Han Solo

## Imformation

**Han Solo**, known only as **Han** until being given the surname **Solo** by an Imperial recruitment officer, and formerly known as **Cadet 124-329** while serving as an Imperial cadet, was a human male smuggler. He became a leader in the Alliance to Restore the Republic and an instrumental figure in the defeat of the Galactic Empire during the Galactic Civil War. He hailed from Corellia and became a smuggler, even completing the Kessel Run in just twelve parsecs with his prized ship, the *Millennium Falcon*, and coming under the employ of Jabba the Hutt. He was the son-in-law of fallen Jedi Knight Anakin Skywalker, Senator Padmé Amidala, Viceroy Bail Organa and Queen Breha Organa, husband of Princess Leia Organa, brother-in-law of Jedi Master Luke Skywalker, father of Ben Solo, rivals and close friends with fellow smuggler Lando Calrissian, and best friends with the Wookiee Chewbacca, his trusted copilot who swore a life debt to the Corellian smuggler. Solo ran afoul of Jabba after ditching a shipment of spice to avoid trouble with the Empire, owing the Hutt a great deal of money as a result. His fortune seemed to have changed when he agreed to charter Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, and the droids R2-D2 and C-3PO to Alderaan, but he became caught up in the rebellion against the Empire and, after helping Princess Leia Organa escape from the Death Star, briefly fought in the Battle of Yavin, which allowed Skywalker to destroy the superweapon. Solo fought with the Rebellion for a number of years afterward, taking part in numerous operations and battles against the Empire.

After the Battle of Hoth, Solo sought refuge with Organa—with whom he had fallen in love—Chewbacca, and C-3PO on Cloud City, which was operated by his old friend Lando Calrissian. There, they were captured by the Sith Lord Darth Vader as part of a trap to bait Skywalker to the city. Solo was frozen in carbonite and taken to Jabba's Palace on Tatooine by the bounty hunter Boba Fett, where he remained encased in carbonite for months until he was rescued by his friends. After returning to the Alliance Fleet, Solo was promoted to the rank of general and was given command of the Pathfinders, a special forces squad, for the Battle of Endor. Solo led the Pathfinders to Endor, where he, Organa, Chewbacca, and the special forces team, with the help of the native Ewoks, destroyed the shield generator protecting the second Death Star that was being constructed in orbit. Their actions allowed the Alliance Fleet to destroy the superweapon.

The Battle of Endor, which saw the deaths of Emperor Sheev Palpatine and Darth Vader, allowed the Rebellion to form the New Republic. In the early days after Endor, Solo continued to lead the Pathfinders against the Empire. He married Organa, and the two had a son, Ben Solo. The boy struggled with the dark side of the Force—like his mother, who was the daughter of Darth Vader and twin sister of Luke Skywalker, Ben was Force-sensitive—so Organa sent him to be trained as a Jedi by Skywalker. He was seduced to the dark side by Snoke, Supreme Leader of the First Order, resulting in the destruction of Skywalker's attempt to rebuild the Jedi Order.

Having lost their son, Solo left and returned to smuggling, and even lost the *Millennium Falcon* to numerous thieves. He continued to smuggle until he was brought back into the fight by a scavenger named Rey and a defected First Order stormtrooper named Finn, who carried with them a droid, BB-8, that had part of a map to Skywalker's location. Solo, who retrieved the *Falcon* from Rey and Finn, returned to Organa, who led the Resistance against the First Order, and fought in the battle to destroy the First Order superweapon known as Starkiller Base. During the battle, Solo saw his son, who had taken the name Kylo Ren, and tried to convince him to return home. Instead, Ren stabbed his father with his lightsaber. Mortally wounded, Solo fell to his death in the bowels of the Starkiller weapon. However, Solo's heroic memory survived and his spirit remained alive and appeared in a Force vision a year later to convince Ren to abandon the dark side and defeat the resurrected Emperor Palpatine, after a duel on the remains of the second Death Star between Rey and Ren, being enough for Ben Solo to return and eventually sacrifice his own life to help Rey end Darth Sidious and the Sith for good.

