What does Han say after Leia says I love you in ‘Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back’

Face it, Star Wars is absolutely iconic. From its sweeping vistas and gorgeous costume designs to it’s memorable characters and operatic writing style, the franchise has so much to offer.

But as much as it gets right, there is plenty that it gets wrong. Anyone who’s sat through all 418 minutes of the prequel trilogy knows that most of Star Wars is to romance what Saw is to wholesome family fun. Despite the series’ lackluster follow-ups, there is one couple that fully earned their place in the romance hall fame.

The original trilogy managed to inject enough romance to make multiple generations swoon with Han Solo and Leia Organa’s truly adorable relationship built on sass, trust, and good ol’ sexual tension. So how is it that one line from The Empire Strikes Back managed to build a better romance than all three entries built around Padme and Anakin’s tragic love story?

What does Han say to Leia in The Empire Strikes Back?

Throughout The Empire Strikes Back, Han practically wears his heart on his sleeve. Well, as much as an arrogant, scruffy, full-of-himself smuggler possibly could. His actions consistently speak louder than his complaint-laden words every time he opts to stay in harm’s way when it would be in his best interest to leave it all behind.

When Han is captured by Darth Vader and Boba Fett in Cloud City, the pair has only seconds to work through months of playful flirting and grapple with their pride.

As Han is lowered into the carbonite chamber, Leia says to him, “I love you”. And in true Han fashion he says simply, “I know.”

It’s a deliciously bad-boy thing to say, laced with emotion that Han rarely shows. He ever takes his eyes off hers, and even as the fear of what’s to come starts to show on Leia’s face, Han keeps his cool. It’s a perfect moment and one we have Harrison Ford to thank. The original script called for Han to reply, “I Love you too.” But Ford felt that Solo was much too arrogant to simply admit to his feelings.

It’s hard to imagine this scene playing out any other way.