History Characters / StarWarsHanSoloCharacterSheet

%%
%%
%% Administrivia/ZeroContextExample entries are not allowed on wiki pages. All such entries have been commented out. Add context to the entries before uncommenting them.
%%
%% Please list all movies by their full titles instead of "Episode #".
%%
%%

!All spoilers regarding the Skywalker Saga, ''Solo'', and ''The Clone Wars'' are unmarked. Examples relating to Disney's EU and the new movies can be spoiler-tagged if deemed necessary.
----
Tropes specifically applying to the characters based on their appearances in ''Franchise/StarWarsLegends'' can be found '''[[Characters/StarWarsTheatricalLegends here]]'''.

To return to the Character page for ''Franchise/StarWars'', go '''[[Characters/StarWars here]]'''.
----
[[header:Han Solo]]
!!!'''Species:''' Human
!!!'''Homeworld:''' Corellia
->'''Portrayed by:''' Creator/HarrisonFord (Episodes IV -- VII, IX), Creator/AldenEhrenreich (''Solo''), Mike Massa (stunt double in ''The Force Awakens'')
->'''Voiced by:''' John Armstrong (''Battlefront II''), [=AJ LoCascio=] (''Forces of Destiny'', young), Creator/KiffVandenHeuvel (''Forces of Destiny'', old) [[labelnote: Foreign [=VAs=]]]'''Latin American Spanish dub):''' Luis Accinelli and Rodolfo Vargas (first dubs), Creator/GerardoReyero (Original Trilogy redub), Creator/BlasGarcia (Sequel Trilogy), '''European Spanish dub:''' Camilo García (Original and sequel trilogies), Javier Lorca (''Solo''), '''Japanese dub:''' Tsutomu Isobe (current), Creator/TomoakiMaeno (''Solo''), '''European French dub:''' Creator/FrancisLax (Original Trilogy), Creator/RichardDarbois (Sequel Trilogy), Eilias Changuel (''Solo''), '''Canadian French dub:''' Richard Darbois (Sequel Trilogy), Creator/NicolasCharbonneauxCollombet (''Solo''), '''Brazilian dub:''' Francisco Milani (''A New Hope'', first dub), Garcia Junior (''Empire Strikes Back'' and ''Return of the Jedi'', first dub), Creator/GuilhermeBriggs (Original Trilogy, second and third dub, cartoons), Fabrício Villa Verde (''Solo'')[[/labelnote]]
->'''Appearances:''' ''[[Literature/StarWarsMostWanted Most Wanted]]'' | ''[[Literature/StarWarsLastShot Last Shot]]'' | ''Film/{{Solo}}'' | ''[[ComicBook/StarWarsHanSoloImperialCadet Han Solo - Imperial Cadet]]'' | ''[[ComicBook/StarWarsHanSoloAndChewbacca Han Solo and Chewbacca]]'' | ''Literature/FromACertainPointOfView'' | ''Film/ANewHope'' | ''VideoGame/{{Commander}}'' | ''Literature/SmugglersRun'' | ''[[ComicBook/StarWarsPrincessLeia Princess Leia]]'' | ''ComicBook/StarWarsMarvel2015'' | ''[[ComicBook/StarWarsDarthVader Darth Vader]]'' | ''[[ComicBook/StarWarsHanSolo Han Solo]]'' | ''[[ComicBook/StarWarsVaderDown Vader Down]]'' | ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'' | ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' | ''[[Literature/FromACertainPointOfViewReturnOfTheJedi FACPOV: Return of the Jedi]]'' | ''[[ComicBook/StarWarsShatteredEmpire Shattered Empire]]'' | ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsForcesOfDestiny Forces of Destiny]]'' | ''[[Literature/StarWarsThePrincessAndTheScoundrel The Princess and the Scoundrel]]'' | ''[[Literature/StarWarsAftermath Aftermath]]'' | ''[[VideoGame/StarWarsBattlefrontII2017 Battlefront II]]'' | ''[[Literature/AftermathLifeDebt Life Debt]]'' | ''[[Literature/AftermathEmpiresEnd Empire's End]]'' | ''Literature/{{Scorched}}'' | ''[[Literature/StarWarsBloodline Bloodline]]'' | ''[[ComicBook/StarWarsAgeOfResistance Age of Resistance]]'' | ''Film/TheForceAwakens'' | ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' [[note]]mental projection by Kylo Ren[[/note]]
----

[[foldercontrol]]

[[folder:Tropes from the ''Solo'' Era]]
!!Corporal Han Solo
[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/solo_han_sticker.png]]
[[caption-width-right:299:''"I'm gonna be a pilot. Best in the galaxy."'']]

->''"Look, I came up running scams on the streets of Corellia. I was boosting AV-21s when I was ten."''

