Han Solo
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Han Solo (born 29 BBY), a character in the fictional Star Wars universe, is played by actor Harrison Ford in the Star Wars movie series.
The witty Solo, a human from Corellia, is a smuggler who flies the Millennium Falcon with the assistance of his Wookiee co-pilot Chewbacca. Solo was once a promising young officer in the Imperial Navy but lost his commission when he first met Chewbacca, then an Imperial slave, and helped him escape. He won the Millennium Falcon from fellow scoundrel and friend Lando Calrissian, in a game of sabacc.
Together, Solo and Chewbacca went into the smuggling trade and gained a reputation as among the best in the business. However, their ship was intercepted and boarded by the Imperial Navy during one particular run, forcing Solo to jettison his cargo to avoid arrest. This resulted in a large and mounting debt to Tatooine crime boss and former employer Jabba the Hutt who put a bounty on Solo that attracted all kinds of bounty hunters, like the amateurish Greedo, whom Solo eventually killed. The situation was desperate enough for the pair to accept a charter to take Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi to Alderaan for 17,000 credits and no questions. As a result, Solo was dragged into the rebellion against the Empire.
Solo had unusual abilities for a non-Jedi human. Among them are his ability to handle a lightsaber, a nearly prescient capability to detect danger, and first-rate piloting skills, the latter so outstanding that it surprised the Empire's best pilot, Darth Vader, at the Battle of Yavin. He proved his skills again in Empire Strikes Back when he attempted to elude pursuit by Imperial ships by entering an asteroid field. Solo managed to survive and hide after an extremely dangerous gauntlet by executing maneuvers to avoid collisions while piloting a freighter that his pursuers in agile TIE fighters could not duplicate.
Solo plays a major role in the Star Wars saga, moving from a reluctant participant to a central figure over the course of the first three movies. He eventually received a commission, became a General and led the commando raid on the shield generator facility on the forest moon of Endor during the Battle of Endor.
His debt to Jabba the Hutt and relationship with Luke Skywalker have led many to speculate that he is modeled after Lucas's friend Francis Ford Coppola.
Expanded Universe
In the novels that take place after Return of the Jedi, Solo plays a central role in the turbulent years following the death of the Emperor. Solo was picked to command a New Republic task force to hunt down and capture or kill Warlord Zsinj. Four years after the Battle of Endor, Solo resigned his commission in order to court Princess Leia. After killing the warlord along the way, he marries Princess Leia on Coruscant.
Five years after Return of the Jedi, Solo played a key role getting Talon Karrde and other smugglers to support the New Republic through intelligence and mercenary work. He was frequently separated from Leia during this time, going on contact missions with friends such as Calrissian, Wedge Antilles and Lieutenant Page. He was also present at the battle on Wayland which resulted in the death of Joruus C'Baoth.
Han and Leia have three children together: twins Jaina Solo and Jacen Solo, and Anakin Solo, named after his grandfather Anakin Skywalker. Imperial agents frequently attempt to kidnap these children, with the intent of raising them as Dark Jedi.
Solo and Chewbacca later went on a diplomatic mission to Kessel. While there, they were shot down and imprisoned by the administrator Moruth Doole. While in the prison, Solo befriended a young man named Kyp Durron. Chewbacca, Solo, and Durron managed to escape in an Imperial Shuttle. They went into the Maw, and were captured by Admiral Daala, who was guarding the secret Maw Installation. Solo was taken to Qwi Xux, who helped design the Death Star, and who had just designed an Imperial Superweapon, the Sun Crusher. Solo convinced Dr. Xux that the Empire is evil, and Xux and Solo freed Chewbacca and Durron. The group then stole the Sun Crusher, and returned it to the New Republic.
Durron soon began training. During this training, Durron fell to the Dark Side. Solo took off to hunt down Durron after Durron finds the Sun Crusher and took the vessel on a rampage. After Durron was found, the Sith Lord who was corrupting Durron was destroyed, and Durron surrendered to Solo. Solo stood at Durron's side when Durron went before the New Republic council, and took Durron back to Luke Skywalker. Skywalker forgave Durron, and Durron continued his training, eventually becoming one of the first Jedi Masters of the new order.
Afterward, Solo returned to Corellia for the first time in many years. Solo's cousin, Thracken Sal-Solo, was inciting a revolution to overthrow the existing government, and the entire system was on the edge of civil war. Solo and his friends helped defuse the situation before it degenerated into a full blown war.
Chewbacca died saving Anakin's life in "Vector Prime," the first New Jedi Order series of books. Han Solo took the death of his companion hard, sinking into alcoholism and depression. He took his anger and grief out on his family, alienating them and returning to his loner lifestyle. However, just as he begins to bring himself around, Anakin dies as well, compounding his despair. By the end of the New Jedi Order series, though, Solo finally manages to accept Chewbacca's death and move on, and repairs his relationship with his family.da:Han Solo de:Figuren aus Star Wars#Han Solo es:Han Solo hu:Han Solo nl:Han Solo ja:ハン・ソロ pl:Han Solo sk:Han Solo sv:Han Solo