Character Breakdown: Han Solo from Star Wars

I will unashamedly say I'm a Han Solo fan. I have been ever since I first watched the trilogy. I thought he'd be a perfect character to breakdown today because of his new movie that came out last month. I haven't seen it yet, but I can't wait to and I hope I'm not disappointed.

Personality

• Roguish. Han knows he's a rogue and he plays that card at any opportunity. It's a lot more talk than walk, however.

• Smart. As becomes evident over the course of the trilogy, Han does have a head on his shoulders. His smarts are what keep him alive, a lot. Is he always clever? No. But when he is, it mostly works out.

• Charming. He'd be the first one to admit this. Han loves to charm every woman, but goes especially hard on Leia, just because she won't fall for him. (Or so she says.) He's also got a charisma that makes other people listen to him as well.

Virtues

• Loyal. Even though Han has several chances to run away, and even though he seems to at one point, he always comes back. He's there for his friends when they need him, something I've always admired about his character.

• Brave. Bordering on stupid, sometimes. He's willing to charge a group of stormtroopers, even if it means accidentally running into a whole room of them.

Flaws

• Self-centered. Han has a bad tendency to focus on himself and his needs before others. However, he does grow out of that as he joins the Rebellion.

• Annoying. Even I can admit that Han can be annoying. I think Leia would agree with me. But doesn't everyone have this flaw from time to time?

• Suspicious. Han hates believing in anything besides the things he can see. He doesn't believe in the force, even when he sees it in front of him. He doesn't even like to believe in causes at first.

Skills

• Pilot. As he says, he's the best pilot in the galaxy. His maneuvers can be risky, but often pay off.

• Fighter. He's not the best at hand to hand combat, but he can shoot a mean blaster. He's probably had to learn from years of working with smugglers. Having a back-up wookie doesn't hurt either.

What Makes Him Interesting

• His character arc. As I pointed out, Han has lots of flaws in the beginning of the trilogy. But as the movies progress, he learns to be a loyal friend and rebel leader. It's a fascinating arc, especially when paired with his romance with Leia.

• His friendship with Chewie. The guy claims not to like anyone, but Chewbacca is the one exception to that. The two of them always have each other's backs. Their friendship is something I love watching on screen.

Also, I will be on hiatus next week, for some planning and downtime and such. I'll be back on the 25th with a post about fiction and escapism, so come back for that!

Do you like Han Solo? Should we write more characters that start out unaffiliated and turn good? Tell me in the comments.

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