An orphan from the planet Corellia who sought to escape his hopeless homeworld at any cost. Initially hoping to become a pilot in the Imperial starfleet, his rebellious attitude got him reassigned to the front lines as an infantryman. Looking for a purpose, he deserted from the ranks of the Empire and joined Tobias Beckett's ragtag crew of criminals in service of the Crimson Dawn syndicate. Along the way, he forged a friendship with a Wookiee slave named Chewbacca and learned some harsh life lessons.
----
* AcePilot: Apparently, it didn't take him very long to become a pretty damn good pilot.
* AmbiguouslyAbsentParent: He was an orphan living on the streets by the time he was ten years old. However, while Han mentions his a father a handful of times in ''Solo'' and ''Most Wanted'', with the implication being that he died, he never mentions his mother, so we can only assume she's also dead or was otherwise absent from her son's life.
* AnonymousBenefactor: Unbeknownst to him, that coaxium he stole from Kessel and gave to Enfys Nest was the original capital used to fund the Rebel Cells, which eventually came together to form the Rebel Alliance and so on and so forth.
* AppropriatedAppellation: The surname "Solo" was given to him by an Imperial recruiter, mainly so that they could fill out his paperwork. He took the name in stride, and used it for the rest of his life.
* TheArtfulDodger: He claims to have been pulling scams on the streets and stealing landspeeders since the age of ten. And he had to pick pockets and steal stuff and bring it to [[TheFagin Lady Proxima]], like the other scrumrats.
* BackupBluff: When confronted by a band of marauders, he tries to bluff them by saying there are thirty armed men aboard the ''Falcon'' who will come running at his call. The ''Falcon'' [[InstantlyProvenWrong promptly takes off]].
* BadLiar: Lady Proxima doesn't buy his bluff about a rock being a thermal detonator. Ditto with his talk to Enfys Nest about 30 men being in the ''Falcon'' ready to attack, when Lando just flies away with it.
* BizarreGamblingWinnings: He famously won the ''[[CoolStarship Millenium Falcon]]'' from Lando Calrissian in a game of sabacc.
* BrandishmentBluff: Early in the film, he pretends a rock he's holding is a thermal detonator and makes a clicking sound with his mouth to mimic it being armed. Lady Proxima doesn't fall for it, mostly being baffled that he keeps on [[BlatantLies blatantly lying]] even when she calls him out.
* BreakTheCutie: Young Han is pretty dorky at times, but it's clear by the end that [[TraumaCongaLine the events]] of ''Solo'' have completely shattered his upbeat idealism.
* BrutalHonesty: From what we can see of his stint in the infantry, there's a reason he got kicked out of the Academy.
* CannonFodder: After being kicked out of the Flight Academy, he became a trooper -- cannon fodder for the Empire's conquests.
* ChildhoodFriendRomance: He's had one with Qi'ra on Corellia. He [[ForegoneConclusion ultimately]] ends up being an UnluckyChildhoodFriend.
* ConvenientlyAnOrphan: He's been an orphan for quite some time when ''Solo'' starts.
* CoolStarship: He got to pilot the ''Millennium Falcon'' for the first time about ten years before the Battle of Yavin, and eventually won it at Sabacc.
* CradlingYourKill: Downplayed. After fatally shooting Beckett, Han rushes to his side and holds his hand as he dies.
* CunningLinguist: He learned to speak Shyriiwook (the Wookiee language) even before meeting Chewbacca. This saves his butt when they first meet and earns him a friend for life.
* CynicismCatalyst: Being betrayed by [[TheMentor Beckett]] then abandoned by [[ChildhoodFriendRomance Qi'ra]] is what breaks his idealism. His initial interest in helping Enfys Nest is gone when she extends an offer for him to join, and he starts swaggering like a real scoundrel. Alden Ehrenreich even ''sounds'' more like the Han of the original trilogy in the ending.
* DarkAndTroubledPast: His parents both died when he was quite young (and he implies that even then, he and his father were [[DaddyIssues never close]]), he's lived on the [[WretchedHive crime-riddled streets]] of Coronet City from around the [[HarmfulToMinors age of ten]] and is [[OrphansOrdeal forced to steal stuff for the abusive Lady Proxima to survive]]...and this is ''before'' the [[TraumaCongaLine events of the movie]], all of which finally culminates into a CynicismCatalyst for him.
* DatingCatwoman: His relationship with Qi'ra is practically this. He [[WideEyedIdealist seems to believe they can still be together]] and tries to talk her into leaving Crimson Dawn to start a new life with him. Unfortunately, Qi'ra decides she'd prefer to take Vos's place and abandons Han in the end...[[HeelFaceRevolvingDoor after first betraying him, then siding with him again]] as it suits her. [[TheFirstCutIsTheDeepest He's clearly devastated by it, though he tries to hide it]].
* DefectorFromDecadence: After enlisting with the Empire in the hopes of bettering his life and doing good, he finds that the supposed glory of the Empire is a load of hogwash, and takes the first opportunity he can to desert.
* DidNotGetTheGirl: In the end Qi'ra ditches him to become the new head of the Crimson Dawn. Although, everyone [[ForegoneConclusion knew it was coming]].
* DoggedNiceGuy: Is a bit of one to [[OldFlame Qi'ra]] when they're reunited, seemingly oblivious to (or deliberately in denial over) the fact she prioritizes her position as Vos's lieutenant above her affections for him and is not quite the same person he knew on Corellia.
* DorkKnight: As opposed to the grimmer, snarkier version of Han we know from the original trilogy, this Han is a much more friendly, up-beat, puppy-dog of a man. He still snarks a bit, but more good naturedly.
* DressingAsTheEnemy: He steals and wears a Pyke Syndicate uniform in the mines of Kessel to steal unrefined coaxium.
* DubNameChange: In the Italian dub of the movies, he's renamed to Ian Solo.
* EtTuBrute: His reaction to being betrayed by Beckett and especially being abandoned by Qi'ra.
* TheFirstCutIsTheDeepest: It's implied that the way his relationship with [[FirstLove Qi'ra]] ends contributed to him becoming a [[CynicismCatalyst lot more cynical]].
* FromCamouflageToCriminal: Technically, Han went from criminal to camouflage and then ''back'' to criminal again. He starts out as a street thief who enlists in the Imperial Navy and presumably got some training and experience in flying starships there, but gets booted out and is forced to serve as an infantryman (which may be where he learned how to fire a blaster, if nothing else). He deserts and ends up using his {{Ace Pilot}}ing skills to become a smuggler. And then, in the original trilogy he becomes a soldier yet ''again'', though this time on the side of the [[LaResistance Rebellion]].
* TheGambler: He can hold his own very well at Sabacc, when others don't cheat that is.
* GenerationXerox: Not to the same extent of the Skywalkers, but he mentions that he and his father were never really close before he died. Han himself would go on to have a very difficult relationship with his own son.
* TheGlomp: His reaction to [[BigDamnReunion meeting Qi'ra again]] after three years apart, especially considering the last time he saw her she'd been arrested.
* GuileHero: Although he's fundamentally a good person, he readily and frequently uses deception, charm and thievery to achieve his goals or get out of trouble (whether or not this is actually successful is another story...)
* IJustWantToBeFree: One of his driving motivations for escaping from Corellia and the Empire and getting his own ship is so he can live life on his own terms, not having to bow and scrape to jerks who want to exploit or abuse him for their own ends. This desire for freedom persisted his whole life; in the novelization of ''The Last Jedi'', Leia even brings it up during her eulogy for him:
-->"Han fancied himself a scoundrel" [...] "But he wasn't. He loved freedom — for himself, certainly, but for everybody else in the galaxy, too. And time after time, he was willing to fight for that freedom. He didn't want to know the odds in that fight — because he'd already made up his mind that he'd prevail. And time after time, somehow, he did."
* IJustWantToBeSpecial: He enlisted in the Imperial Starfleet to escape from Corellia, but also as a way to become "the best pilot in the galaxy".
* InLoveWithTheGangstersGirl: Played with. Han discovers his old girlfriend Qi'ra, whom he still loves, is now the right-hand woman of powerful gangster Dryden Vos, with both of them making it pretty clear Vos [[ResignationsNotAccepted won't let her go without a fight.]] It's not made explicit that there's a romantic/sexual relationship between them, though some of Vos' behaviour towards Qi'ra indicates he [[ShipTease doesn't just think of her as his employee]]. Han being Han, he ignores everyone's warnings to pursue Qi'ra anyway, offering to take her away from Crimson Dawn to begin a new life. [[ForegoneConclusion It doesn't end well.]]
* IWillFindYou: He promises Qi'ra he'll come back to Corellia for her when they're separated and his main goal in the first act is to get money for a ship so he can be reunited with her. It's subverted, however, as it turns out Qi'ra managed to make her own way off of Corellia...by joining the Crimson Dawn syndicate. They coincidentally meet aboard the ''First Light'' when Han goes to meet Dryden Vos about a job.
* JadedWashout: He hoped to "make a difference" at the Imperial Flight Academy, but was kicked out for "having a mind of [his] own" and became an Imperial trooper, then turned to crime.
* JadeColoredGlasses: He's firmly wearing a pair by the end of ''Solo'' due to the sheer amount of betrayal, trauma and manipulation he's gone through. He doesn't take them off until well over a decade later.
