Who is Han Solo?

The Millennium Falcon is a spaceship piloted by Han Solo and his best friend, Chewbacca. I call Chewbacca Han’s “best friend,” because he’s not just a counterpart or pet – they’re close, like family. And the Millennium Falcon isn’t just a hollow ship – it’s a house, home, mode of transportation, and a central part of Han and Chewy’s story. The Falcon is a character and a central piece of Han’s identity. He knows its bugs, how it works, and how to keep it going. The Falcon is an extension of Han and a pivotal piece of Han and Chewy’s friendship. Without the Millennium Falcon, who is Han Solo? Maybe more simply: Who is Han Solo?

Floating around space on a ship that most regard as space junk with a furry critter and a finicky engine, Han Solo is an intergalactic vagabond. He’s a guy with a single plan – making it day to day without much trouble. He has given up on making it big, seeking enlightenment, and maybe even women. Princess Leia, many years his junior, doesn’t really impress him much. He’s rough around the edges, maybe a little sleazy, and makes enemies rather easily. He makes friends just as easily.

But women love Han. Even if they don’t want to. Princess Leia, despite her best efforts, can’t resist the free-natured, care-free, scruffy (yet handsome) looks of Han Solo. Neither can the female fans of Han Solo. But, why? Who is Han Solo?

Han Solo is a loser. He’s a guy living in a flying Winnebago. He doesn’t have a job. He doesn’t pay rent. He just buys spaceship gas and doesn’t even fill up the tank all the way. Han Solo doesn’t change his clothes. He lives with a giant dog/cat-like creature and picks up intergalactic hitchhikers. He doesn’t even clean his roaming house, which is actually more of a glorified moving van – it’s a cargo ship. Han Solo doesn’t even pay his debts, which means he must have a pretty horrible credit rating. But women love Han Solo.

Of all the things Han Solo is (or perhaps more importantly, is not), he is adventurous. He is care free. He’s daring, has swagger, and tries to not care for anyone but himself. He knows Chewbacca can take care of himself, so doesn’t pay any mind to watching out for him. He knows his vehicle so well, his lifestyle works. If there’s another thing that Han Solo is, he’s smart. He’s very smart.

Han pilots an old ship that most people consider to be garbage. He has no debt on his vehicle, which is also his house. He has no dependents. And he can fix everything on his ship by himself. Of course Princess Leia doesn’t pay any mind to these details, only Han’s swagger and his insolent attitude toward her sense of ego and political aspirations. Han Solo is independent. He lives his life the way he wants to, doesn’t need much, and seems to generally enjoy living below the radar.

Being Han Solo in today’s world is difficult. The Empire is everywhere. There are no far away planets to escape to. Debts aren’t so easily resolved as with a blaster. And not every guy looks like Harrison Ford. But who is Han Solo, if not a guy with a great life, just the right amount of companionship, freedom to roam, and the ability to do it all with his own hands? Han Solo is a guy living under the radar, on the frontier, and without worldly needs – and he’s doing it in a flying Winnebago.

Han Solo has the life and he gets the girl. Everybody loves Han Solo.