Han Solo creator George Lucas
Han Solo is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film Star Wars portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in The Empire Strikes Back (1980) and Return of the Jedi (1983). Ford returned to the role for The Force Awakens (2015), as well as a brief cameo in The Rise of Skywalker (2019). In the spin-off film Solo (2018), a younger version of the character is portrayed by Alden Ehrenreich.
First appearing in the original trilogy, Han Solo and his first mate Chewbacca are smugglers who are hired by Ben Kenobi and Luke Skywalker to transport them to Alderaan so they can deliver the stolen plans for the Death Star. Although initially unwilling to join the Rebel Alliance in their fight against the Galactic Empire, he eventually does so and in the process falls in love with Princess Leia, whom he eventually marries, becoming Luke's brother in-law. In the sequel trilogy set decades later, Solo joins forces with scavenger Rey and former stormtrooper Finn to help them and the Resistance in their fight against the First Order, whose forces are led by Supreme Leader Snoke and Kylo Ren, the latter of whom is his and Leia's son, Ben Solo who fell to the dark side of the Force, which caused him and Leia to separate. Han is killed by his son but eventually returns as a memory to his son and helps redeem him back to the light side of the Force. 
The American Film Institute has named Solo as the 14th best film hero. Mythologist Joseph Campbell has described the character, "He thinks he's an egoist; but he really isn't. ... there's something else pushing [him]." In 1997, Lucas described Han as "a cynical loner who realizes the importance of being part of a group and helping for the common good".
Ever since his debut, Han Solo has remained one of the most famous characters from the Star Wars series. In addition to the character being hailed as one of cinema's greatest heroes, Harrison Ford's performances in the franchise have received significant acclaim from critics and fans. Alden Ehrenreich's performance in Solo was also well received. Ford received two nominations for the Saturn Award for Best Actor, winning for his performance in The Force Awakens.Concept and casting
In the earliest version of the initial draft for Star Wars, Solo was an alien of the 'Ureallian' race with green skin, no nose and enormous gills, also being a member of the Jedi Bendu and being acquainted with General Skywalker. The following draft saw Solo as a bearded, flamboyant pirate, franchise creator George Lucas settling on making him a human to better develop the relationship between the three central characters (Luke, Leia and Han) and Chewbacca instead being used for the part of the alien sidekick. By the time of the third draft, Solo had developed into the "tough James Dean style starpilot" that would appear in the finished film. Lucas also used Humphrey Bogart as a point of reference in his development notes. Mythologist Joseph Campbell said of Han, "He thinks he's an egoist; but he really isn't. ... there's something else pushing [him]." In 1997, Lucas described him as "a cynical loner who realizes the importance of being part of a group and helping for the common good". In 2004, Lucas explained that Han is the selfish sidekick of protagonist Luke, who is selfless.Harrison Ford was not immediately cast for the role of Han Solo, as Lucas had already used him in the 1973 film American Graffiti and wanted somebody new for the role. He hired Ford to rehearse lines with other actors and he was so impressed by the actor's performance that he eventually cast him. Other actors that were considered for the role include Al Pacino, Robert De Niro, James Caan, Christopher Walken, Jack Nicholson, Sylvester Stallone, Kurt Russell, Bill Murray, Steve Martin, Robert Englund, Nick Nolte, Burt Reynolds, Chevy Chase, and Perry King (who later played Solo in the radio plays).In Lucas's early story development for The Empire Strikes Back (1980), he felt that "Han is coming to grips with accepting responsibility." He would be separated from Luke on a mission that would be key to restoring the Galactic Republic. Han would have to "talk with a leader ... who controls commerce in the galaxy", which the Empire is reliant upon and with whom "Han has some kind of relationship ... like [a] stepfather". Lucas thought this could utilize a backstory involving Han having been an orphan who lived on the Wookiee planet until his adoption. In the final film, Han instead unites with his old friend Lando Calrissian, a powerful businessman willing to deal with the Empire.Solo appeared in early drafts of Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith (2005). The character would have been revealed as having been raised by Chewbacca on Kashyyyk, and would help Yoda locate General Grievous. Some concept art of a 10-year-old Han Solo was made, but Lucas decided to omit the character's appearance from the film before any actor was cast or considered for the role.Ford, believing his character should die, was reluctant to sign onto the sequels of Star Wars. Han Solo's death in The Force Awakens (2015) came about when writer/director J. J. Abrams felt the character was not evolving or contributing to the story's development; he believed that Kylo Ren killing his own father would give him a chance to develop into a worthy successor for Darth Vader. Solo's appearance in the film was influenced by that of Rooster Cogburn (Jeff Bridges) in True Grit (2010) during early concept development.
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