* JustifiedCriminal: At the beginning of ''Solo'', he initially gets into the smuggling business partly so he can return to Corellia to save his girlfriend from a life of poverty and abuse.
* ALessonLearnedTooWell: Beckett's lesson about assuming everyone will betray him. Han reluctantly shoots Beckett mid-sentence after he betrays him, knowing he would just try to kill him – which a dying Beckett confirms. Subsequently, Han also turns into a [[TookALevelInCynic cynical]] [[TookALevelInJerkass jerk]] who cares mostly about money; it takes him over a decade to finally learn to trust other people (besides [[HeterosexualLifePartners Chewie]]) and to believe in something more than his next paycheck.
* LineOfSightName: While enlisting in the Imperial military on Corellia, Han is asked to give his name and simply says "Han", claiming that he's never had a surname. Since he's by himself, the recruitment officer improvises with Han "Solo".
* LoveMakesYouDumb: He is either naively ignorant or in flat-out denial about how long of a list of atrocities Qi'ra would have had to commit in order to get as far as she did in the Crimson Dawn syndicate.
* LovingAShadow: {{Downplayed|Trope}} in regards to Qi'ra. Han's feelings for her are genuine, but he fails to realize that she [[CorruptTheCutie isn't the same girl]] he knew on Corellia after everything that has happened to her. He only starts to accept this near the end of the film and he still thinks they can be together; it's not until Qi'ra flies off without him – after [[BlatantLies promising]] she'd be right behind him – that it truly sinks in that it's over between them.
* AManIsAlwaysEager: PlayedForLaughs. While talking with Qi'ra aboard the ''Falcon'', she asks him what they could do and he quickly suggests the nearby bed.
* MoralityPet: To [[DarkActionGirl Qi'ra]]. Though she's usually quite ruthless and ambitious and betrays Han and abandons him to serve as the new head of the Crimson Dawn syndicate, she clearly still has feelings for him, saves him from Dryden Vos and also takes the time to pin Vos's death solely on Tobias Beckett, omitting Han's involvement and allowing him to escape unscathed.
* MyGreatestFailure: He initially regards being forced to leave Qi'ra on Corellia as this. For three years, his driving motivation beyond basic survival is get money and a ship to come back for her; even when he discovers she made it off of Corellia by herself, he reassures her he was coming back for her and starts talking about how he wishes he'd done things differently, until she cuts him off by saying he'd have been killed if he stayed and that she has no hard feelings over it.
* NewMeat: After being expelled of the Imperial Flight Academy, Han is reassigned as a trooper in the Imperial ground military. Suffice to say, such a life doesn't suit him one bit, given how disturbed and bumbling he is on the battlefield.
* NoodleIncident: Whatever it was that Han did during the 3-years TimeSkip to get himself kicked out of the Naval Academy at Carida and reassigned to the Imperial Army. When asked he only says that it involved him "having a mind of [his] own". A deleted scene explains that he disobeyed his superiors in order to save his wingman, crashing his TIE in the process.
* OfficialCouple: With Qi'ra at the beginning of ''Solo''. They get back together in the middle of the film, [[DoomedByCanon but we know it won't last]].
* TheOneWhoMadeItOut: He manages to escape from his crappy life on [[CrapsackWorld Corellia]] and eventually earn his freedom by bribing his way past a check-point (more or less), joining the Imperial Army and then deserting to become a smuggler. He attempted to take his girlfriend Qi'ra with him, but she was unfortunately captured.
* OnlyFriend: He's the only ''true'' friend Qi'ra has (as well as being her {{love interest}}), both on Corellia and with the Crimson Dawn. Unfortunately, Qi'ra feels she no longer has any room in her life for love and friendship.
* OnlyOneName: Growing up as an orphan, he never had a surname, simply going by "Han". He started going by "Solo" after an Imperial recruiter [[AppropriatedAppellation gave it to him]] in order to complete his paperwork.
* OutlawCouple: With Qi'ra on Corellia, with the two mostly carrying out scams and petty thievery for the White Worms and eventually making a break for it with stolen coaxium. They also briefly become this again for the coaxium heist on Kessel.
* ReassignedToAntarctica: After the NoodleIncident that got him kicked out of the Naval Flight Academy, he was reassigned to the Imperial Army as an infantryman on the hellish battlefield of Mimban.
* RebelliousSpirit: Even as a scrumrat without a credit to his name, Han really doesn't like being told what to do, especially by assholes like [[TheFagin Lady Proxima]], his [[GeneralFailure commanding officer]] and [[BigBad Vos]]. He only listens to Beckett because the man earns his respect and knows what he's doing, and is snarky and defiant to almost everyone else in a position of authority, also preferring to do things his own way. It's implied this is part of the reason he [[NoodleIncident got booted from the Imperial Naval Academy]].
* SavedByCanon: Justified, seeing as ''Solo'' is his [[OriginsEpisode origin story.]]
* SavvyGuyEnergeticGirl: Gender-flipped version; he's the upbeat, headstrong Energetic Guy to the sharp-witted and pragmatic Qi'ra's Savvy Girl.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere:
** He did everything he could to escape his scrumrat life on Corellia, not wanting to be preyed on by Lady Proxima anymore.
** The life of an Imperial trooper didn't appeal to him much more and he deserted at the first chance he got.
* TheSocialExpert: Han can't lie to save his life (something that will remain true through the original and sequel trilogies), but when he's being honest and sincere, he can win people over. Witness how he won over Chewie, hatched an escape plan on the fly, and then convinces him to run to the airfield to escape on Beckett's ship.
* StarcrossedLovers: With Qi'ra. When they try to escape from Corellia together, she is captured and urges him to flee, and they only meet again by chance three years later, by which point Qi'ra is sworn into the service of Dryden Vos and can't just run off with Han without endangering them both. By the time they could actually be together due to Qi'ra killing Vos, she ends up choosing Crimson Dawn over Han and flies away without him.
* StreetUrchin: Lived in the streets since at least the age of ten. Street urchins of Corellia are called "scrumrats".
* SympathyForTheDevil: For Tobias Beckett, his mentor and the closest thing he has to a [[ParentalSubstitute father figure]], even after he betrays him. Han is ''not'' happy that he has to kill him and rushes to comfort him in his dying moments, greatly saddened that he was forced to kill a man he considered his mentor, partner and friend.
* TimeShiftedActor: Creator/HarrisonFord being evidently too old to play a younger version of Han, the character is played by Creator/AldenEhrenreich. Interestingly, Ehrenreich's and [[Music/ChildishGambino Donald Glover]]'s respective ages are consistent with the respective ages of Ford and Creator/BillyDeeWilliams.
* TragicKeepsake: Han's DL-44 pistol came from his mentor and father-figure Tobias Beckett, despite the fact that he betrayed him.
* TookALevelInCynic: Han is initially what Luke is when he meets him ten years later. He is an ambitious young man who wishes to leave his home planet with his girlfriend for a brighter future. While he succeeds in leaving the planet, he is separated from Qi'ra and doesn't meet her again until three years later. While he kept his feelings for her all these years, it is clear that Qi'ra has somewhat moved on with her life and she ultimately leaves him in order to take over Crimson Dawn. Along with being abandoned by Lando and betrayed by Beckett, Han becomes the cynical, snarky OnlyInItForTheMoney man we are introuduced to in ''A New Hope''.
* TookALevelInJerkass: At the start of the film, Han is still rather cocky and has few moral compunctions about stealing and lying to get by, but he's also quite a friendly and idealistic guy, who will go out of his way to help people - this is particularly noticeable when he chooses to give the coaxium to the Cloud Riders after learning what the Crimson Dawn [[RapePillageAndBurn did to them]], even though this is going to seriously piss off Dryden Vos and put a target on Han's back. His comments on Mimban also show he doesn't agree with the Empire's [[MightMakesRight values]] and sympathises with the rebels. However, by the end of ''Solo'', his experiences have [[CynicismCatalyst caused him to harden]]; he becomes increasingly selfish, apathetic and unscrupulous, well on his way to resembling his older self in ''A New Hope'', though as Qi'ra points out, he's actually [[JerkWithAHeartOfGold still a good person deep down]]. 
* YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre: Qi'ra tells him she thinks he's really "one of the good guys" deep down, despite his insistence that he's not.
* YoungGun: Comes off as this in ''Solo''; he's youthful and inexperienced, but shows talent with a blaster, and is taken in by veteran [[TheGunslinger gunslinger]] Tobias Beckett, who at one point warns him that if he comes with him he's in this job for life. After being betrayed by Beckett and realising he intends to kill him, Han knows he can't beat him in a fair fight and so shoots him down mid-sentence before he can even draw. Beckett is actually [[SoProudOfYou proud of him]] for finally taking his advice.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tropes from the Original Trilogy Era]]
!!General Han Solo
[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/han_cantina.png]]
[[caption-width-right:299:''"Never tell me the odds."'']]

