Han Solo died in The Force Awakens, but did he die at the right time? Let’s take a look if Han Solo’s story ran the right course.
When Star Wars: The Force Awakens first came to fruition, there was a lot of speculation on which one of our favorite original characters was going to get killed off. There was a collective sense among fans at the time that we were going to have to say goodbye to somebody, and it turned out to be everyone’s favorite smuggler: Han Solo.
While this sparked a lot of outrage and sadness among fans, I don’t think that anyone could think of a better send off for one of the most beloved characters in movie history, and there are a few reasons I could think of as to why this was the perfect time for Han to meet his end.
Return of the Jedi
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It’s well noted in Star Wars mythos that Harrison Ford wanted Han Solo to die in Return of the Jedi, but as we all know his wish never came true. It makes sense for Ford to want his character to die a hero’s death, saving a galaxy far, far away by sacrificing his own life, but this just doesn’t make any sense. Return of the Jedi can be easily written with the absence of Solo’s death, and the film worked perfectly without it.
If Han had died in the final movie of the original trilogy instead of the first movie of the new trilogy, then fans wouldn’t have been as excited about the comeback of the franchise. The advertisement revealing an old Han Solo back on board the Millennium Falcon is extremely iconic, and I think it was that kind of nostalgia that generated so much hype about The Force Awakens.
Seeing a return of only two of the original three Star Wars cast members just wouldn’t have been as special, and Han played an integral part in the film. The entirety of the current trilogy would have been completely different if Han had died in Return of the Jedi, and I don’t think it would have been nearly as good as it is.
Fulfilling His Purpose
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm
Another reason that Han Solo needed to die in The Force Awakens is so that he had a true purpose for his death. Having Kylo Ren kill his own father created so much emotional turmoil inside of him that he’s not even sure if he believes in what he’s doing anymore, and he doesn’t know whether to be Ben Solo or Kylo Ren.
Perhaps this could be what makes Kylo meet his own demise, and bring peace to the galaxy once again. We will never know until Star Wars: Episode IX is released, but the seeds have been planted for our new Sith to go back to just being Ben Solo. This would never have happened if he didn’t kill Han.
It’s easy to blow up the Death Star without Han having to die, but how else could you create so much internal conflict within Kylo Ren? Not to mention the shock factor of the whole scene. We knew that there was a high chance of an original character dying in the new movies, but no one could have predicted Han Solo being stabbed in the gut by his own son. Han being killed in this manner is what will make fans of the new trilogy remember his character, and giving him one last appearance created a resurgence in love for the scruffy-looking nerf herder.
Solo: A Star Wars Story
Photo Credit: Lucasfilm, USA Today. What most Star Wars fans love about the new movies in the franchise is that we are constantly getting spin-off films, and we would have never gotten one about Han Solo if he had died in the original trilogy. While Solo: A Star Wars Story took a bashing from both critics and fans alike, there are still a lot of people who thoroughly enjoyed the film, and the whole idea would have never made any sense unless Han was included in The Force Awakens.
However, we didn’t just see more of Han in Solo, we got to see more of Lando as well. Getting to see Donald Glover portray a young Lando Calrissian is quite possibly one of the highlights of my life, and none of us would be the same if we hadn’t gotten to experience that.
This movie set up even more possibilities for future spin-offs, planting the seeds for both Lando and Darth Maul to get their own films, and it is far more important in the universe than most fans think it is. No matter what your personal opinion on the movie is, we all should be grateful for the other opportunities it opens up for the Star Wars universe, and none of it would have been possible if Han Solo had died sooner.
Gone Too Soon
Photo Credit: LucasfilmSo far we’ve examined whether Han Solo should have died sooner, but did he die too soon? Perhaps Han should have died later on in the new trilogy, or maybe not at all. However, I don’t see how the character could have been used past The Force Awakens.
Not only did Harrison Ford want Solo to die, but there was just no place for him to fit into The Last Jedi. Of course this was written to be so, but the fact remains that Han Solo already served his purpose, and keeping him on for even one more Star Wars movie would have just complicated the trilogy.
What else was there for Han Solo to do? He got his ship back, had a son with Leia and helped to save the galaxy one last time. I couldn’t think of a better possible time for his arc to finally be completed, and while everyone would have loved to see more of him in the future, it is better for such a legendary character to die a legendary death.
What do you think? Did Han Solo die at the right time? Let me know in the comments!