What if Han Solo had died in The Empire Strikes Back? It almost happened. Harrison Ford almost changed our Star Wars universe forever, not only by taking away this character but also by derailing the hopeful narrative.
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What Happened in The Empire Strikes Back?
In the “I Love You” moment in Empire Strikes Back before Han is about to get frozen in carbonite, the original script had Han saying, “Just remember that Leia. Because I’ll be back.” But, as the below video relays, Harrison Ford was not sure he wanted to return for the third movie and had not signed on for it while the rest of the actors had.
Ford even recommended to George Lucas that Han be killed off.
You may have heard of Harrison Ford’s dislike for the character Han Solo. As this article recaptures, Ford thought Han was a simple, one-dimensional character and only “a supporting figure in Luke Skywalker’s story.”
Hence, Han did not value this character the way he did Indian Jones. As Ford himself recaps in this interview, he argued for about 30 years to get Han killed off, which of course happened in The Force Awakens.
However, Ford did like his performance in Empire Strikes Back and his relationship with director Irvin Kershner. Then again, Ford was not so pleased with Return of the Jedi and thus would have been fine if Solo met his demise in the second or third movie. If Lucas had taken Ford’s suggestion and killed Han off in Empire or Return, that would have changed everything.
How Would Star War Been Changed Forever?
Ford thought that killing off Han in Return of the Jedi would have been better because Solo was not central to the story. Yet, without Han, there may have been the story of a relationship between Luke and Leia, instead of being siblings. This move would have changed the prequels.
As one article describes, if Han had died in Return, the story would have concluded on a “bleak note,” with a mourning ceremony instead of a celebration, dragging down the Rebels’ triumph. Likewise, Han’s death may have “overshadowed Darth Vader’s death” or at least detracted from its significance.
If he had died in Empire, as another fan posted, we would not have witnessed Jabba’s demise and Boba Fett’s presumed death.
The redemption of the Rebels and the power of the light side of the Force would have been different too. Han goes from a self-centered smuggler to a hero in the Rebellion who is willing to sacrifice himself for the good of the galaxy. If he had been killed off in Empire, we would not have seen this complete arc.
If Han had been killed in Return, audiences would have lost seeing the former pirate-adventurer attempt to save his son Ben in The Force Awakens.
In addition, we would not have seen Han’s ghost return to help redeem Ben in The Rise of Skywalker.
This father-son reunion completes Han’s character arc and allows Ben to team up with Rey to defeat the Sith.
Ford and Star Wars
If Harrison Ford had gotten his way earlier and Han had died in either Empire or Return, the Star Wars saga would have been permanently changed. We lose Han’s arc, the promise of hope, central plots, and an all-time favorite Star Wars character.
Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan. He has covered such topics as Darth Vader, the Jedi, Boba Fett, and AT-AT Walkers. Todd has published a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.