## Story (Too Long)

### A New Hope

Han Solo is first introduced in *Star Wars* (1977), when he and his co-pilot Chewbacca (Peter Mayhew) accept a charter request to transport Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3PO, and R2-D2 from Tatooine to Alderaan on their ship, the *Millennium Falcon*. Han owes gangster Jabba the Hutt a great deal of money and has a high price on his head. Bounty hunter Greedo (Paul Blake) tries to deliver Solo to Jabba, dead or alive, but after a failed attempt to extort the money as a bribe for letting him go, Han shoots and kills Greedo. Han then prepares to leave Tatooine.

He and his passengers are attacked by Imperial stormtroopers, but escape by accelerating to light speed. When they arrive at Alderaan, however, they discover that the planet has been destroyed by the Empire. The *Falcon* is then captured and held within the Death Star, a moon-sized battle station constructed by the Empire. Han and company hide from detection inside the *Falcon*'s smuggling bays, and infiltrate the station disguised as stormtroopers. They discover that Princess Leia Organa (Carrie Fisher) is a prisoner on board, and Luke convinces Han to help rescue her by promising him a huge reward. They rescue Leia and escape, though Obi-Wan is killed by Sith Lord Darth Vader (portrayed by David Prowse, voiced by James Earl Jones).

After delivering Luke, Leia, C-3PO, and R2-D2 to the Rebel Alliance, Han and Chewbacca receive a payment for their services and prepare to leave. Luke asks Han to stay and help the Rebels attack the Death Star, but he refuses, not wanting to get involved. Han has a change of heart and returns to save Luke's life during the film's climactic battle scene, ultimately enabling Luke to destroy the Death Star. In the film's final scene, Leia presents Han with a medal of honor alongside Luke and Chewbacca.

### The Empire Strikes Back

Three years later, Han is still with the Rebel Alliance, and serving on the Rebels' base on the frozen planet of Hoth. While out on patrol with Luke, they witness a meteor strike the surface. Han returns to base while Luke decides to investigate. Han informs Leia that he must leave in order to clear his debt with Jabba the Hutt. Before he can depart, it is discovered that Luke has not returned from his investigation. Han rides out alone into the frozen Hoth wastelands, soon finding Luke near death from exposure. Using his friend's lightsaber, Han cuts open his tauntaun, providing Luke warmth while he builds a shelter until they can be rescued the next morning.

Later, Han and Chewbacca go to check on another meteor strike. They discover that the 'meteor' is actually an Imperial Probe Droid. The two succeed in destroying the probe, but not before the Empire is alerted to the location of the Rebel base. When the Empire attacks, Han, Chewbacca, Leia, and C-3PO narrowly escape on board the *Millennium Falcon*. Han evades a squad of Imperial TIE fighters by flying through an asteroid field, and unwittingly flies into the mouth of a giant worm. Han and Leia fall in love during the long journey. They manage to hide from the Imperial fleet long enough to escape, but not entirely unnoticed; bounty hunter Boba Fett (Jeremy Bulloch), working for Vader, picks up their trail and follows them.

Han and company eventually end up at the Bespin system's Cloud City seeking repairs and shelter from his old friend Lando Calrissian (Billy Dee Williams), the city's administrator. However, Fett had arrived first and alerted the Empire. Lando betrays Han to the Empire, and Vader has Han tortured as part of his plan to lure Luke to Bespin. Vader wishes to capture Luke by freezing him in carbonite, a fictional metal alloy, and subjects Han to the freezing process first to test its lethality. Han survives, and Fett leaves for Tatooine with his frozen body in tow to collect the bounty from Jabba.