->''"Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid."''

By the time of the all-out war between the Empire and the Rebels, Han has become an experienced smuggler and quite the scoundrel, smuggling goods for Jabba the Hutt for a couple of years. He and Chewbacca were hired by Obi-Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker on Tatooine to provide them transport to Alderaan on the ''Millennium Falcon'', but those plans soon went awry. Initially only aiding the Rebellion to pay off his debt to Jabba, Han shelved much of his cynicism, proved his heroism and became a Rebel leader.
----
* SeventiesHair: Han has long seventies-style hair typical of the era of the Original Trilogy's production.
* AcePilot: Han's skills as a pilot are so honed that he was able to fly through an asteroid belt without getting himself killed.
* AdaptationalSelfDefense: In the original cut of ''Film/ANewHope'', he shot Greedo before Greedo could kill him; in later versions of the movie, he fires a split-second after Greedo does, and Greedo proves himself to be [[EpicFail a lousy shot]]. To add further confusion, a revised Special Edition has them shoot at almost exactly the same time, [[TakeAThirdOption leaving it ambiguous who shot first]].
* AgeGapRomance: With Leia Organa. According to the official timeline, Han was born c.32 BBY, meaning he is around thirty-two when he first meets Leia, who is just ''nineteen'', making for a gap of thirteen years. However, while Han is clearly attracted to her, they don't actually get together until three to four years later, when he's about thirty-five/thirty-six and she's about twenty-two/twenty-three.
* AgeLift: A slight example. In ''Legends'', Han was born in 29 BBY, making him 29-33 years old in the Original Trilogy. In Canon, he's aged up three years; he was born c. 32 BBY, making him 32-36 years old in the Original Trilogy.
* AmazonChaser: Seems to be one in regards to [[WarriorPrincess Leia]]; after she snatches Luke's blaster, shoots a hole in the garbage disposal panelling to make an escape ''and'' simultaneously holds off several Stormtroopers, he remarks:
-->'''Han:''' Wonderful girl! Either [[BelligerentSexualTension I'm gonna kill her or I'm beginning to like her]].
* AndIMustScream: He gets frozen in carbonite at the end of ''Empire Strikes Back'', by the time they find him in ''Return Of The Jedi'', he's been frozen for a year and has been conscious the ''entire time''. How he isn't DrivenToMadness is anyone's guess.
** Him being conscious whilst frozen in carbonite is dubious, since it was said so in a deleted scene and a non-canon novelization of the movie. A writer could easily come along and say that he was comatose whilst in carbonite.
* AndThereWasMuchRejoicing: His absolute glee at Luke's destruction of the Death Star and its crew at the end of the Battle of Yavin: "Great shot, kid! That was one in a million!"
* AntiHero: Han starts out as an UnscrupulousHero in ''A New Hope''. He eventually becomes a KnightInSourArmor.
* AsteroidThicket: See AcePilot. In ''The Empire Strikes Back'', Han, deprived of his hyperdrive, has to slalom through densely packed asteroids to evade an Imperial fleet.
* AudienceSurrogate: While Luke Skywalker was intended to be this too, part of the reason for Han Solo's popularity was that he actually reflected the average mindset of the '70s moviegoer better than Luke did. Unlike the other Star Wars characters who were genre archetypes from fantasy, science-fiction, and war movies, Han looked and sounded like an average '70s American [[RecycledInSpace in Space]]. Han's mocking and irreverent attitude to the Jedi and the Force ("hokey ancient religion") also reflected the bemusement felt by most of the older and non-geeky audiences who didn't share Lucas' NostalgiaFilter for the old serials or his esoteric concepts and his CharacterDevelopment from neutral to rebel was intended as a vehicle by Lucas for winning over the naysayers.
* BadassInDistress: Is rescued by Luke and his companions after being frozen in carbonite and mounted in Jabba's palace.
* BadassLongcoat: During the mission to the Forest Moon of Endor, Han wears a long coat camouflaged to blend into the forest environment.
* BadassNormal: A skilled pilot and gunslinger fighting alongside a MagicKnight with telekinesis and other nifty abilities and an [[UrsineAliens alien]] who can effortlessly toss a man with one arm. Also one of the few characters to punk Vader, shooting down one of his wingmen and causing the other to crash into his TIE.
* BashBrothers: With Luke. They have brotherly relationship and always watch each other's backs. Plus, they become BestFriendsInLaw after Han marries Leia.
* BattleCouple: With Leia in ''Return of the Jedi''; although they'd fought together before and clearly had feelings for each other, it wasn't until the last film that they officially got together.
* BelligerentSexualTension: With Leia. Dear ''God'' with Leia. This is especially the case in ''The Empire Strikes Back''; they spend half their time arguing and [[SnarkToSnarkCombat snarking]] to cover up their feelings - Han outright accuses Leia of being angry with him ''because'' she wants him to stay with her. In ''The Force Awakens'', it's indicated this continued even ''after'' they got married.
* BestFriendsInLaw: Eventually with Luke; they were already best friends when he marries Luke's sister Leia (although the three of them only discovered Luke and Leia were siblings late in the trilogy).
* BigBrotherInstinct: Develops one towards Luke. Despite always calling him "kid" and having doubts about Luke's plans, Han becomes fond of Luke early on and often goes out of his way to protect or rescue him. In ''Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack'', he risks his own life by going out into dangerously low temperatures to find Luke after he doesn't return to the rebel base.
* BigDamnHeroes: A classic one towards the end of ''A New Hope''. Han swoops in and shoots at Darth Vader just before Vader is able to gun Luke down.
* BigGuyLittleGuy: The little guy to Chewbacca's big guy. At around six feet, Han is slightly on the tall side for a human -- but Chewie dwarfs him at ''seven and a half feet''.
* BilingualDialogue: Han apparently speaks (or at least understands) a variety of languages, including Huttese, Rodian, and Shyriiwook.
* BreakoutCharacter: Han is generally more popular than Luke is, which is no small feat. It gets to the point that he becomes the only Original Trilogy cast member to receive a major role in ''The Force Awakens'', receiving top billing while Leia is the SupportingLeader and Luke only has a cameo at the end. He eventually got to star in [[Film/{{Solo}} his very own standalone movie too]].
* BromanticFoil: With Luke. Han is a cynical mercenary, while Luke is an idealistic farm boy.
* ButtMonkey: He does get some AmusingInjuries from time to time, especially in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' when the toolbox falls on his head.
* TheCaptain: Of the ''Millennium Falcon''.
* ChangedMyMindKid: Luke and Han come to odds over the attack on the Death Star. Luke is the young idealist, ready to die for a cause. Han is the old cynic who sees it as suicide. When Han saves Luke from Darth Vader at the last minute he grows as a character, finding his loyalty to his FireForgedFriend is important enough to risk his life for.
* CharacterDevelopment: He goes from a cynical smuggler with a focus solely on money to fighting for a cause and becoming one of the Rebellion's pivotal members. By the time of ''The Force Awakens'', he ends up being the one who assures Rey and Finn that the Jedi and the Force are real, a far cry from his introduction where he brushes off those things as hokey religions and cheap tricks.
* ConscienceMakesYouGoBack: At the end of ''A New Hope'', but there are a couple of other examples.
* CoolStarship: The ''Millennium Falcon''.
* CombatPragmatist: While not a Jedi, he is not completely incompetent without his blaster. In ''Return of the Jedi'', he was able to take out a Scout Trooper with his bare hands.
* CrazyJealousGuy: Han becomes noticeably angry when Leia kisses Luke in front of him out of spite and cuts right in between her and Lando when the latter begins to flirt with the former.
* CurbStompBattle: Against Vader on Cloud City. Han instantly draws his blaster and fires, but Vader easily repels the blaster shots and levitates the blaster away in the span of three seconds. He only survived because Vader needed him as bait for Luke.
* TheCynic: Initially in ''A New Hope'' contrast to Luke's WideEyedIdealist. He lost a great deal of it when joining the Rebellion.
