Advent Calendar 19/25

WARNING THIS POST WILL CONTAIN MAJOR SPOILERS FOR STAR WARS THE FORCE AWAKENS! IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THIS AND YOU CARE ABOUT SEEING IT THEN DON'T READ THIS.

Also I'm 75 views away from 10,000 views, holy shit.

So Star Wars, right guys?

Anyway, this post will actually be an Essay explaining why Han Solo is a good role model for young men and women everywhere. I can't actually explain why he's a good one for woman, because I'm not a woman, but if females read this and agree or feel this or look up to him for the same reasons then I am the last person who would ever tell you no.

There is a romantic idea of growing up to be Han Solo, this gun slinging scoundrel, breaking the law and breaking hearts, exploring the world with his best friend in a really cool space ship. But there is so much more to that character, so much more to him that compressing him down to that archetype is a horrible disservice.

I compressed this image just for that joke

So then, if he is not that, what is he?

At the beginning of A New Hope, that's just what he is, a scruffy nerfherder just trying to make enough money to pay off the intergalactic mafia that's after his head. He unknowingly starts to become one of the most beloved characters in all of modern media. He's smart, sarcastic, but not cold and cruel. Aloof perhaps, even selfish, but not a bad man, he exists in this grey area of morality, chaotic neutral perhaps if we were going to use the D and D alignment chart. God this is the nerdiest thing I have ever written. Anyway, as I was saying, he starts out as this rougish man, just in it for the money, and for most of the first movie that's all he is, but at the end, after we thinks he leaves, here he comes in the nick of time to save the day, and help destroy the Death Star.

At the beginning of The Empire Strikes back he's trying to leave again, but before he does he literally risks his live to go out on an ice planet in a blizzard to save his friend. Like, freezing to death is horrifying and yet Han risks his life to save his friend. After the little attack by the empire and one of the most badass kisses in all of movie history, they escape Hoth into an asteroid fields and Han delivers one of the best lines ever uttered: "Never tell me the odds."  He's able to be badass and cool, cocky and snarky, without being inhuman. He can be a good person and still the coolest man ever. He then flies to Cloud City, where he might be considered a hostile or unwelcome entity due to his past with Lando, but he still goes because he knows it can be a safe place for the people he loves. He's risking himself for them. And even when he is confronted by Darth Vader, he forgoes fear and raises his blaster and fires. He knows it might be fruitless but Han is a brave man of action, he shoots his blaster at the Dark Lord. It's so cool. And then he endures torture, and even though he is broken physically he throws a punch at Lando. He's brave and daring but does not occupy a character type that is unhealthy for young people to look up to. He doesn't exist in this hyper-masculine world where he's afraid to be emotional and show pain. He has shown pain and fear, and yet he is still an action hero, he is the action hero. He then has his scene, where he sacrifices for his friends, he is frozen in carbonite. And he knows that Leia loves him. And he protects Leia and Chewie, in the whole movie, he protects her. He is kind and loving to her, and it's great, he isn't a sexist role and I think that's why he's so easy to look up to. Because he is a wide and complex character that is easy to empathize with.

In Return of the Jedi he expands on this. He is rescued by Leia, which is awesome, take that damsel in distress trope. And even though he is blind he fights as best he can. They escape, he's General Solo, he helps lead the rebellion. He fights on Endor, and he tries to talk to Leia about his feelings but there is the whole, he-thinks-leia-is-in-love-with-luke-but-he-doesn't-know-that-because-she-can't-tell-the-rebellion-that-her-father-is-darth-vader-because-people-don't-wan't-a-leader-that-is-related-to-their-enemy. So that happens, and he tells her she loves her and they save the day and he risks his life again and again for them. And in the end he even is willing to leave because he thinks she loves Luke and he wants her to be happy, which is awesome.

AND NOW WE GET INTO THE SPOILER PART SO IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN THE FORCE AWAKENS THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO LEAVE.

So Han Solo, my boyhood hero and the whole main focus of this essay dies. He friggin dies. I'm still not over it and I saw the film two days ago. But truthfully him dying is the best ending and the best ending to the character and his arc. In this movie he's an old man back to his old ways, but he is not the same man. From the moment we first see him he is different. He is warm and impressed by Rey, he helps them. He leads Finn and advises them in the ways of who he is. He helps the kids. And it's great. And he sees Leia and you can see the hurt in him, that their son has turned to the dark side. And He's still his cocky action hero, but he's loving and he's warm. He is the Obi Wan of this movie. And he goes out on the bridge, to try ind bring his son home. Because even though his son has gone to the dark side he loves him. He is a father, maybe not the perfect one but he tried. And he goes out onto the bridge to try and bring his son home. He knows there is a really high chance that his son will kill him and yet he goes out to try and save him, because that's what he does. You never tell him the odds, because he is Han Solo, he will beat the odds and save the day. And this time, this very important time he does not beat the odds, and his son stabs him and kills him with his lightsaber. And You see Han's face, and it is not a face of anger or pain, but of love for his son. And he holds his son's face and falls and dies. He goes with compassion, love, and sacrifice. And you see the anguish on everyone's face, including Leia's. And he falls into the pit and that's his end, and it's a noble end. It is the fitting end for Han. At the beginning of his arc he is selfish and lives only for himself, but at the end, he dies for others. He dies because not only is there the remote chance he can save his son, but if he doesn't confront Kylo Ren he will hunt down and kill Rey and Finn, he gives Chewie time to set the charges. He sacrifices himself for the cause and for love. It's the most important and fitting ending for his character.

Han Solo is an iconic hero to millions of people everywhere. And it is because he is a complex and brilliant character. He is rougish and crusading, he adventures and saves the day. And he evolves, he learns to love and feel and sacrifice. But he is still rougish and charming and adventuring and crusading and suave and sarcastic and smart and witty and I could go on and hours talking about him, but the point here is he is a good rolemodel for kids to look up to, and it's because he can be cool and badass but still be loving and caring. And he doesn't have to be some kind of sexist trope, he was the man that set the stage for every other great action hero that would ever exist. And he is someone that can be looked up to without giving kids a bad influence. And it's why he has persisted forever, because there is something in his character for everyone. There is something to look up to. You can never tell him the odds, and even he is tough enough to admit that he loves Leia. And in the end, he sacrifices it all for the greater good.