Han Shot First
It’s a classic nerd argument. Honestly, I’ve seen it tear friendships apart. Han Solo, infamous smuggler and one of the most iconic characters in the Star Wars universe, won audiences over as a gruff rule-breaker with a mysterious backstory. By the time Return of the Jedi came out, Han was cheered on as a hero of the Rebel Alliance. These things are universally known. But if you ever want to piss off any Star Wars fan, all you have to do is say this simple phrase:
“George Lucas was right. Greedo shot first.”
Many, if not all, of us know what this is alluding to. The classic cantina scene didn’t spark a debate until the late 90s, when George Lucas released remastered versions of the Star Wars trilogy. But why does this scene matter so much?
Take a moment to watch the original scene:
And the re-released scene from 1997:
A lot of people will have different arguments as to why the original should have been left alone. The film nerds will argue that the original scene is important because its the natural order of the film. In comparison, the jumpy editing in 1997 where Han cocks his head looks cheap and bizarre. Meanwhile, the Star Wars nerds argue it’s important because it has been canon for so long. There’s a familiar frustration with Lucas’ storytelling genius. George isn’t a stranger to making unnecessary changes and edits to his work. The 1997 re-release of the original trilogy had some other edited scenes, like the random song implanted into RotJ, using a very early-age CGI aliens instead of using puppets like in the original release. And what did these cheesy early adaptations give us? “Jedi Rocks”. Gross.
Original scene:
Re-released scene:
My argument on the matter comes from a character profile perspective. Let’s step back from the film for a minute. The entire trilogy has been noted for adhering to the classic Hero’s Journey story structure. Han Solo’s place in that structure is equal parts comedic relief and a morally gray character. His personal story is to be dynamic and change the tides of the fight towards good. But this takes work. When you first meet his character in the cantina, you’re not supposed to like him. You’re supposed to see him as a shady, suspicious person. He can only be as trusted as your pockets are deep.
As a sidebar: I think this is what filmmakers were trying to convey in Solo: A Star Wars Story. It’s an origin story of how Han got to where he was when we first met him in A New Hope. In Solo, he’s young and naive and in love. He’s driven by a cockiness to prove himself, and that is what gets him in trouble. If anything, Woody Harrelson’s character acts more like a mature Han Solo than Han does himself in that movie. And personally, I think that’s okay. It’s meant to be an attitude that he adopts later on. But when the movie ends, it leaves us with the snider, scruffy-looking nerf herder we all know today.
Fast forward a few star cycles and here he is, sitting in a divey cantina and avoiding the Hutts for as long as possible. Shady, looking for the next easy gig and get out of Jabba’s grasp for a while. He’s motivated by personal gain and nothing more. Honestly, his character is introduced to be the double-crosser. Something we get later in the trilogy by another infamous smuggler: Lando Calrissian.
So we have the setup: you’ve had a life full of drama and heartbreak. You’ve made a name for yourself as one of the slyest criminals in this part of the galaxy. You want to get rich quick, if only to pay back the Hutts and get your personal gains. And you’re thinking of just how to do that when a teenager, his droid, and what you assume to be his grandpa walk up to you and offer you 17k credits to get them to Alderaan. That’s an easy get, but right when you’re getting ready to leave, you’re greeted by Greedo. And he knows all too well how high the price on your head is.
You see, Han shooting first isn’t just about the edits or the canon. It’s about his character as someone who shouldn’t be trusted. He’s a wildcard, able to lie to your face and shoot you all at the same time. Whereas Obi Wan and Vader begin their fight in a civil, fencing-like manner, Han Solo doesn’t take such formalities. He’s going to shoot first because he rather not be troubled by someone who wants him dead. He knows he won’t be able to talk out of it and he doesn’t have the credits to pay Greedo off, so it’s easier, and in his character to shoot first.
As a bonus: check this out. Project 4K77 is a pet project to not only release the original, Han-shot-first edition of the film, but also considers more modern elements, like cleaning up the footage and getting it to properly play in 4K (without scaling up). Just good food for thought.
Joe Staples is a copywriter, content creator, and Star Wars nerd based in Brooklyn, NY. When he’s not writing or getting hyped up for #starwarsszn, he’s starting his own weekly tech newsletter, Staples Sound Off. You can follow him on Twitter or email him. @joeisastaple | joeisastaple@gmail.com
