Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker threw a lot of characters under the bus, like Han Solo, whose entire legacy became focused on the Skywalkers by the time the Disney trilogy ended. Han’s story has always been a curious case in the Star Wars universe, subject to retcons and often loathed by Harrison Ford himself. However, he’s remained a fan-favorite. Unfortunately, The Rise of Skywalker, and the sequel trilogy at large, effectively made the smuggler a mere accessory to other, more important characters.

In fairness to the Disney films, Han’s woes began long before the company bought Lucasfilm. It’s well known that Harrison Ford and Lawrence Kasdan, writer of The Empire Strikes Back, both disagreed with Han surviving Return of the Jedi, believing his personal story would best be served by ending in sacrifice. George Lucas, however, wouldn't have it. Beyond the first two movies, nearly every writer and director who’s brought their talents to Star Wars has struggled to do right by Han, and that trend continued with JJ Abrams.

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That’s not to say that the rogue character hasn’t had his share of good moments since Han Solo was famously frozen in carbonite. His relationship with Rey in The Force Awakens is effective and touching at times, as both characters find something of the child/parents they lost in one another. His death at the hands of his son at the end of the movie is equally powerful, but it also echoes Han’s dilemma – being made a device in the larger stories of the Skywalkers.

Han Solo's Original Trilogy Arc Was About Personal Redemption

Greedo holds Han at gunpoint in Star Wars

There’s nothing particularly original about Han Solo. He’s an everyman; a scoundrel; a brigand with a heart of gold, prone to mistakes but always making it out of trouble by the skin of his teeth. He’s based on an archetype, but that’s never diminished his appeal. Rather, it’s why he’s always been one of the most popular characters in Star Wars. In the original film, Han’s conventional characteristics – and also a devilishly charming performance by Ford – actually make him stand out. He’s not a space wizard, or a Stormtrooper, or a robot. He’s a well-intentioned guy who’s always looked out for himself above all else, because no one else would (Chewbacca not withstanding). The appeal of Han’s arc in the first two Star Wars movies is in seeing that regular, selfishly-motivated guy sacrifice his own best interests for a greater cause, and in doing so find some kind of redemption and purpose.

Ford and Kasdan both wanted Han to die in Return of the Jedi because a death – a noble sacrifice – would have been a perfect, simple conclusion to a perfect, simple arc. The scoundrel becomes a hero in spite of himself, allowing others to continue the fight. But Lucas had different plans for the fan-favorite smuggler, and Han lived. The result? A whole movie where he does very little but get saved and act like a goofball, reversing a lot of the goodwill engendered by his earlier arc.

Han's Story is Swallowed By the Skywalkers

Han and leia Star wars the force awakens Ben Solo Ben Kenobi Alec Guinness

Han remains a complete character by the end of the original trilogy. The impact of his shift toward self-sacrifice may have been cut short, but his redemption story remains as he helps lead the Rebellion to victory. Unfortunately, his role in the Disney trilogy only serves to diminish his own independent story.

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When Han reappears in The Force Awakens, he’s fallen back to his old ways – running scams and jobs of questionable legality with Chewbacca by side. Viewers learn that this relapse and his split with Leia was largely due to their son Ben’s turn to the dark side, which is a promising set up. In fact, The Force Awakens gives Han a relatively compelling arc – coming to terms with his failures without letting them define his legacy. He struggles with his own nature in the movie, whether or not he’s a good person, and how to mend the broken relationships in his life. And in an effort to repair the damage he’s done, he ultimately dies.

The issue is that all of that development is in service of the greater Kylo/Rey story. Han’s character and his sacrifice work in Force Awakens, but they also make his larger Star Wars role an accessory to the real main characters. While he exists on equal footing with Luke and Leia in the original trilogy, his usage in Star Wars 7 makes him more of a side character, whose own story is important mostly because of how it impacts the Skywalkers.

Han's Ultimate Sacrifice Serves the Skywalker Story

Kylo Ren and Han Solo The Rise of Skywalker

Han’s cameo appearance in The Rise of Skywalker was surprising to say the least. It seemed highly unlikely that Ford would ever return to the role again after his wish for Han’s demise was finally granted, and it’s reasonable to assume that Abrams’s desire to bring him back had something to do with Carrie Fisher’s tragic passing. Had it been possible, Leia would have likely been the direct cause of Kylo’s turn to the light side. Instead, Han – whether a memory, hallucination or Force ghost – served as a bridge, helping Leia ‘resurrect’ their son.

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This reappearance, while understandable and effecting, further solidifies Han’s sacrifice as something that happens to the Skywalkers. Han becomes a point of motivation for Kylo, and by extension, an instigating force for the greater Skywalker story. Does that make him a weaker character? Not necessarily. In fact, it can be read in line with Han’s original arc of redemption and self-sacrifice. The Skywalkers are his family too, after all, and Kylo is his son.

It’s not that Han is disrespected by The Rise of Skywalker — it’s just that he stops being a primary character. His own, individual story, the movie tells viewers, doesn’t really matter. Rather, it’s his contributions to the Jedi, the Force-users, the Skywalkers, that is important. Whether that’s a good or bad thing is ultimately subjective, but it is certainly a shift from the his arc in Star Wars and The Empire Strikes Back. In those early movies, an everyman smuggler like Han was just as important as anyone else in the story. In The Rise of Skywalker, that simply isn’t the case.

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