Han Solo cloaked himself from the Dark Side?

Part of the fun of being a Star Wars fan is the theories. This fan may notice something in one of the movies that they feel hasn’t been explained YET. That fan does the same thing but with a different train of thought than the other fan. The great thing is, they can both be right, from a certain point of view.

I do love fan theories. Some can really add some insight into the galaxy far, far away. Some make you think just a little bit harder. Some make you giggle because of how far-fetched they are. Some make you want to go back and rewatch scenes, or whole movies even, to see thing or things that you have missed. And some, well, some just make you wonder how you could have missed this with as many times as you have watched all the movies and shows.

A recent theory on Reddit has many fans, including myself, looking at Han Solo in a new light. Reddit user, PhelesDragon, said the following about Han Solo and the dark side of the force, “I just got done watching the OT this weekend (1995 VHS baby!) and noticed something fairly consistent with Han Solo: the Dark Side can’t seem to track/observe him.” This observation led him to this conclusion, “It’s as if Han generates a blind spot field that can partially encapsulate those around him”

Now, we all know that Han Solo didn’t have any obvious force powers that were on display during the original trilogy, The Force Awakens, or Solo. So either this was a passive trait, or Han was completely oblivious to what was helping him be such a good smuggler and avoiding Imperial capture. PhelesDragon goes on to mention all the times in the movies, including The Force Awakens where Han Solo avoids those with Dark Side leanings and how they had to hire bounty hunters to lead to his capture on Bespin during The Empire Strikes Back.

Do I like the theory? Of course! Han Solo is my personal favorite character in Star Wars. I always loved his sarcasm, his loyalty to friends and found family, and his willingness to fight for what was right. Do I agree with it? I’m not entirely sure that this is a valid theory, but, as most good theories go, it is based on logical arguments.

Han Solo was hunted by the Galactic Empire under the direction of Darth Vader himself and somehow seemed to avoid entanglements. He was able to get in the presence of his son, Ben Solo aka Kylo Ren, and not have his presence felt until it was time. In fact, on the Death Star, the only presence that Vader noticed, wasn’t his son or daughter, It wasn’t Han or his large furry friend Chewy. It was only Obi-Wan Kenobi. Was Han’s ability to cloak himself from the dark side protecting the others? Hard to say.

Here’s why I say the theory, although cool, is most likely not supported. In A New Hope, Han says “There’s no mystical energy field that controls my destiny.” Now, Han could have been oblivious to its function. Although I love Han, let’s be honest, he wasn’t the most observant fellow. But I still don’t think the issues raised here aren’t anything more than plot armor. The plot required Han to swoop in on Vader in the trench of the Death Star to allow Luke to take the shot. The plot required Han to go unnoticed on the back of the Star Destroyer so he could be tracked by Boba Fett. The plot required Han to be in the presence of Ben Solo at just the right time to further Kylo’s path to the dark side.

I wish it were true. It would be one more reason for me to love Han Solo. But, until LucasFilm comes out and says that it’s true, it’s just another cool theory based on some great speculation from a fan. And to PhelesDragon on Reddit, may the force be with you.