How Han Solo gets his name in Solo: A Star Wars Story is so important
Solo: A Star Wars Story reveals a lot about the character of Han Solo. One of the most important things we learn about him is how he got his name…
There were a ton of fantastic scenes in Ron Howard’s space western, Solo: A Star Wars Story. Some I expected (but still loved) and some surprised me. Han Solo’s name scene near the beginning of the film was one that I wasn’t expecting.
I’d never given much thought to Han Solo’s name before. I’d always just assumed Solo was a family name like Skywalker or Kenobi. However, come to find out, the name “Solo” was given to Han by an imperial official. Here is what Lawrence Kasdan had to say about the scene:
"“Five years ago, when I came onto the thing — and Disney wasn’t on when I came on, then three weeks later, they owned the company — and they came up to Marin and Kathy [Kennedy] got the people who were already working on it to make a five-minute presentation to Bob Iger and Alan Horn and everyone. My presentation was, [Han] comes to an immigration spot and someone asks, ‘What’s your name?’ It’s not just that he doesn’t have a name, which tells you a lot about his history. He says, ‘I have no people.’ That to me is so forlorn and so isolating and rife, and the guy fills in his name. Bob Iger said ‘Alright, I’m in.’ That was it. That was the moment. He reacted to it the way I reacted to it, which was, it’s very moving. This was a guy who has nothing. Someone plants a name on him. He doesn’t even know the guy. It sticks for the rest of the saga.”"
This brief moment gives such depth to Han Solo’s character. In the Original Trilogy, Han Solo is cynical, roguish, humorous, but not tragic. In this film, his is all of the former, but he is also the latter. Like Kasdan says, he’s all alone. He has nothing and no one.
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This makes his relationship with Qi’Ra and her subsequent betrayal so much more poignant realizing that she is all that he had. He had no family to call his own, just Qi’Ra.
That moment hit me hard. Beneath the tough and sardonic demeanor of Han Solo is a wounded soul. Alden Ehrenreich did an incredible job of displaying this in this scene!
It makes sense that he’s only out for himself because never been a part of something (like the Rebellion or the Resistance).
We all know how his story ends, but I think that his journey to becoming a part of something bigger than himself is so much more meaningful and moving now that we know that Han Solo, in his youth, was molded by isolation. That is why I loved this scene so much! Anyone who says Solo adds nothing to the overall Star Wars saga just isn’t watching this film close enough!
Next: Solo: A Star Wars Story needs a sequel
So, what about you guys? What was your favorite scene from the new film? What did you think was the most impactful? Let us know in the comments below!
Solo: A Star Wars Story is playing in theaters, worldwide.