### Return of the Jedi

A year later, Han, still imprisoned in carbonite, is Jabba's favorite decoration at his palace on Tatooine. Luke attempts a rescue operation aided by Leia, Chewbacca, C-3PO, R2-D2, and a repentant Lando, but they are caught. Jabba sentences Han, Luke and Chewbacca to die in the sarlacc pit. Luke, Leia, Han, and Chewbacca overpower their captors and Leia kills Jabba, enabling their escape.

Returning to the Rebel fleet, they discover that the Empire is building the second Death Star, which orbits the forest moon of Endor. Following his return, Han is made a general in the Rebel Alliance, along with Leia. Reuniting with Luke after his return from Dagobah, Han leads a Rebel strike team to Endor to take down the force field surrounding the battle station, which is still under construction. The Empire captures them, but with help from the native Ewoks, Han and his team destroy the Death Star's shield generator, allowing Lando and his strike team to destroy the Death Star. Han then reunites with Leia and Luke on Endor to celebrate the defeat of the Empire.

### The Force of Awakens

In *The Force Awakens*, set approximately 30 years after *Return of the Jedi*, Han has returned to his old life as a smuggler. Before the events of the film, he and Chewbacca had lost the *Millennium Falcon* to thieves, but they reclaim the ship after it takes off from the planet Jakku, piloted by the scavenger Rey (Daisy Ridley) and the renegade stormtrooper Finn (John Boyega). As mercenaries close in on them, Han takes the *Falcon* into light speed, and they get away.

When Han learns that Rey is looking for Luke, who disappeared years before, he takes them to his old friend Maz Kanata (Lupita Nyong'o), who can deliver the droid BB-8 to the Resistance against the tyrannical First Order. They are forced to flee when First Order troops descend upon them. Han is impressed with Rey's piloting skills, and offers her a job on the *Falcon*, but she declines. When Rey is kidnapped by the First Order, Han sees her being carried off by First Order warlord Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), whom Han seems to recognize.

Han and Finn meet with the Resistance, which is led by Leia, whom Han hasn't seen in a couple of years. It is then revealed that Ren is actually their son, Ben Solo, who trained as a Jedi under Luke. However, he was corrupted by the First Order's Supreme Leader Snoke (Andy Serkis), and turned to the dark side of the Force. As Kylo Ren, he betrayed the Republic and destroyed the Jedi—much like his grandfather, Darth Vader, had done decades before. Heartbroken by Ben's betrayal, Han and Leia became estranged to grieve in their own ways; each blaming themselves for their son's turning. Leia asks Han to find Ben and bring him home, convinced that there is still good in him.

Han and Chewbacca go with Finn to the First Order's planet-converted superweapon, Starkiller Base, to destroy the base and rescue Rey. There, he sees Ren walk onto the bridge above the reactor chasm. Han follows Ren onto the bridge, and calls out to him by his real name. Han pleads with him to abandon the dark side and come back with him, warning him that Snoke will kill him once he has taken control of the galaxy. Ren tells Han that he knows what he should do, but that he doesn't have the strength to do it, and asks Han to help him. Han agrees. After a moment, Ren ignites his lightsaber, impaling and fatally wounding his father. Han looks into his son's eyes and touches his face before falling off the bridge to his death.

### The Last Jedi

*The Last Jedi* briefly pays homage to Han. The first scene includes a bomb which has "Han says hi" written on it in an alien language. Later in the film, Luke asks where Han is after reuniting with Chewie and learns of Han's death. During the climax, Luke hands Leia Han's gold dice (though this turns out to be part of an apparition).

### The Rise of Skywalker

Han appears briefly in *The Rise of Skywalker.* After a near-fatal duel with Rey and the death of Leia, Ren experiences a vision of Han, who tells his son that Kylo Ren is dead, but Ben Solo is alive. Han urges his son to do the right thing and come back to the light side. In an allusion to their final interaction, Ren admits that he knows what he has to do but is not sure if he has the strength, while Han encourages his son and touches his face. Drawing his lightsaber, Ren turns and throws it away, becoming Ben Solo once again. When he turns around, Han has vanished. At the end, Chewbacca is given Han's medal from the end of the original film.