The absolute GREATEST character in the entire saga. The loveable scoundrel with a sharp mouth, a quick shot, and a heart of gold plays various roles in the story. He is the audience voice - the one who expresses the skepticism that the observers might be feeling. He is the comic relief that doesn't distract from the drama or the action. He is the mercenary on his own journey of growth alongside the protagonists.
Han's parentage is a mystery - even to him. While various SW sources contradict with each other on Han's childhood, they all (as far as I know) agree that he grew up an orphan without knowing who his parents were. If one considers the Expanded Universe books to be canon (which I don't, don't, DON'T), Han was raised by a band of space rogues with their ruthless leader as an unloving father figure and their Wookiee cook as a mother figure, but the original script of Revenge of the Sith reveals something quite different, and since that was cooked up by Lucas and his fellow filmmakers, that is what I would consider the most reliable backstory. Revenge of the Sith would have showed child Han living on Kashyyyk with the Wookiees, which is a far more satisfying backstory. Interesting that George can include Boba Fett in AOTC just for his large fanbase but he can't do the same for Han fans...eh, sorry.
We meet Han as a low-life smuggler whose only concerns are preserving his skin and getting the best deal for the most money. In a movie such as this that draws such broad lines between good and evil, the grayness of Han's character is refreshing. Before he leaves Tatooine, he's already put an outragous price on the flight to Alderaan and blasted a bounty hunter to a crisp, and yet we just like him so much, and not only because he has the best lines. He demonstrates a certain charm that leaves the audience thirsting for more of him.
One might assume Han to be a shallow character for the first three-forths of the movie, but he has a way of surprising the characters (and the audience). When he returns to the Death Star after fleeing for his life, he shows that he genuinely has a heart, which forshadows the things to come.
In the second movie, Han's character has already evolved quite a bit, but he's still got some evolving to do. Although he's now an established member of the Rebellion, he's still got that price on his head breathing down his neck, which almost makes him abandon the Rebellion, but what keeps him from doing so is a friend in danger. This shows the duality of Han's character and the two forces pulling at him: the drive to help himself and the drive to help others.
This is also the movie where Han discovers something that begins to change him permanently: love. Feelings for Leia burn within him, but he appears hesitant to admit it, so he copes by insisting that Leia has feelings for him. It is through Leia that we see Han's deeper layers unfolding. His feelings for Leia go far beyond mere flirting, as is demonstrated in possibly the best scene in the saga, the carbon chamber scene. That is the moment of his epiphiny, the moment when he realizes that he is no longer solely concerned about himself, the moment when he understands that Leia now means more to him than anything else, and yet there is nothing more he can do for her.
After Han is rescued from Jabba, he is truly a changed man. His friends have "brought him back from the dead" in a sense, which makes him realize in his heart and soul that there are people who truly care about him. Now he will support the Rebellion whole-heartedly. Han is a dynamic character with a wonderful and believeable arc, but he still retains his personality for the whole way. It seems like a paradox when a character can change so much and yet stay the same, but Han Solo is living proof that it is possible. He loses his apathy, but keeps his attitude. He gains compassion, but retains his human imperfections. That is what makes him such a great character.
TOP TEN HAN QUOTES
In A New Hope
10. "He's the brains, sweetheart!"
9. "Look, I ain't in this for your revolution and I'm not in it for you, Princess. I expect to be well-paid. I'm in it for the money."
8. "Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side."
7. "Sorry about the mess."
6."(chasing stormtroopers)YAAAAAAAAAHHHH!!! (sees they've got reinforcements) AAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!"
5. "Don't everybody thank me at once."
4."Uh...(blasts intercom)...boring conversation anyway."
3. "One things for sure, we're all gonna be a lot thinner."
2. "Wonderful girl. Either I'm gonna kill her or I'm beginning to like her!"
1. "Hey Luke, may the Force be with you."
In The Empire Strikes Back
10. "Yeah, me too."
9. "They'd be crazy to follow us, wouldn't they?"
8. "I thought they smelled bad on the OUTSIDE."
7. "Not entirely stable? Well I'm glad you're here to tell us that!"
6. "Yeah, you're a real hero."
5. "Scoundrel? Scoundrel? I like the sound of that."
4. "That's right, and my friend's out in it!"
3. "Never tell me the odds!"
2. "WHO'S scruffy-lookin'??
1. "I know."
In Return of the Jedi
10. "Proper?"
9. "Well who says they didn't, but I ain't crazy. You're the respectable one, remember?"
8. "You're gonna die here, ya know. Convinient."
7. "On second thought, let's pass on that one."
6. "I don't know - fly casual!"
5. "That bad, huh?"
4. "Hey, point that thing someplace else!"
3. "Hurry up, will ya? I haven't got all day."
2. "I love you."
1. "A JEDI KNIGHT??? I'm out of it for a little while and everyone gets delusions of granduer!"
TOP TEN REASONS TO LOVE HAN SOLO
10. His crooked smile - no other Star Wars character has such a memorable smile.
9. Two words: Harrison Ford.
8. He doesn't need to rely on the Force to tell him what to do.
7. He's got the best lines.
6. That cute little scar on his chin.
5. His girlfriend is one of the most famous (and coolest) movie heroines ever.
4. He can make little lines memorable, even a scream is memorable with him.
3. His occasional gramatical errors - they make him all the more appealing.
2. He can go through a dramatic character change while still remaining himself - unlike Darth Vader.
1. The. Greatest. Star Wars. Character. EVER!!!
Background courtesy of here.
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