For decades, fans have argued over whether Han Solo or Greedo fired first inside the Mos Eisley cantina. George Lucas eventually gave a direct answer, and according to him, Greedo was always supposed to shoot first.
In a 2012 interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Lucas claimed that the original 1977 scene had been misunderstood because it was assembled from close-up shots that made the action unclear. He said the later edit was intended to clarify what was always meant to happen: “Greedo is the one who shot first.” Lucas insisted that Han was never supposed to appear like a cold-blooded killer who shot someone before being attacked.
Lucas explained his reasoning further in 2015. Because Han would eventually become a hero and marry Leia, Lucas questioned whether the character should begin his journey by killing someone without giving them a chance to fire. He viewed Han as a classic mythological cowboy similar to John Wayne, someone who allows his opponent to take the first shot before responding.
“The issue is more of an anthropological study of our society and culture and what we believe in. Back in the ’30s and ’40s, in terms of movies, the good guy usually didn’t shoot people in the back. It was inappropriate behavior, or even to draw first. In Star Wars, it was a little confusing about who drew first. Was it Han Solo or was it Greedo? When I did the Special Edition, I decided to make it a little clearer that Greedo shot first.”
