STAR WARS INSIDER / 69FATHER FIGURESTheepitomeofa reluctanthero,
Han Solo gained fame as a daring
pilot and fast-talking smuggler who
frequently landed himself in hot
water for “Having a mind of my
own.” The fresh spirit and hopeful
demeanor that Han expressed as
he sped away from Lady Proxima’s
lair with Qi’ra soon became mired
by the mud of Mimban, Beckett’s
betrayal, and Qi’ra’s career with
Crimson Dawn. These setbacks
twisted Han’s interpersonal
perceptions, leaving him hesitant
to partner with anyone other than
fi rst mate Chewbacca.
While his friendships with
Leia and Luke cooled his exterior,
Han continued to project an air
of unapproachability to others,
which may explain why Ben Solo
felt so detached from and built up
so much resentment towards his
father. Famously hot-headed, the
Corellian’s frustrations emerged
in brief outbursts, such as when
Leia refused to admit her feelings
for him on Hoth, but whileHan’s temper tantrums could be
construed as humorous, the quick
temper Ben inherited from his
father, combined with his Force
sensitivity, resulted in something
far more volatile. Such conduct
fostered the dark side in Ben. As
Kylo Ren, Han’s son angrily vented
his anger by slicing up a console
on the Finalizer, destroying an
interrogation room on Starkiller
Base, and smashing his helmet to
pieces on the Supremacy.
Han habitually retreated from
diffi cult situations before resolving
to return—a tendency which surely
harmed his relationship with his
young son. The daring captain fl ed
Corellia, the Battle of Yavin, and
his marriage with Leia... yet in each
case his conscience won out. He
planned to rescue Qi’ra, chose to
assist Luke’s trench run assault, and
found solace in his reunion with
his wife, but Ben Solo had no way
to predict his father’s intentions
and likely felt abandoned by his
return to smuggling following Ben’s
turn to the dark side. Yet Ben’s
inner light lurked close enough
to the surface that he admitted to
feeling its pull, and Snoke critiqued
his apprentice for having too much
of Han’s heart.
Kylo Ren sensed that Reybelieved Han Solo to be the father
she never had, indicating that
the smuggler left a much better
impression on Rey than on his
son. Perhaps Han had learned
from the mistakes he made during
Ben’s formative years, as he quickly
bonded with the young woman,
or maybe he recognized himself in
Rey, a tech-savvy scavenger who
sought to make a life for herself and
fi nd her parents, just as Han had
hoped to make a life for himself
away from the slums of Corellia
and one day reunite with Qi’ra.
Rey noticed the way Han
trusted Chewbacca and casually
looked past her “theft” of the
Falcon to offer her a job. This led
the young woman to establish her
own friendship with Chewie, and
empowered her to forgive Finn’s
deception pertaining to his ties to
the Resistance. Rey also recognized
Han’s belief that Kylo Ren could
be saved, and the scavenger’s
affection for the late Rebellion hero
undoubtedly played a part in her
wish that Kylo return to the light.
In a tragic sense, Han’s executioner
doubled as the most signifi cant
reminder to Rey of the smuggler’s
existence. And we thought
Darth Vader and Luke’s familial
relationship was turbulent!Han Solo,
Ben Solo,
& Rey