Every Lover of Han Solo in Star Wars

Most fans know Han Solo’s great love story with Princess Leia Organa. But long before he became a general in the Rebellion, Han’s personal life was full of surprises — including a marriage that almost nobody talks about. Canon sources from comics and novels reveal a side of Han that’s less about blasters and hyperdrives, and more about relationships, heartbreaks, and unexpected commitments. Here’s every wife and lover of Han Solo in official Star Wars canon and legends.

Sana Starros – Han Solo’s “First Wife”

If you’ve only watched the movies, you might think Leia was Han’s first and only love. But the Star Wars (2015) comic series revealed a shocking twist. In issue #6, Marvel dropped the bombshell: Han Solo had a wife before Leia — Sana Starros.

The story begins with Han and Leia on the run, pursued by Imperial TIE Fighters. They escape to a lush, hidden world covered in grasslands, waterfalls, and forests. Han explains that he discovered the planet years earlier and used it as a personal stash spot for smuggled goods, a place he swore no one else knew about.

That illusion doesn’t last long. Suddenly, a mysterious shuttle descends and lands right in front of them. Leia is stunned, Han had just told her this place was his secret. From the ship emerges a woman, who doesn’t hesitate to drop the truth:

“He’d just lie. It’s the only thing he’s ever been good at. I should know. The name’s Sana Solo. I’m his wife.”

And just like that, Han’s past crashes into the present.

In issue #8, things get even messier. Han tries to explain, but Sana makes her point with both a kiss and a slap — all right in front of Leia. Tensions rise further when Sana realizes Leia isn’t just traveling with Han, but is also a highly wanted Rebel with a massive bounty on her head.

As Leia notices an Imperial bombardment incoming, she decides they need to flee. But Sana, unwilling to let her prize escape, destroys Leia’s shuttle and calls in the Empire directly, demanding Leia’s bounty. Han pleads with Sana to stop, but before he can finish, Leia — clearly fed up, kicks him straight into Sana, sending them both tumbling. Leia draws a hidden blaster from her boot, ready to fight back.

At that moment, a squadron of TIE Fighters descends on the planet, forcing the uneasy trio to work together. In the following issue, we see Han, Leia, and even Sana narrowly escape the Empire’s trap, moving on toward their next mission: finding Luke.

Jenny – The Cut Cantina Romance

Believe it or not, Han Solo almost had an on-screen fling in A New Hope. During the filming of the Mos Eisley Cantina sequence, George Lucas actually shot scenes of Han with a woman nicknamed “Jenny” (after actress Jenny Cresswell). In the deleted footage, the two are seen getting close, even making out — before Han heads off to meet Luke and Obi-Wan.

The moment was ultimately cut, likely because Lucas didn’t want Han to come across as too much of a scoundrel before audiences got to know him. Even so, it’s fascinating to realize that from the very start, Lucas wasn’t afraid to show Han having eyes for someone other than Leia.

Jessa Vandangante 

In the late 1970s, long before the Expanded Universe really took shape, author Brian Daley gave us The Han Solo Adventures, a trilogy of novels that focused on Han’s escapades before he ever met Luke or Leia. These stories didn’t try to rewrite Han’s entire backstory the way A.C. Crispin later did, instead, they zoomed in on specific adventures in the Corporate Sector.

Each of the three books featured a new female lead, and in Han Solo at Star’s End (1979), that role belonged to Jessa Vandangante. She was the daughter of Doc Vandangante, a brilliant outlaw tech who ran a shadowy operation helping smugglers, mercs, and rogues stay one step ahead of the law. Jessa inherited her father’s boldness and sharp mind, and it didn’t take long before she and Han developed a connection.

Out of Daley’s creations, Jessa was arguably the most important to Han romantically. Unlike others, she was later acknowledged in A.C. Crispin’s Han Solo Trilogy through an “interlude,” which helped tie Daley’s older novels into the larger Legends timeline. That nod cemented Jessa as more than just a one-off companion — she was someone who mattered enough to be woven back into Han’s broader story.

While their romance didn’t last, Jessa stands out as one of the first examples in Star Wars publishing of Han Solo being paired with someone other than Leia. And in her own way, she showed us what kind of woman could keep pace with the galaxy’s most reckless smuggler — at least for a while.

Bria Tharen

While Sana Starros is canonically revealed as Han’s first “wife,” Legends fans know there was another important woman in his life long before Leia: Bria Tharen.

Bria was introduced in The Han Solo Trilogy novels by A.C. Crispin, and she’s often remembered as Han’s first true love. The two met when Han rescued her from the slavers of Ylesia, and their bond quickly grew into a full-blown romance. Bria was intelligent, brave, and shared Han’s rebellious spirit — the kind of woman who could keep up with his daring lifestyle.

But their love story was far from perfect. Bria struggled with her past, including her time enslaved to the T’landa Til priests of Ylesia, and carried deep emotional scars. Eventually, she left Han behind to join the early Rebel Alliance, dedicating herself fully to the cause.

Years later, their paths crossed again under much harsher circumstances. Bria had risen through the ranks of the Rebellion and led an operation against the Empire — one that tragically cost her life. Han was devastated, and her death left an indelible mark on him. Many fans even see Bria as the emotional blueprint for how Han later opened up to Leia, despite his walls and cynicism.

Though Bria Tharen no longer exists in the official Disney canon, she remains one of the most important parts of Han’s Legends history

Salla Zend

After Bria Tharen, another woman who played a major role in Han Solo’s life in Legends was Salla Zend. Unlike Bria, Salla wasn’t tied to politics or the Rebellion, she was a smuggler through and through, just like Han. Salla Zend first appeared in the Dark Empire comics from Dark Horse, introduced as one of Han’s former lovers who re-entered his life to help him and Leia battle the reborn Emperor. But it wasn’t until A.C. Crispin’s Han Solo Trilogy novels that we learned the full story of who she really was.

Like Han, Salla was a smuggler with nerves of steel and a ship to match, the Starlight Intruder. The two were close partners for a time, and after surviving a near-death experience while racing against him, Salla decided she didn’t want to waste another chance. She actually asked Han to marry her. True to form, Han turned her down, unwilling to tie himself down — even to someone as sharp and daring as Salla.

Even though the romance didn’t last, Salla wasn’t written off as just another fling. She stood on her own, showing up again in Dark Empire to play a key role in the fight against Palpatine’s forces. Like Bria Tharen before her, Salla proved that Han’s past was full of strong, capable women — and that Leia wasn’t the first to try to change his life, just the only one he was finally ready for.