It’s a question that fans have been asking ever since the Special Edition release of Star Wars in 1997: why oh why did George Lucas decide to have Greedo shooting first during the bounty hunter’s confrontation with Han Solo in the Mos Eisley cantina? Well, speaking to the Washington Post, Lucas has explained that he felt the way the scene originally plays out went against Han’s principles:
“Han Solo was going to marry Leia, and you look back and say, ‘Should he be a cold-blooded killer?’ Because I was thinking mythologically — should he be a cowboy, should he be John Wayne? And I said, ‘Yeah, he should be John Wayne.’ And when you’re John Wayne, you don’t shoot people [first] — you let them have the first shot. It’s a mythological reality that we hope our society pays attention to.”
You can (kind of) see Lucas’ thinking here, but if Han already has such principles, doesn’t that detract from his character progression through the films? And how is it acceptable for him to shoot first at Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back?
BartNJ says
Re: “And how is it acceptable for him to shoot first at Darth Vader in The Empire Strikes Back?”
If you accept the John Wayne premise, then, ok, Gredo should shoot first. But where do you see major books, movies, TV shows, go back 20 years after the fact and change something pretty major regarding the character? The last major rewrite of canon in a story was in the third century and the Bible. Lucas : FAIL
But the difference between shooting first at Darth vader is by Empire it’s clearly established this guy is psychotic to say the least. He kills Obi-Wan; blows up a planet of billions, etc; etc… Obviously he needs to be stopped.
Han and Gredo , on the other hand, where having a discussion. Han’s been through this before with bounty hunters. he knows Jabba wants his ass, dead or alive. He’s negotiating with Gredo and at the same time; got his finger on the trigger.
Ever negotiate with Columbian drug lords??? No?
Me neither. But I’ve seen enough movies to know if I’m sitting at a table with Columbian Drug lords; I’ve got my finger on the trigger under the table.
Han sees something in Gredo’s eyes, his expression, that split second recognition or precognition that someone is jerking their body to do something they shouldn’t.
He’s a space pirate. Han Solo knows he’s gonna get shot at and shoots first.
If he didn’t then he’s just dumb.
And how do you live year after year being a space pirate , dealing with smugglers like Jabba the Hut, and still be alive if you’re dumb?
You don’t.
He shot first because it was kill or be killed. I don’t care what your morals are. Kill or be killed is a pretty universal scenario where you kill.
First.