Author Topic: Why does the EU seem to hate Han Solo?  (Read 2415 times)

Offline Lestat

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Why does the EU seem to hate Han Solo?
« on: November 16, 2011, 02:37 PM »
I was re- reading Dark Empire the other night and I noticed that they spend alot of time crapping on Han Solo. At one point Luke says something to the effect of the importance of his choice being beyond the abilities of a "space pirate". Admittedly Luke was under the infuence of the dark side at the time. But then his own wife says something about the decisions of Jedi being hard for "normal people" to understand. And there are other little shots at Han throughout DE.

Then I started to think about the EU as a whole and realized Han solo always gets the **** end of the stick. They killed his best friend. They killed both of his sons. They married his daughter to the leader of the Imperial Remnant (after she killed his son of course). Han Solo is the Rodney Dangerfield of the EU; He gets no respect.   

Offline Jesse James

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Re: Why does the EU seem to hate Han Solo?
« Reply #1 on: November 16, 2011, 03:00 PM »
I wasn't even a big fan of his solo books...  There's a lot cooler stuff they could've done with Han IMO.
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
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Offline Lestat

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Re: Why does the EU seem to hate Han Solo?
« Reply #2 on: November 16, 2011, 03:13 PM »
I feel like the writers don't know what to do with him. Frankly, I'm surprised that he has survived this long. It's like if the character isn't a Jedi, Sith, or Mando they are just filler. Han is just "crazy old Grand-dad" now. Such a waste.

Offline Pete_Fett

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Re: Why does the EU seem to hate Han Solo?
« Reply #3 on: November 30, 2011, 06:01 PM »
Well - supposedly even Harrison Ford thought there was "no where else to go" with Han Solo and wanted Lucas to kill him off. I agree that while the EU never killed him off, it certainly has marginalized him.
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Offline Jesse James

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Re: Why does the EU seem to hate Han Solo?
« Reply #4 on: December 1, 2011, 03:11 PM »
Han's got lots of possibility, but it's more in his past.  The movies turned him from scoundrel, skank wrangler, killer, and narcotics/contraband smuggler, into Rebel Hero...

They could've maybe made him have some "special forces" adventures since he seemed to get rank in that department immediately.  Show him as that effective leader that Riekean appreciated him for.  Or play up his stronger points that OT fans originally loved him for (shooting first, lying, cheating, having a dark past).

The post-OT Han could've been shown as an effective military leader/strategist though...  Less diplomat, more heavy-hand guy killing Imperials and getting out of sticky situations with a spec force under his command or something.
2011 Rebel Fleet Trooper Gets My Seal Of Approval!  But Where's The Friggin' Holster On Him!?
Jedi Defender.com Contributing Editor, Twitter @JediDefender & @Jesse_James77