Han Solo isn’t just one of the most prominent characters in Star Wars. He’s one of the best-known figures in all media and was significant in kicking off the career of Harrison Ford.
When a character is this beloved, there is much information about them for fans to discover. The big moments of Han’s story are known. He was a scoundrel who met a farm boy and a Jedi. He helped rescue the princess and became a hero in the Rebel Alliance. He married and had a son named Ben Solo, whom he lost his life to. You may not know the more obscure facts about Han Solo, so here are 15 things about the legendary smuggler.
1 – Rumored Royalty
Han was born in an average working-class neighborhood on Corellia. After becoming a hero with the Rebel Alliance, rumors swirled that Han was a lost descendant of Jonashe Solo, the ancient royal family's Prince-Admiral.
In the Extended Universe, there was more evidence that Han was from the royal House of Solo.
2 – Orphaned
Hollywood writer Leigh Brackett worked with George Lucas by writing the first draft of The Empire Strikes Back. Brackett and Lucas kicked around the idea that Han’s original backstory was that he was orphaned in Kashyyyk and raised by Wookiees. This would be how he met Chewbacca, but the idea was scrapped.
3 – Missing Mommy
Not much is known about Han Solo’s mother in both the Legends and current canon. In Legends, Han mentions he named his ship, Jaina’s Light, after her. No accurate information about Solo’s mother exists in the Disney canon.
4 – The Boss
While writing Solo: A Star Wars Story, Jon and Lawrence Kasdan read Bruce Springsteen’s autobiography “Born to Run.” They took inspiration from the musician’s relationship with his father while crafting Han’s backstory.
5 – Sins of the Father
In the current canon, Han’s father was named Ovan. The man worked in the shipyards, often bringing his young son to work. Ovan was not a kind man, but he was the one who pushed Han to be a pilot. He would eventually abandon his son to fend for himself.
6 – A Fake Husband
Before settling with Leia, Han was known to be a bit of a womanizer. Solo: A Star Wars Story covered his first love, Qi’ra. Though at another point in his life, he was married. Granted, it was a fake marriage to a woman named Sana Starros. Sana and Han worked together on a robbery, but Han double-crossed her and made off with her share of the money. After that, Sana hunted Han to settle their score and became part of the Rebel Alliance.
7 – Working For the Hutts
While Han might have been on the run from Jabba in the movies, he was actually on good terms with the gangster for many years. Han and Chewbacca were Jabba’s best smugglers, giving them much freedom.
8 – Jobs Gone Wrong
Han and Chewbacca hit a string of bad luck while working for Jabba, from running into Imperial blockades to losing a spice cargo from Kessel. Fed up, Jabba placed a bounty of 50,000 credits on the duo, which is why Han took the job from Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi in A New Hope. Jabba’s bounty on Solo would eventually balloon to 224,190 credits.
9 – Reunion With Qi’ra
While frozen in carbonite, Han reunited with his old love Qi’ra. He was never unfrozen, so he wasn’t aware of it. Qi’ra, now the leader of Crimson Dawn in Darth Maul’s wake, stole Han from Boba Fett to auction off to the highest bidder. Heroes and villains raced to get Solo, but he would eventually be reclaimed by Boba Fett and delivered to Jabba.
10 – A Short Engagement
It didn’t take long for Han to pop the question to Leia. Only two days after the Battle of Endor, he asked her to marry him. In the wake of the Emperor’s death, the couple needed to focus on the galaxy for a few days. After these duties were completed, Han and Leia married, surrounded by their closest friends.
11 – Book Your Room Now
Han and Leia’s honeymoon would be spent on the luxury Star Cruiser, the Halcyon. This is the same Halcyon that fans could visit at Walt Disney World, part of the Star Wars: Galactic Starcruiser hotel.
12 – Liberating Kashyyyk
The Empire didn’t stop fighting quickly, even after the defeat of the Empire. Han kept fighting and went on one of the most important missions of his life: Helping Chewbacca liberate his planet. Together, the two freed Kashyyyk from Imperial rule, and Chewbacca would finally be reunited with his family.
13 – Panicking Father
Maybe it was because of his lack of relationship with his father, but while waiting for the birth of his son, Han became quite a nervous wreck. He hired a nanny droid named T-2LC to help his wife. Another day after learning she should have more jogan fruit in her diet, Han bought a massive sack of the fruit for his wife, much to her annoyance.
14 – The Final Battle
The decisive battle of the Rebel Alliance versus the Empire would be the Battle of Jakku. Han didn’t fight in this battle because he and Leia were preparing for the birth of their son, Ben Solo. He felt odd not participating in such a significant moment, but Leia told him it was time for a new generation to have their adventures.
15 – The First Lesson
After the birth of Ben Solo, Han took a quiet moment to admire his son and admit he really didn’t know how to be a dad. He also shared his first lesson with the newborn, saying doing the right thing doesn’t always mean following the rules. Han quickly added not to tell his mother.
