This week has seen rumours that if we are to belive them that our beloved scruffy looking nerf herder wont be making it to Star Wars Episodes VIII and IX. In some ways this will be a shame but like a friend of mine said maybe this was the only way to get Harrison Ford back to play Han Solo. Harrison Ford originally wanted his character to die in Return of the Jedi so maybe his wishes have been granted. I know these are rumours and we know nearly nothing official about Star Wars Episode VII The Force Awakens but it does make me feel quite sad that they might kill him off.
My reasons are mainly to with the Star Wars Universe. In Return of the Jedi we see a change in Han. When we first met him he was only in it for him self, he was a very selfish person
“Look, I ain’t in this for your revolution, and I’m not in it for you, princess. I expect to be well paid. I’m in it for the money”
but as the trilogy goes on we see a change come across him no longer selfish and uncaring but willing to put his life on the line for whats right for the galaxy and his friends. In the books we get to see more changes in him as he courts Leia and finally marries her and then his journey into parenthood. It’s at this point I would like Han Solo to survive and continue a long and fulfilling life. It was a very difficult decision for Leia to have kids. At first she was really worried that one of her children would end up taking after their grandfather Anakin Skywalker but after reading her real mothers journals she gets to see Anakin Skywalker in another light and that persuades her to make the journey into motherhood. In the end they have three children, the twins Jaina and Jacen and then later Anakin. But things don’t go as planned. Anakin is killed during the Yuuzhan Vong war and Jacen turns to the dark side becoming Darth Caedus who is then later defeated and killed by his twin sister Jaina “The sword of the Jedi” We get to see Han Solo in a completely different light as these events go on even him coming to logger heads with Luke about his kids (and Luke’s son) going on dangerous Jedi missions. Its sad times for the Solo family but there is a light at the end of the tunnel in the form of a granddaughter called Allana. Near the end of the 2nd galactic civil war the Solo’s think their granddaughter (at this point they have only known she was Jacen’s daughter for a very short time) had been killed by a nano killer sent by the moff council. Later we learn this was just a rouse much to Han and Leia’s delight and disguised as a war orphan Han and Leia get to adopt her so she is safe from all the politics of her home world plus learning a hell lot more about life and the galaxy from the Solo’s, also not forgetting a normal childhood (well I say normal but there’s never a dull moment when you are with Han and Leia).
So in my view yes it would be nice to see Han’s character through his journey of parenthood and all the ups and downs that come with it which we may see a glimpse of as other rumours say Daisy Ridley’s character could well be Han and Leia’s daughter but if the only way we are gonna get back Harrison Ford back is to kill his character off then so be it.
I will just leave you with this quote from one of my favourite Han Solo moments.
“Had a slight weapons malfunction, but everything’s perfectly alright now. We’re fine, we’re all fine, here, now, thank you. How are you?”
May the Force be with you…… Library Jedi signing out…….
Library Jedi 