Base, Han and his allies force Captain Phasma to disable the shields, and he and Chewbacca begin to plant explosives around the base. In the midst of his task, Han spots Kylo Ren walking along the reactor chamber and, after a moment of indecision, calls him out by his real name. He then appeals to Kylo Ren to remove his helmet and begs him to come home. In a moment of indecision, Kylo Ren removes his helmet and hands his lightsaber to Han, but before he can let go, he activates the weapon through Han's chest, meaning Han was killed by his own son. In his last moments of life, Han strokes his son's face, then falls into the dark pit below.
Relationships
Romance
Leia Organa
Han and Leia share their first kiss.
Han initially had a rocky relationship with Leia - due to him believing that she was a spoiled princess, while Leia disliked him - due to Han being a greedy and selfish smuggler at the time. During their escape from the first Death Star, she became extremely annoyed by Han's recklessness, as he placed them at risk and almost got them captured several times. During the Battle of Yavin, however, when Vader almost succeeds in killing Luke - Han saved him - after this Leia's opinion of Han changed - and they slowly fell in love with each other. Han and Leia developed a relationship that would last throughout the war.
In The Empire Strikes, when Leia asked Han not to leave Hoth, despite the fact needed to pay off his debt to Jabba the Hutt, he he realized that she had romantic feelings for him, when he confronted Leia about this, she denied it at first. However, after they were captured by the Empire; moments before Han became frozen in carbonite, Leia realized that she loved him and admitted her romantic feelings for him, Han responds by saying; i know.
In Return of the Jedi, Leia, along with Luke, Chewbacca and Lando Calrissian go to Tatooine to rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt; their rescue mission is successful and Han and Leia lovingly embrace each other.
After Luke revealed that not only is Vader his father but hers as well, that he is her older twin brother, and left to be captured by the Empire - Han appeared to question Leia about the relationship between her and Luke, (unaware of what their conversation was about). Leia was initially unable to tell him, as she was still in shock to find out that Vader was her father and Han became jealous of Luke, but soon apologized and comforted her.
In the aftermath of the Battle of Endor, Han reassured Leia that Luke had surely survived; that he had got off the second Death Star, before it was destroyed, but she already knew it, as she felt her brother's presence though the Force. Han told her he would not interfere in their relationship, but Leia informed Han that Luke is her brother, much to his shock and and embarrassment, and they subsequently share a passionate kiss.
Sometime after the Battle of Endor, Han and Leia married and had a son named Ben. During the years of his marriage, Han found it difficult to stay in one place for long, making some aspects of his relationship with Leia difficult at times. As he was no longer a smuggler, Han spent his free time as a racing pilot during Leia's tenure as a New Republic senator. However, when their son fell to the Dark side, becoming known as Kylo Ren, they separated for years in agony and grief, each mourning the loss of their son in their own way.
In The Force Awakens, after not seeing each other for many years - Han and Leia are happily reunited. Before going with Chewbacca and Finn, to rescue Rey, and destroy the Starkiller Base, Leia and Han lovingly embrace each other (unknown to either of them, this would be the last time Leia would see Han alive).
Family
Ben Solo/Kylo Ren
Not much is known about his relationship with his son and only child; however, Han likely had a loving relationship with his son, prior to Ben's fall to the dark side. However, Han's relationship with Ben, while loving, was flawed; Ben had abandonment issues due to the important status of both his parents and due to Han's inability to stay in one place long. This was part of the reason Ben was so easily ensnared by the First Order's ideals. Upon reuniting with Leia, Han shared his belief that there was too much of Vader in Ben to have stopped his initial struggle and fall to the Dark side.
Han was devastated that his son had become evil and mourned him bitterly, yet, despite the atrocities that Ren had committed over the years - Han still believed that Ben could come back to the light and be redeemed.
Friends and Allies
Chewbacca
Han beside Chewbacca.
At some point in his life, Han met Chewbacca, whom he saved from imprisonment. Chewbacca was so grateful for Han's intervention that he proclaimed a life debt to him; the two have been best friends since then, and Han gave him the nickname "Chewie".
Despite his loyalty to Han, Chewbacca is does not always agree with him, and often serves as Han's conscience in their smuggling endeavors. When Han died at the hands of his son Kylo Ren, Chewbacca immediately moved to injure the culprit.
Luke Skywalker
Han initially had a rocky relationship with Luke - due to him believing that he was a naïve kid who needed to be taught a thing or two, while Luke disliked him due to Han being a greedy and selfish smuggler at the time. During their rescue of Leia and escape from the first Death Star, he became extremely annoyed by Han's recklessness, as he placed them at risk and almost got them captured several times. During the Battle of Yavin, however, Vader almost succeeds in killing Luke and Han saves him - after this Luke's opinion of Han changes - and they become close friends.
Sometime after the Battle of Endor, Han married Leia Skywalker, becoming Luke's brother-in-law.
Lando Calrissian
Landa and Han are old friends. They breifly became enemies after Lando was blackmailed into helping Vader captue Han and his friends. They reconciled after Landa and Luke helped rescue him from Jabba the Hutt.
Rey
Rey first met Han after she and Finn barely escaped from the First Order's military forces on the planet Jakku, she was amazed to learn that who he really was; that he fought with Rebel Alliance in Galactic Civil War, and is Luke Skywalker's old friend, over time, Rey came to see Han as a mentor and father-figure, the two become good friends.
During Han's mission to rescue Rey and destroy Starkiller Base, Han is killed by Kylo Ren. Enraged by Han's death, Rey tries to kill Kylo, but the two are separated due to the planet collapsing. After this, Rey mourns and grieves over Han's death.
Gallery
External links
- Han Solo on Wookieepedia
Han Solo on StarWars.com (backup link on Archive.org)
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