You might not see Star Wars as an inherently romantic film series, but look closely, and you’ll see the traces of romance are there. And none is as apparent than in the original trilogy with Han Solo and Princess Leia.
For what it’s worth, these two are truly star-crossed lovers. Leia is the princess of Alderaan, a regal representative who is also a headstrong Rebel leader. And then there’s Han, a pilot from Corellia who’s in the shady smuggling business. But, as they fought together under the cause of the Rebel Alliance, the two began to see something there that wasn’t there before. And eventually, sparks began to fly.
By the end of Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back, Leia professes her love for Han, telling him “I love you. Han — just before being frozen in carbonite — smoothly replies, “I know,” — sealing their love for one another permanently.
So, what follows after that? Did Han and Leia end up together as a couple in the Star Wars universe, or did they call it quits once Han was released? Here’s what happened.
Do Han Solo and Leia become a couple?
After The Empire Strikes Back, Han and Leia do continue their relationship. In Episode VI, Han is nearly ready to distance himself from Leia since he thinks that Leia and Luke are into each other. But once Leia reveals that Luke is her brother, Leia rejoices and kisses Han, making them a couple for good.
After Episode VI, the story of Han and Leia goes a bit dark until Episode VII: The Force Awakens. And we eventually learn that the two are now separate. Han and Chewbacca are off on their own adventures without the Millenium Falcon. And meanwhile, Leia is a general in the Resistance, leading a new group of Rebels against the First Order — which happens to be led by Han and Leia’s son, Ben Solo (aka, Kylo Ren).
So, what happened between all that? Off screen, Han and Leia continued to build their relationship as a couple. Leia was quite busy as a senator in the New Republic, and Han was her support system as they began to raise their one and only child, Ben.
Things got complicated when Ben was sent to Luke for Jedi training. And, ultimately, Ben’s turn to the Dark Side put a strain on Han and Leia’s relationship. Their split lasted quite a long time. But the couple had one last reunion before Han met his untimely end. Coming to Rey, Finn, Han and Chewbacca’s rescue, Leia arrived on a ship outside of Maz Kanata’s castle, where they lovingly embraced one another for the first time in a long time.
And just before Han’s journey to the Starkiller Base with the others, Leia pleaded with Han to bring their son back. Han’s mission wasn’t an immediate success, seeing that he was killed by his son only moments later. But, in a way, Han did help bring Ben back in Episode IX when he appeared to him as a spirit. This action brought Ben back to the Light, right at the same moment when his mother passed away. And eventually, by the end of The Rise of Skywalker, the Solo-Organa family peacefully became one with the Force, putting an end to a beautiful story.
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