Son Betrays Father – Star Wars Episode: The Force Awakens (2015)
Harrison Ford finally convinced the writers to kill off Han Solo. He’s wanted it since The Empire Strikes Back, and that was the original plan, but things changed when the character’s popularity skyrocketed; not only did he dislike playing the Millennium Falcon pilot, but Ford felt that Solo’s death would add an emotional depth to the film and be a “fitting use of the character.”
I’m not sure if it did that exactly, but by the end of The Force Awakens, my jaw felt as if it was no longer attached to my body. It was revealed early in the movie that the dark lord, Kylo Ren (Adam Driver), is the son of Han and Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) and the previous Padawan of Luke Skywalker (Mark Hamill) – he then turned to the dark side, causing Skywalker to flee into the gorge of space, and the temporary separation of his parents.
Fast forward to this scene: Solo, his copilot Chewbacca, and the young patriot, Finn (John Boyega) head off to find their friend Rey (Daisy Ridley), who’s been captured and interrogated by Ren and the First Order. Han and Chewy separate from Finn to plant bombs around the facility, and as they finish, Ren makes an appearance, walking out onto a catwalk. We don’t know how long it’s been since Han’s seen his son, but the brave father, praying for a glimpse of his child, makes his way out there to confront him.
Han tells Ren to return with him to the light side, insisting that the evil powers that have corrupted him will eventually destroy him. It seems that Ben (that’s his real name) understands, as a few touching moments lead to him handing his lightsaber to Han. He asks for his help, but when Han goes to reach for the weapon, Ren activates it, stabbing his father right through the heart. In his final moments, Han touches Kylo’s face, and falls into the abyss below.
That right there is the end of an era. Much like Andy’s toys, Han Solo, for a lot of kids in my generation, was a deity of our childhood. He brought life to the original trilogy (the comic relief), and as he was one of the few characters in the movies that didn’t have any special powers like the force, all of us little fans thought it possible to one day be like him. So for anyone that grew up on the Star Wars films, Han Solo’s death marks the end of a generation – our generation.
