TBT: Han and Leia, first kisses, space chases and reverse power flux couplings

By Jason Burke | Sep 13, 2018

At first glance, the relationship shared between Han and Leia shouldn’t work as we look at their differences. Yet, the closer we get, the more they may be the same. Remembering the first kiss and the case for love.

On paper it doesn’t make sense, Han and Leia. She’s from a royal family, growing up surrounded by political and social elites on a peaceful, non-combative planet. Even so, she and her father, Bail Organa, are secretly trumping for regime change at the highest levels of government.

He, a rogue orphan, growing up on the outskirts of a lawless galaxy where the Empire, The Rebellion and the Galactic Civil War are all things that just get in the way of an, otherwise, easy payday.

We see their differences clearly when they first lay eyes on one another, in the middle of an ol’ high stakes, wild west space station jail break. He finds out, relatively quickly, she’s no damsel in distress as she takes charge, leading the boys straight into the now famous garbage compactor. Han saying out loud, to no one in particular, “no reward is worth this.”

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But never count out the alliances of rogues and royalty against the backdrop of galactic war. If Han’s character took a major leap from materialistic scoundrel out for one thing, himself – well, Chewie, too – and then serves a purpose greater than himself, the accidental hero in A New Hope, then finding the courage of handing himself over to romantic love is the logical next step in his character’s evolution.

Somewhere around three years pass between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back, and we see a change in the relationship between Han and Leia. Although, they drive each mad with their stubborn and, at times, arrogant demeanor, it’s obvious that they’ve developed a mutual admiration for each other.

She would never care to admit it and he feels safer deflecting his feelings onto her, as if waiting for her to surrender to them first – remember the “I love you, I know” scene.

A lot has transpired by the time we hit that asteroid field where the Millennium Falcon resides, outrunning Imperials with no hyper-drive and a nervous C3PO spouting off about negative power couplings, that’s where Han finds himself alone with the princess. It’s here that they sarcastically negotiate the wall that’s been holding back the physical tension like a levy whose top is ready to spill.

Little by little, Han breaks down the wall. First with her hands and then telling her that he knows she has feelings for him.

All the while, he never verbally expresses them, the kiss is the expression for him. And, nothing should ever get in the way of a kiss that has brewing so long, that’s boiling, unless…you’ve just isolated the reverse power flux coupling! Y

et, the best part of C3PO’s bumbling and jerkiness is that we get enough release from the tension without giving it all away.

Next. Star Wars: 8 great moments of Han Solo and Leia’s relationship. dark

They say that opposites attract, but as we go along, we can question whether they are truly opposites at all. Certainly, they come from different paths but both are adventurous and fiercely loyal. Both are resourceful and never pull a punch whether in battle or speaking with one another. In a lot of ways, they are complement to each other.

In fact, the only way they may be more alike is if they were related.