Here's why Harrison Ford kept pushing for Han Solo to die in Star Wars, even before the character's death in Star Wars: The Force Awakens. When George Lucas launched Star Wars in 1977, Ford was among its cast of relative unknowns who were elevated to stardom. Ford's portrayal of the charming smuggler Han Solo contrasted Mark Hamill as the humble Luke Skywalker and Carrie Fisher as rebel-leader Leia Organa. After the box office success of Star Wars, all of their lives were changed, and their futures were tied to the galaxy far, far away.
Ford returned as Han a few years later for Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, which left his character frozen in carbonite. The uncertain fate left fans to speculate over what future Han had with the franchise. The actor has not been shy about expressing how he thought Han's death should've come during Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Despite his input, George Lucas kept Ford around for the film's happy ending so the original trio could all be together, for what proved to be the last time. While Ford eventually got his wish for Han to die on screen, there are some conflicting statements from Ford about why he pushed for it.
When Ford originally discussed his thoughts that Han should've died in Return of the Jedi, he partially attributed his lack of interest in continuing to play the role as a factor. But, around the time of The Force Awakens' release in 2016, Ford had a better explanation for why Han's death made sense. He described it as a "fitting use of the character" and something he pushed to see for almost 30 years. According to Ford, the importance of Han in the galaxy/rebellion and his connection to so many characters is why it made sense. He said, "his sacrifice for the other characters would lend gravitas and emotional weight."
Even though it took Ford 30 years to get his wish of Han Solo's death, it still had the impact he hoped for. Han's death came after he met Rey (Daisy Ridley) and became a bit of a father figure for her. She witnessed Kylo Ren (Adam Driver) killing him, and his decision to murder his father was unfathomable to Rey. This furthered the divide between them at first, although the rest of the sequel trilogy saw Kylo continue to be haunted by what he did. The Force Awakens also showed Chewbacca and Finn's reactions to Han's death, saw Leia feel it through the Force, and momentarily impact Luke in Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Han may have died in Star Wars: The Force Awakens, but Ford surprised many by reprising the role one more time for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. He appeared as a memory to Kylo aboard the wreckage of the Death Star and helped turn his son to the light side. With their encounter from Starkiller Base reversed, Ford's final appearance as Han in Star Wars gave the character a chance to have a role in saving his son.