* DeadpanSnarker: The original (and most famous) one in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He's got so much sarcasm in him that even his love confession to Leia is sort of a snark.
* DistressedDude: The beginning of ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'' finds him frozen in carbonite and hanging on Jabba the Hutt's wall. He takes a lot of rescuing.
* EstablishingCharacterMoment: The original version of his encounter with Greedo (shooting him before he could aim his weapon) was meant to show that he was a ruthless CombatPragmatist.
* TheFerryman: In ''A New Hope'', Han explicitly [[NotInThisForYourRevolution only signs on to give Luke and Obi-Wan a ride]] to the planet Alderaan to take the [[MacGuffin Death Star plans]] to Bail Organa, and [[OnlyInItForTheMoney for a considerable fee at that]]. He gets caught up in the rest of the adventure when they are captured by the Imperials and he ends up helping rescue Princess Leia.
* FireForgedFriends: He does ''not'' see eye-to-eye with Luke and Leia for most of ''A New Hope,'' but by the time the Death Star has been blown up they've all become good friends.
* {{Foil}}: To Luke in ''A New Hope''. Luke is young and naïve, empathetic, believes in the Force, hasn't seen much of the galaxy, but is a great pilot; Han is slightly older, very self-centered, a FlatEarthAtheist, has clearly seen more of the galaxy, and is also a great pilot.
* FourStarBadass: In ''Return of the Jedi'', he gets promoted to general; see also FrontlineGeneral.
* FrontlineGeneral: In ''Return of the Jedi'' he becomes a general and leads the strike team that disables the theatre shield protecting the Death Star II. He resigns his commission a few months after Endor in order to liberate Kashyyyk after the New Republic determined it was not high on their list of priorities.
* GallowsHumor: A master at this.
** In ''Film/ANewHope'', when they were trapped in [[AdvancingWallOfDoom in a closing trash compactor]]:
--->'''Han:''' One thing's for sure, we're all gonna be a lot thinner!
** During his rescue from Jabba's Palace in ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'':
--->'''Threepio:''' His high exaltedness, the great Jabba the Hutt, has decreed that you are to be terminated immediately.\\
'''Han:''' Good, I hate long waits.
* TheGentlemanOrTheScoundrel: Until they were [[LongLostRelative revealed to be twins]], Luke was set up as a possible LoveInterest for Leia along with Han. Leia calls LovableRogue and smuggler Han a Scoundrel, while Luke is the Gentleman, he being a courageous NiceGuy who always strives to do the right thing. By ''Return of the Jedi'', it's made pretty clear she prefers Han, although he had also TookALevelInKindness and [[TookALevelInIdealism Idealism]] to become a JerkWithAHeartOfGold. It's just as well, considering in the same film Leia learns Luke is her brother.
* GoodGunsBadGuns: Han's signature DL-44 is really a rebuilt broom handle Mauser, normally a "bad guy" gun. Then again, it is often overlooked that Han Solo is not initially a hero -- he's a smuggler. A smuggler with a bad-tempered partner (known to pull people's arms off if beaten at dejarik), a highly illegal ship, and who has mastered the art of the subtle draw in order to be able to blow away the amateur bounty hunters that come after him if he screws up a smuggling job (no matter which version you believe, Han was definitely drawing his gun under the table and pointing it at Greedo's crotch for several seconds while Greedo talked). This was another clue that Han [[GoodIsNotNice is NOT a nice guy.]]
* GoodIsNotNice: Mostly in ''A New Hope'', where he is helpful to Obi-Wan and Luke, but makes it clear that he couldn't care less if they got killed. Thankfully, he begins to change for the better.
* GoodLuckCharm: A set of golden dice used in a Corellian version of sabacc. Han has owned them since his youth and tends to hang them over the dashboard of any ship he's currently piloting. He used these dice to win the ''Falcon'' off Lando and they stayed hanging up in the ''Falcon'' ever since. At one point he lent the dice to his girlfriend Qi'ra as they were preparing to flee Corellia and she returned them to him three years later. His son Ben would also play with the dice as a young child.
* GuileHero: Like his ship, he's full of surprises.
* TheGunslinger: He was modeled after the cowboy archetype.
* HasAType: Each of the women Han was with, mostly in the EU, has had an A as the last letter of their name. Furthermore, the two women Han loved the most - Qi'ra and Leia - are both petite, beautiful brunettes who are [[ActionGirl tough,]] [[BrainyBrunette smart]] and believe [[YouAreBetterThanYouThinkYouAre he's more than just a money-grubbing scoundrel.]]
* HateAtFirstSight: "Hate" may be a strong word, but he grimaces dismissively when C-3PO first attempts to greet him as they board the Millennium Falcon, and their relationship remains distant and strained right up to the Sequel Trilogy.
* HeterosexualLifePartners: With Chewie, who owed a life debt to him. He also becomes one to Luke through the course of ''A New Hope'', treating him like his kid brother, and in ''The Empire Strikes Back'', he risks his life to march into the bitter cold to save him.
* HollywoodAtheist: Han evidently doesn't believe in the Force, but his tone seems to be relatively less contemptuous than Motti's[[note]]the Imperial officer whose lack of faith Darth Vader finds so disturbing[[/note]], though the consequences to Solo for such contempt would clearly be milder. This may be typical of the times he lives in, as the Empire has done its best to suppress knowledge of the Force. By the time of ''The Force Awakens'', he has gotten out of this mindset, stating to Rey that the legends about the Force and the Jedi are all real.
* HumanPopsicle: Of the Carbonite variety. Vader was using him as a guinea pig before intending to try it on Luke later on. Han gets transported to Jabba's palace in the block and is later freed by Leia.
* ImaginaryLoveTriangle: In ''Return of the Jedi'', he thinks he's in a love triangle with Luke and Leia -- who find out that they're siblings. Leia informs him of this at the end of the movie.
* InsecureLoveInterest: {{Implied|Trope}} to be one to Leia. In ''A New Hope'', Han is attracted to Leia, but doesn't openly pursue her and instead privately asks Luke "You think a princess and a guy like me...?" suggesting he feels that Leia is too good for him. It's implied this is part of the reason Han is so [[BelligerentSexualTension snarky with her]] in ''The Empire Strikes Back''. In ''Return of the Jedi'', he quickly gets defensive when Leia won't tell him why she's upset and assumes she prefers Luke over him (who is more [[IdealHero traditionally heroic]]); even though Leia had told him ''twice'' at this point that she loves him, Han still doesn't seem to truly believe it until the end of the trilogy.
* IntrepidMerchant: In theory he's not a hero, just a businessman. In illegal goods, under a totalitarian regime. So he has to be pretty intrepid just to avoid getting shot.
* IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy: In ''Return of the Jedi'', Han has no idea at first that Luke and Leia are twins, and tells Leia that he won't get in the way if Leia prefers Luke. [[SeparatedAtBirth Leia quickly explains the truth about her and Luke's relationship]].
* JerkWithAHeartOfGold: Han starts off as an uncaring, cocky hotshot, but eventually reveals that he has a soft spot for Leia and proves himself to be a loyal friend to Luke. Even after his CharacterDevelopment, he's still a jerk, but he's a lot ''nicer'' about being a jerk.
* KnightInSourArmor: After he joins [[LaResistance the Rebel Alliance]]. Han definitely becomes one by the end of ''A New Hope''; and he fills a SourSupporter role for the rest of the Original Trilogy.
* TheLancer: He's a sourpuss mercenary with a blaster to contrast the noble farm boy with the lightsaber. He also states this trope when Leia says he should follow her orders from now on.
-->'''Han:''' Your Worshipfulness, let's get one thing straight. I take orders from just one person, me
* LeeroyJenkins: Mostly when he's trying to escape from the Death Star in ''A New Hope'', and Luke (somewhat of a Leeroy Jenkins himself) calls him out on it. Han's response? "Bring 'em on! I prefer a straight fight to all this sneaking around!"
