Han Solo

"Why you stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking nerfherder!"

- Princess Leia

Han Solo is a central figure of the first Star Wars trilogy and is known as one of the most famous and popular science fiction characters of all time. Played primarily by actor Harrison Ford, Han was introduced in the 1977 film Star Wars (later identified by its full title Star Wars: Episode IV: A New Hope). Ford reprised the role of Solo for the film's sequels, Star Wars: Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI: Return of the Jedi. Beyond the films, Han has proven to be a staple of the Star Wars mythos making appearances in related media including novels, comic books, video games and audio dramatizations. Han is originally portrayed as a brash, cocky smuggler and pilot of the Millennium Falcon; forever on the run from bounty hunters and galactic crime lord Jabba the Hutt. With the promise of a hefty reward, he begrudgingly agrees to help Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi rescue Princess Leia Organa from the Death Star. Initially showing no interest in the struggle of the Rebel Alliance against the Empire, Han has a change of heart and returns to help the Rebels at a critical moment, allowing Luke Skywalker the chance to destroy the Death Star. With that, Han remains with the Rebel Alliance who help to shield him from underworld figures who come gunning for him. He develops a relationship with Princess Leia and the two slowly begin falling in love with one another. Their lives are turned upside down when the Empire captures them at Cloud City on Bespin. Han is tortured and frozen in a block of carbonite whereupon he is handed over to the bounty hunter Boba Fett for delivery to Jabba the Hutt. His friends devote themselves to rescuing Han and succeed in liberating him from Jabba's clutches shortly before he is to be executed at the Great Pit of Carkoon on Tatooine. He then commands a Rebel landing party to the forest moon of Endor where his team successfully destroys a power generator responsible that is shielding the Empire's second Death Star. Once again, Han heroically enables his friends the chance to deal a decisive and overwhelming blow to their enemies.

Notes & Trivia

 * Han Solo is the only central character from the original Star Wars who does not make an appearance in the prequel trilogy. Luke Skywalker, Leia Organa and Wilhuff Tarkin appear at the end of Revenge of the Sith, while Chewbacca the Wookiee appears earlier in the film. Obi-Wan Kenobi, Anakin Skywalker and the droids appear in all three prequels.

Parodies
A pastiche of Han Solo appeared in the 1977 parody short Hardware Wars. The character was called Ham Salad and was played by actor Bob Knickerbocker.