The Luke and Han War

While fans often have a favorite character or pairing, Star Wars is a fandom that included fans who took it to an extreme, and often an acrimonious one. See Character Bashing. See Church of Ford and Cathedral of Luke.
The letterzines Southern Enclave and Jundland Wastes are full of letters lauding Luke Skywalker over Han Solo or the other way around. This, in turn, increased the heat to support the favorite characters. Letters became very angry and inflamed, often with people saying they would refuse to have further communication with other people over this matter. The editor and some readers would frequently step in and ask folks to calm down. 
Some examples:
==When and Why the War Started to Heat Up ==
After the release of Return of the Jedi, many fans began to choose camps.
Maggie Nowakowska wrote: "In 1982, the admiration for Capt. Solo took an ominous turn. Appreciation turned into ultra-devotion for a group of articulate Han fans who appeared unwilling to tolerate any fannish opinion of the Corellian smuggler other than their own. Starting in issue 8 with a sharply aggressive response to the above mentioned letter, the battle was joined. The core of this group of Han fans were post-TESB SW fans; what Han had done in ANH was either ignored or dismissed as having been superceded by his behavior in TESB. To cite ANH behavior was to risk being declared a "TESB-hater." Before long, if a LoC simply pointed out that arguing over favorite characters was profitless, the writer was accused of being a "Luke-lover," (yes, these “-lover,” “-hater” terms were actually used on a regular basis) and assumed to be actively anti-Han." from Maggie Nowakowska's 38-page history of Jundland Wastes 
One fan wrote in Southern Enclave #9, "I think that this whole anti-Luke campaign came because of the disappointment and betrayal some people felt when things did not turn out in ROTJ the way that they had anticipated that they would." 
 
"I'd been strictly a Hanfan. But when I saw the the ROTJ trailer and had seen 'the kid' grown up to be a Jedi Knight. my glands cried out for a strong rivalry between Luke and Han over Leia. I'd hoped Leia would mirror my own sudden attraction to Luke and have love scenes with both guys!" From Southern Enclave #9 
"[I am] upset with GL [George Lucas] because of his treatment of Han! I had no problem with Luke in ROTJ (he was the best part of the movie), but I Han was shortchanged. I wanted this to be the perfect movie and how could that be if Luke is the only one with anything interesting to do. Han is important to the Saga, too." from Southern Enclave #9 
==Some Anecdotal Examples of Factional Opinions==
* "I have heard rumors of a movement afoot in Star Wars fandom that has me very concerned. It seems there is a group of people trying to force all fans to follow their particular line on the development of the characters." from Southern Enclave #4 
* "I think that the whole matter [Han – Luke supremacy] has gotten out of hand and escalated into pure silliness. It's like having two people declare, 'I like hot fudge sundaes,' and then all but come to blows over whether it is the hot fudge or the vanilla ice cream that 'make' the sundae! (Ah- you say, but ~ is the ice cream? I hear stirrings from the whipped cream and nuts factions, too ... ) But, seriously, folks, isn't enough enough? I am and always have been a fan of the trilogy I like the characters and situations created by George Lucas. All the characters! It's the interplay of personalities and action that "makes" SW for me not exclusive devotion to just one of the characters. 'Nuff said." from Southern Enclave December 1985. issue 10 
* "I don't think that the Han/Luke debate will ever settle down. There are just too many strong feelings on each side of the issue. I, for one, do not want to see the debate end but would like to see it grow to examine the characteristics of each individual and discuss their possible motivations for their actions. I do not care for the 'my hero is better than your hero' arguments, though I may have been guilty of this in a past letter of mine to Scoundrel." from Southern Enclave December 1985. issue 10 
* "Fortunately, from all the letters I've read in SE and personal letters I've received, it seems that their attempts to assassinate Luke's character have backfired on them. During the past two years, Luke Skywalker seems to have gained far more fans and admirers than he has lost because of the relentless efforts by a few to convince others of his immorality, and to diminish his importance in the SW saga." from Southern Enclave #9 
* "The tactic [of some LoCers] irritated me then and it still does. Just as there was no group of “Han-haters,” nor was there any proselytizing group of “Luke fans." The tactic was simply one that avoided the issue of absolutism by claiming the same offense of one's "opposition." For me, the idiocy of the arguments – and the destructive aspect – was revealed when the editor who had published my stories on the life and times of Han Solo, and who had known me since my own “Hanatic” days, called to say that she had received a LoC from a fan who wanted to know why Maggie “hated” Han — presumably because the Han Solo I presented in my stories was not the same sort of Han that the “Church of Ford” insisted upon (i.e., post-TESB and their interpretation of TESB to boot). All those pages of text had come to naught; for the rest of the time that the CoF participated in SW letterzines, I was reacted to by them as — horror of horrors – a “Luke lover.” from Maggie Nowakowska's 38-page history of Jundland Wastes 
 
* "I do want to state that am a Luke fan. and a George Lucas fan. and a Han Solo fan. From my correspondence and discussions at cons. I find that there are a lot of Luke fans who like Han, and Han fans who like Luke. I resent the assumption that if you like one, you can't appreciate the other." from Southern Enclave #9 
 
* "Too bad the Church of Ford and Cathedral of Luke devotees don't have your sense of humor. I've got nothing against having a favorite character or Side, but being too serious without any humorous relief is ... well, boring!" from Southern Enclave #10 
 
* "Okay, I'm going to ask all you Han haters right out. Why do you feel you can rip Han apart the way you do and not expect a rebuttal? What is it about Han that scares you so? Me thinks many of you protest too much, calling him avaracious, braggart, verbal coward, etc." From Jundland Wastes #13 
* "Uh, [name redacted] thinks people are jumping on Han? I had the impression that it was Luke and Luke fen who were getting stomped!" from Jundland Wastes #14 
* "...a Star Wars fanzine for all faiths." an ad in Datazine #34 for Circle of Light 
* "One thing bathers me in many fan stories: That the Jedi are such supermen that no one else (literally) seems to count for anything. I would think that would cause a revolt among the common people in short order. Besides which...I'm one of those who (with Cheree) went through the Church of Ford/Cathedral of Luke times (those were the dark days, etc.). And sometimes I sort of wonder if other Han fans (I'm a Han fan, but not CoF) saw more clearly than I did: that unless Han turned out to be Jedi...he was no one, zero, useless. And that' s why the fight got so nasty. Dr at least one of the reasons. I don't know, but I do think it's a valid theory." from Southern Enclave #22 (1989) 
==A Fan Looks Back==
In 1995, a fan who had been away from the fandom for a while commented about The Incomparable Jundland Wastes and comments on the hurt and division it documented after she'd attended MediaWest*Con: 
==Examples of Character Favoritism/Character Bashing in Other Fandoms==
* Did the Kirk and Spock perceived favoritism even come close to this in Star Wars?
* The Ray Wars
* see Single Character Alliance
==External Links==
Southern Enclave is one place to see this debate unfold.
==References==
Category:Star Wars: Original Trilogy
Category:Fandom Wars
Category:1980s Events