* LikeParentLikeSpouse: Zigzagged. Like his father-in-law, Anakin, Han is an exceptional anti-heroic, AcePilot with a bad boyish demeanor, who is the main love interest for the main female character of their respective trilogy. Also, while said female character was [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys attracted]] to the bad boyish attitude, they also like the [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan better qualities]]. However, Han doesn't go as amoral as Anakin did.
* TheLoad: Except for the end of ''A New Hope'', and the start of ''The Empire Strikes Back'', Han Solo tends to be this in the OT. In the Death Star sequence in ''A New Hope'', he doesn't contribute practically to escaping, Leia gets them away from the stormtroopers in the prison block and Luke did everything else, he was also the DistressedDude at the start of ''Return of the Jedi'' and stumbled through the battle at the forest moon.
* LoveableRogue: Han seems to be so lovable that all the pretty rotten things he has done seem so justifiable that they don't seem to sink in.
* LovingBully: Downplayed. He teases Leia a lot and likes to mockingly call her "your worship" and the like even though it annoys her. He really does like her though, and is most likely doing this because he has feelings for her and is somewhat immature in general.
* ManChild: Han is the oldest of the original trio but is noticeably the most immature, reckless, and thoughtless. He [[CharacterDevelopment gets better]].
* MarriageOfConvenience: [[spoiler:It turns out Han used his wedding to Sana as a cover so he could pull off a heist. Sana is less than pleased with this and considers their marriage to be legally binding, although it turns out she's playing it up because she wants her cut, which he didn't give her.]]
* MeaningfulName: He's a lone wolf star pilot who only looks out for himself and Chewie, as his surname would imply.
* MuggleMageRomance: Han's a BadassNormal human while Leia has an untapped potential in the Force.
* NeverTellMeTheOdds: The TropeNamer, when being told YouHaveNoChanceToSurvive during [[CrazyEnoughToWork a particularly daring]] IndyPloy.
* NiceMeanAndInBetween: The "mean" (albeit a JerkWithAHeartOfGold) to Luke's "nice" and Leia's "in-between".
* TheNicknamer: He has a habit of giving nicknames to those close to him, calling Luke "kid", Chewbacca "Chewie" and Leia "Your Worshipfulness" or some variation thereof (although in Leia's case it's more to [[BelligerentSexualTension rile her up]] than anything else). Upon meeting Finn in the Sequel Trilogy, he starts calling him "Big Deal" due to Finn's insistence he's a "big deal in the Resistance" (Han can tell right away he's lying about being in the Resistance).
* NobleMaleRoguishMale: The Roguish to Luke's Noble.
* NoMrBondIExpectYouToDine: Dinner with Vader in Cloud City.
* NoodleIncident: Several -- Saving Chewbacca to earn a life debt, making the Kessel Run in 12 parsecs, winning the ''Millennium Falcon'' from Lando 'fair and square,' , dropping Jabba's cargo at the first sign of trouble. The first three are featured in the film ''Film/{{Solo}}'', though the last one we still haven't seen on screen.
* NotInThisForYourRevolution: The TropeNamer. The sole reason he agreed to fly Luke and Obi-Wan to Alderaan in the first place was purely for the money Obi-Wan was offering and cared very little about the Rebellion's plans. Luke is able to use this trait of Han to his advantage by telling Han that if he saves Leia, she will reward him with plenty of cash due to being a princess. Eventually he decides that the revolution is worthwhile after all as he saves Luke from being sniped by Vader. Even then, he mostly sticks around because he wants to protect and be around his friends and loved ones.
* OfficialCouple: After two movies of BelligerentSexualTension, he becomes this with Leia in ''Return of the Jedi''; although she had actually confessed her love for him in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and it was clear he reciprocated, he [[CannotSpitItOut has trouble saying it back to her]] and also [[ImaginaryLoveTriangle thinks she prefers Luke]]. Once Leia reveals Luke's actually her LongLostSibling, they make it official; the expanded universe confirms they got married some time before the Galactic Civil War ended.
* OnlyInItForTheMoney: At the beginning of his character arc, which is justified, as the large sum of money did equate to his life, as otherwise, Jabba the Hutt would have kept the death mark on his head or ''worse''.
* OutOfFocus: In ''Film/ReturnOfTheJedi'', he is much less important to the overall narrative than in the previous two films, and has no real arc other than being rescued.
* PercussiveMaintenance: While trying to escape Hoth, Han tries to bring the engines online, and they promptly die. So he hits the panel with his fist, and they come back on.
* {{Polyglot}}: Though not as reliable as C-3PO, being able to interpret Chewbacca's bellowing and Jabba's belches definitely counts for something.
* RelationshipUpgrade: With Leia. They begin as begrudging allies before transitioning as friends in ''A New Hope'' then have a heavy case of BelligerentSexualTension before sharing a BigDamnKiss in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' and both properly become an OfficialCouple in ''Return of the Jedi''. They married sometime after the war and had a son.
* RescueRomance: Eventually with Leia, although nothing was further from his plans at the time.
* SecondLove: Turns out to be this for Leia; ''[[Literature/LeiaPrincessOfAlderaan Leia, Princess of Alderaan]]'' reveals she once dated Kier Domadi, a fellow Alderaanian and member of the Apprentice Legislature years before she met [[LastGuyWins Han]].
* SecretRelationship: Before and during the time between ''A New Hope'' and ''The Empire Strikes Back'', [[spoiler:he was apparently married to a woman named Sana]].
* SlapSlapKiss: His relationship with Leia, even after they got married.
-->'''Han:''' That's why I left, so you'd miss me.
* TheSmartGuy: He comes up with more than a fair share of {{Indy Ploy}}s to save the day.
* SourSupporter: Mostly in ''A New Hope'', and to a lesser extent in ''The Empire Strikes Back''. He drops this by ''Return of the Jedi''.
* StealthInSpace: Han's successful attempts at hiding from Star Destroyers in ''The Empire Strikes Back''. Somewhat realistic, as he simply flies into the Star Destroyer's blind spot and turns off most of the power to the ship, which makes it incredibly difficult to detect.
* TalentedPrincessRegularGuy: The Regular Guy to Leia's Talented Princess. He's just a smuggler and outlaw, while she's a [[UnskilledButStrong Force sensitive]] princess, [[PoliticallyActivePrincess politician]] and [[RebelLeader rebel commander]], as well as a [[ActionGirl dead shot with a blaster]]. That being said, Han himself is [[BadassNormal decent with a blaster]] and an [[AcePilot excellent pilot]], and eventually [[RankUp gets promoted]] to the rank of general within the Rebel Alliance, but Leia's CV is comparatively more extensive. He is very [[DeadpanSnarker snarky]], but Leia can [[SnarkToSnarkCombat match him]] in that area.
* TalkingYourWayOut: He '''insists''' that he's good at this, and it works some of the time. Not so much in ''The Force Awakens''.
* TemporaryBlindness: He finds himself with this problem after he was freed in ''Return of the Jedi''.
* TookALevelInKindness: By the end of the trilogy - though it's especially noticeable in ''Return of the Jedi'' - Han has become a lot more selfless, considerate and willing to put himself at risk to help others. He actually volunteers to lead the strike team on Endor, which clearly surprises and impresses Leia.
* TrueCompanions: With Chewie, Luke, Lando, C-3PO, R2-D2, and especially Leia throughout the Original Trilogy.
* UnluckilyLucky: As demonstrated numerous times throughout all three trilogies (and the EU), Han has a knack for getting himself out of whatever bad situation he's gotten himself into. There's a reason he's the TropeNamer for NeverTellMeTheOdds. Unfortunately, his luck finally [[CharacterDeath runs out]] near the end of ''The Force Awakens''.
* VenturousSmuggler: Han is one of the best-known examples of this archetype: a LovableRogue who is NotInThisForYourRevolution and whose CoolStarship is famous for making a notoriously difficult smuggling run in twelve parsecs.
* VitriolicBestBuds: He and Luke spend a lot of ''A New Hope'' butting heads, but care for each other a great deal. Becomes HeterosexualLifePartners as of ''The Empire Strikes Back.''
* WartimeWedding: According to the EU, he married Leia in a small ceremony on Endor near the end of the Galactic Civil War (after the Battle of Endor and before the Battle of Jakku).
* WatchThePaintJob: Han's very reluctant to hand over the keys to the ''Falcon''.
[[/folder]]

[[folder:Tropes from the Sequel Trilogy Era]]
!!Captain Han Solo
[[quoteright:299:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/han_solo_empire.png]]
[[caption-width-right:299:''"That's not how the Force works!"'']]

->''"People are counting on us! The galaxy is counting on us!"''

Following the Battle of Endor, Han married Leia and continued serving in the New Republic military before eventually having a successful business and racing career. Sadly, personal tragedy resulted in him becoming separated from his two great loves - Leia and the ''Millennium Falcon'' - and Han returned to life as a scoundrel alongside Chewbacca. However, when fate leads him to find the ''Falcon'' in the hands of Rey, Finn, and BB-8, Han is once more drawn into a galactic struggle.
----
* AcePilot: Old age certainly hasn't dulled his edge, proven when he pulls the ''Falcon'' out of hyperspace in between Starkiller Base and the forcefield surrounding it.
* AchillesInHisTent: Han Solo turned his back on Leia and the Resistance to go back to smuggling sometime before the film's events due to his son Ben facilitating the massacre at Luke's new Jedi Temple and becoming Kylo Ren. His story arc is about him finally returning to action, reuniting with Leia, and confronting Ben to try and talk him out from under Snoke's dark influence.
* ActionDad: Han Solo is old enough to have an adult son, but that hasn't stopped him from running a smuggling operation across the galaxy. The only thing that stops him is the chance to turn his own son, Kylo Ren, back to the light.
* BabiesEverAfter: He and Leia had a son, Ben Solo, after the original trilogy. He was actually born on the day the Galactic Civil War formally ended and the New Republic emerged victorious. It's {{subverted|trope}} however, as [[HappyEndingOverride a series of unfortunate events leads to Ben falling to the Dark Side]] and [[AntagonisticOffspring becoming one of the primary antagonists]] of the Sequel Trilogy. Han is eventually ''killed'' by his own son in ''The Force Awakens'' just to [[FromBadToWorse add salt to the wound.]]
* BeardOfSorrow: Han has a lot of stubble, showing his age and the state of his personal life.
* BumblingDad: Comes off as one in ''Last Shot'' (which is partly set in 7 ABY), which was apparently a recurring theme throughout Ben's childhood. Although he clearly loves Ben and tries to be a good father, he is ''woefully'' incompetent at times. [[JustifiedTrope To be fair to him,]] Han never expected to settle down and be a family man; his own parents were largely absent from his life, he spent most of his life smuggling goods across the galaxy and he and Leia had only been married for around a year when she had Ben, leaving him quite unprepared for fatherhood. It's {{deconstructed|trope}} / PlayedForDrama, as it's strongly indicated Han's ineffectiveness as a parent - especially to [[TroubledChild an unstable, Force-sensitive child]] like Ben - [[UnwittingInstigatorOfDoom inadvertently contributed]] to his son's ''many'' issues (by ''The Force Awakens'', Kylo and Han both think he was a crappy father and things are so strained between them that they haven't seen each other since Kylo was a teenager, to say nothing of [[{{Patricide}} what Kylo ultimately does to Han]]).
* CantStayNormal: Although he dearly loves his wife and son, Han struggles with settling down and having a nornal, peaceful life, missing the adventurous lifestyle that was all he'd ever known. He ends up becoming a starship racer or managing races, before eventually returning to smuggling after Ben fell to the Dark Side and his relationship with Leia broke down.
* CassandraTruth: He tells Kylo Ren that Snoke is only using him for his power and will "crush [him]" once he's gotten what he wants. Kylo carries on as Snoke's apprentice anyway, insisting he is a wise master, though by ''The Last Jedi'', he has come to realise his father was right.
* CombatPragmatist: Old age has left Han [[DentedIron not as fast or skilled in hand to hand combat]] as he used to be, so his fighting style is exclusively this. Exemplified in his escape from the ''Eravana'', when fleeing from the rathtars, Han deals with a Kanjiklub thug by punching him and then throwing him '''into the Rathar's mouth.''' It's the most badass thing ever.
* TheConscience: Han posthumously serves as this to Kylo Ren in ''The Rise of Skywalker''; following a 'conversation' between him and a mental projection of his late father, Ben Solo rejects his Kylo Ren persona and returns to the Light Side.
* CoolOldGuy: In ''The Force Awakens''. He's still the biggest DeadpanSnarker in the galaxy, has [[TookALevelInKindness mellowed out]] quite a bit since his youth, and mentors Rey and Finn, offering the former a job and helping prod the latter into doing the right thing. It says something that Han, the guy who was originally only in it for himself, Chewie, and the money, is now the one insisting they press on for the sake of the galaxy.
* DeadpanSnarker: He's even ''more'' deadpan if it's even possible and has become even funnier with age.
* DeathByAdaptation: In the ''Legends'' continuity, Han was still alive [[Literature/StarWarsCrucible four and a half decades]] after ''A New Hope''. In the New Canon, he is killed in 34 ABY, during in the first installment of the Sequel Trilogy.
* DowntimeDowngrade: Han and Leia are quite obviously as much in love as ever, if not even more so, but grief over their son's turn to the Dark Side has separated them, as they both return to "the only things they were ever any good at." It's hinted that they may be willing to reconcile; Han, at the least, mainly seems to be staying away from Leia due to his belief she doesn't want to see him but this sadly never comes to pass due to Han's death.
* DueToTheDead: In ''The Last Jedi'' novelization, Leia holds a brief memorial service for him. She knows that Han himself never much cared for these kinds of formalities, but she feels it's only right and also uses Han's memory to try and inspire the Resistance. She honors the memory of other fallen Resistance fighters in the same memorial. There's also a deleted scene that was included in the novelization where Luke privately grieves for Han after learning of his death from Rey and Chewbacca.
* FirstNameUltimatum: Han gets Kylo Ren's attention when he calls him by his true name, Ben.
* GrumpyOldMan: The passing years have made him even ''snarkier'' than he was in the Original Trilogy if that's even possible, and he and Chewie end up quarreling almost constantly LikeAnOldMarriedCouple.
* HappilyMarried: ZigZagged. He and Leia were married for over two decades. While they loved each other, their relationship was far from perfect due to Han's restlessness, their various duties and work commitments, and personality clashes. When their son turned to the Dark Side, the strain was apparently too much and they became [[DowntimeDowngrade estranged]]. However, it's telling that despite this they remained married for around six years afterward and it's obvious when they are reunited that they’re still in love. Han all but admits to Maz Kanata – who tells him [[ShipperOnDeck he belongs where Leia is]] – that he left because he thought he'd [[IWantMyBelovedToBeHappy only hurt Leia more]] and he dies trying to fulfil her request to bring their son back home.
* HeartbrokenBadass: A past tragedy had a huge effect on him, to the point that it strained his relationship with Leia and resulted in him leaving the Resistance. It's revealed in ''The Force Awakens'' that this tragedy was the loss of his son, who fell to the Dark Side and turned on his family, which Han feels at least partly [[ItsAllMyFault responsible for]].
* HellBentForLeather: Han Solo has apparently taken to wearing a black leather jacket in place of his iconic black vest from the original trilogy.
* HeroicSelfDeprecation: He doesn’t think of himself of being a very good father and it's implied he partly [[ItsAllMyFault blames himself]] for what happened to [[FaceHeelTurn Ben]]; when Leia urges him to try and bring their son home, he says "''If Luke couldn't reach him, how could I''?" Despite this, he's willing to try anyway.
* HouseHusband: He was this for the first two years of Ben's life after resigning as a general, staying home with Ben while Leia was working in the New Republic Senate. It is hinted at – and made explicit in the novel ''Last Shot'' – that Han didn't like this much, finding it extremely dull and ill-fitting to his adventurous personality. His utter lack of experience in playing house didn't help matters, either.
* ImpaledWithExtremePrejudice: By Kylo with a lightsaber, just as Han is trying to convince him to leave the dark side.
* LivingLegend: If Rey and Finn's reaction upon realizing who he is is any indication. "The Rebel general?!" "The smuggler?!" "The war hero?!"
* TheLostLenore: Han becomes this for Leia, as his death in ''The Force Awakens'' greatly saddens her.
* MentorOccupationalHazard: After assisting the new heroes and teaching them about the Force, and how it is real, Han Solo and Chewbacca end up separated from them so that the heroes have to prove themselves against Kylo Ren with no older characters to bail them out. Like Obi-Wan and Qui-Gon, Han is killed by the villain before the heroes engage in the final battle.
* MessianicArchetype: Goes deep into enemy territory to redeem a prodigal son and then dies on a cross of sorts. His last act is a gesture of forgiveness.
* MirrorCharacter: As a {{Deconstruction}} of the LovableRogue, D.J. is very similar to a pre-CharacterDevelopment Han Solo. He teams up with the heroes [[OnlyInItForTheMoney for the money]], while constantly reminding them that he's NotInThisForYourRevolution and telling the younger, naive heroes the rebellion/resistance is a lost cause and they be better off abandoning it. The similarities emphasize the difference that Han decides to [[ChangedMyMindKid help the rebels out and save Luke]] when the chips are down, while D.J. happily sells the Resistance out to the First Order when they make him a better offer.
* NoBodyLeftBehind: Han's remains are incinerated along with the rest of Starkiller Base.
* NoGoodDeedGoesUnpunished: Makes a heartfelt, ''pleading'' appeal for his son to come home. It even seems to be working, until Ren ignites his lightsaber and completes his journey to the Dark Side.
* OldHeroNewPals: He and Chewbacca get the most focus out of the original trilogy characters in ''The Force Awakens'' and are separated from Leia, Luke, Lando, R2-D2 and C-3PO for most of the film (R2-D2 has shut-down and only wakes up near the end, and Luke – who is missing - also only appears right at the end after Han has died, while Lando [[PutOnABus doesn't appear at all]]). Instead, Han and Chewie are mostly travelling around with new characters Finn, Rey and BB-8.
* OldSoldier: With his greying hair and thirty years of adventure under his belt, former general Han Solo is able to pilot a ship at lightspeed with pinpoint accuracy and gun down Stormtroopers without even looking at them.
* ParentalSubstitute: Quickly becomes one for Rey, who was [[ParentalAbandonment abandoned by her parents]]. During his interrogation of her, Kylo Ren sees from her thoughts that she thinks of him as "the father [she] never had", only to remark that "he would've disappointed you". Han, for his part, seems fond of Rey and is impressed enough by her skills to offer her a job on the ''Falcon''. We never do see how this would've panned out due to Han's untimely death, which leaves Rey distraught.
* ParentsAsPeople: Han apparently wasn't the best parent ever, with his own son calling him a disappointment and there being implications he was [[ParentalNeglect neglectful]], but he clearly loves his son deeply and tries to make amends. He refuses to give up on Kylo, saying it isn't too late for him to come home; even when Kylo stabs him through the chest, all Han does is gently touch his son's face, he being the last thing he sees. Rey later lampshades this whilst she's ranting at Kylo for killing him, saying that whatever mistakes Han made, he still "gave a damn" about Kylo.
* ParentsKnowTheirChildren: Even though he hasn't seen him since he was a teenager and he's wearing a mask at the time, Han instantly recognizes Kylo Ren on Takodana.
* PassingTheTorch: In ''The Force Awakens'', Han teaches Rey how to pilot the ''Millennium Falcon''. He even offers her a job as 2nd Mate, not knowing she would take over as captain after his death.
* PosthumousCharacter: A given in future installments after ''The Force Awakens'', since he was murdered by his son in the movie.
* PresentAbsence: Somewhat in ''Film/TheLastJedi'', mostly in regards to Kylo Ren's arc. Kylo is clearly [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone affected]] by his murder of Han, with Snoke outright stating it "split [his] spirit to the bone". His internal conflict [[PyrrhicVictory only becomes worse]]; he is unable to also kill his mother and talks a bit about his father with Rey, revealing he didn't really hate him and that he considers himself a monster for what he did. Subsequently, Rey comes to [[SympathyForTheDevil empathise with Kylo]] and [[SympathyForTheHero he with her]], and she believes he could be redeemed. Finally, when Luke confronts Kylo on Crait, he warns him that if he strikes him down in anger, he'll always be with him "just like [his] father"; Kylo's last scene shows him staring forlornly at an illusion of Han's golden dice, indicating Luke was right.
* SacrificialLion: Han Solo, despite his age, still manages to hold his own against enemy forces thanks to his PlotArmor inherited from the original trilogy. This makes it especially shocking when Kylo Ren kills Han in the third act of ''The Force Awakens'' and creates more suspense in Ren's battle with the new characters.
* SeenItAll: Nothing can surprise him by the time of ''The Force Awakens''. He sees through Finn's bluster even before finding out about his true past.
* SkepticNoLonger: By the time of ''Film/TheForceAwakens'', Han has come to believe in the existence of [[SentientCosmicForce the Force]], telling Rey and Finn that all of the legends relating to it, the Jedi and TheDarkSide are all true. Not bad for someone who once claimed that he had flown from one side of the galaxy to the other and had found nothing that convinced him of a mystical energy field that controlled his destiny. The fact that his wife, his brother-in-law ''and'' his son are all Force-sensitive probably helps.
* TemptingFate: He insists that he always succeeded in [[TalkingYourWayOut talking his way out of things]]. This backfires really badly against his son, who then murders him.
* TookALevelInIdealism: Though he's still occasionally cynical, he's much less so than he was in the original trilogy; he is willing to drop everything to help out the Resistance and believes it to be a cause worth fighting for. And despite his comments about Kylo Ren's similarities to Darth Vader, he still believes he can be redeemed; see also WideEyedIdealist.
* TookALevelInKindness: By the events of ''The Force Awakens'', he's essentially mellowed out with age, and is now a mostly polite but bold individual.
* {{Tritagonist}}: Behind Rey and Finn, who juggle the positions of [[TheHero Hero]] and {{Deuteragonist}} until the end where Rey becomes the focal protagonist. Han is the third main focal character of ''The Force Awakens''.
* WalkingSpoiler: The biggest plot twists from ''The Force Awakens'' involve him.
* WeReallyDoCare: When he's trying to convince Kylo to return home, Han tells him how much he and Leia miss him. Kylo seems genuinely emotional over this, especially considering he felt unwanted by his parents his whole life, but [[DeconstructedTrope unfortunately]] he feels [[IveComeTooFar it's too late]] and that his place is with the First Order, resulting in [[{{Patricide}} Han's murder]].
* WideEyedIdealist: In regards to what he thinks of Kylo Ren, according to the various novelizations of ''The Force Awakens''. He believes that he is not beyond redemption. In spite of everything, he loves his son that much. This is symbolized in the film by him touching Ben's face as he dies.
* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe: His reaction when Finn reveals he doesn't actually know how to lower the shields around Starkiller Base and just worked in [[AlmightyJanitor sanitation]]...while they're already ''on'' the planet.
-->'''Finn:''' We'll figure it out. We'll use the Force!\\
'''Han:''' That's not how the Force works!
* YouRemindMeOfX: According to Han, every time Leia looks at him she's reminded of their son Ben. Leia indicates this is true but that she doesn't want to forget about Ben; she wants both her son and her husband to come back to her. Han himself states to Leia that he believes their son has "too much Vader in him", but in spite of this he still believes he could be redeemed.
[[/folder]]
----
->''"Some things never change."''

* GoodIsNotNice: Mostly in ''A New Hope'', where he is helpful to Obi-Wan and Luke, but makes it clear that he couldn't care less if they got killed.

* LikeParentLikeSpouse: Zigzagged. Like his father-in-law, Anakin, Han is an exceptional anti-heroic, AcePilot with a bad boyish demeanor, who is the main love interest for the main female character of their respective trilogy. Also, while said female character was [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys attracted]] to the bad boyish attitude, they also like the [[SingleWomanSeeksGoodMan better qualities]]. However, Han doesn't go as amoral as Anakin did, in fact, the former matures ''way'' better than the latter.

* TrueCompanions: With Chewie, Luke, and Leia throughout the Original Trilogy.

* BloodBrothers: With Chewbacca. While Han most likely didn't think so when he first rescued Chewie, Chewbacca felt [[IOweYouMyLife he had a "life debt" to Han]]. At first, the "brotherhood" was mostly one-way, but as they traveled together and Han learned more about Chewie and the "life debt", they became true BloodBrothers.

* NotInThisForYourRevolution: TropeNamer, although eventually he decides that the revolution is worthwhile after all.