As far as the Twelve Year Old Me is concerned, the characters work, fit together, and satisfy my need for pulp space opera spectacle. The Forty Seven Year Old Me, on the other hand, is fascinated by the narrative ineffectiveness and style-over-substance snake oil of the two 'badass' fan favourites (Han Solo and Boba Fett) and the strutting, hollow chest-thumping masculine wish-fulfilment they ultimately expose as substanceless. Bravo, RC, for taking the time to point this out.
I get the impression that the whole crux of Han's character is that the coolness is an artificial facade Han wears ... recently I realized that Han's mannerisms and behavior are almost identical to my big brother (he was a teenager when I was just barely 10), and so I don't think of Han as the "cool guy", I think of him as the "older brother", and I'm betting that was Lucas' intent. When I was a kid, Han was cool because he was just like my older brother. Now that I'm older, I'm realizing just how much of my brother's cool was simulated or imagined, and whatdya know, that exact same type of simulation can be seen on Han's character, which Harrison acts out perfectly BTW. Though it's troubling how many grown adults still think Han's cool like a big brother .... the character is supposed to be pathetic and vulnerable from an adult's perspective.
The 21 Jump Street movie displayed the changing trends of what is “cool” perfectly by showing that the popular high school kids get good grades, are socially aware, and don’t like those who physically bully. Hilarious since I’m Gen X and remember when aloof and defiant was considered “cool”.
This IS why I love this page!!! Thank you for this Renegade! Since I was 12, I always "felt" closer to Luke than Han. I never really understood 'Luke - Hate' from my friends growing. I did understand Han's "attractiveness" (surprisingly, more from guys than girls)--but Luke was a deep character and even as a child i got his arc more clearly. Luke Skywalker to me will always be the core of the saga--and its something even Hamill understood including his recent rejection to what Luke did in the recent films. Thanks again for bringing some logical to this 40 year old argument.
Good points. I do think though the reason solo was a fan fav. was the fact there was an mystery to him, that allows your mind to fill in the blanks of his past.
The listing of Han and Luke's respective accomplishments reminded me a lot of discussions I have had about Shinji Ikari from Evangelion. Popular perception of Shinji is that he is a weak, whiny loser. If you compare his record against giant monsters with any other character, though, he comes out way ahead. It's really interesting what makes a character (or person) seem cool.
I often wish for the alternate timeline where Solo dies in Return of the Jedi like Harrison Ford wanted. Not only could ROTJ have really benefited from the stakes-raising of killing off a beloved main cast member, Han "I'm not in it for your rebellion" Solo laying down his life for The Cause would have been one hell of a character arc.
Look didn't blow up the Death Star. The established most powerful wizard established in the universe at the time did. He got Luke to turn of the computer *so* Obi wan could break the laws of physics and make those missiles turn at right angles (the Rebel plan was impossible without someone breaking the laws of physics btw)
I've heard a lot of people compare Robert Downey Jr. performance as Iron Man to Han Solo. I assumed these comparisons were due to the characters personalities. They're both cocky, arrogant, and they get the girl. I assumed Han Solo's popularity has more to do with this than his actual role in the movie.
This video made me think of that guy on Twitter who asked Mark Hamill if he had seen Star Wars and he replied he hasn't in 12 years; when the remastered editions got released in theaters.
I have to say I disagree with Han not having a compelling Arc. Hans Arc, though not as big as Lukes, is still pretty compelling at least to me, he goes from being a selfish, callous, drug smuggler who only cares about money to a rebel hero that is ready to give his life to defeat the empire, In the beginning of Empire he is leaving the rebellion to make money to pay of Jabba because his being in the Rebellion has become a liability, Bounty Hunters are trying to find him constantly and if they find him they find the Rebels. Basically he goes from "Im not in this for your revolution sister Im here to get paid" to "I will sacrifice happiness, leave my friends, and potentially die for my cause" Not a bad arc if you ask me.
as the video points out, that arc takes place almost completely in A New Hope. Afterwards, his main story is romancing Leia and staying alive. His development is minimal.
I heard Han was originally going to be killed at the end of Empire, but Lucas changed it because fans liked him so much. Maybe that's why he was basically comic relief in Return of the Jedi, there wasn't anything for him to do.
Thank you so much for making this comparison. I have always admired Luke far more than Han and I have never understood the love for him and it's now led to a lot of bandwagoning by new fans, just cuz for nerd cred durr. I always took Han as putting on a show of being a tough guy when Luke actually had to face all the emotional and physical trials and become the tough guy. I mean christ, the guy took having his hand getting cut off AND finding out the guy who killed his mentor and is the embodiment of all that is wrong with the galaxy is his father at the same time like a boss. How is being a space pirate/smuggler relatable? The Geek has inherited the Earth.
I actually think that the genius behind the character of Han Solo isn't about him "being cool", but about him "looking cool", and how the whole saga goes on to totally demolish his initial character that is sometimes quite frankly an asshole and turn him into someone else, more admirable, that sheds that initial supposedly cool outlook (which is in fact just edginess and machism) for maybe something cooler, but definitely more subtle. He doesn't care about ideals and the rebellion in the first movie but is brought to like it and reluctantly support it at the end. He's horribly sexist and machist at the beginning of Empire, and eventually ends up more mature and respects boundaries about it all in ep6. I actually like the fact that everyone thinking that the character is "so cool" when they first see him in episode IV, get proven so wrong over time as the trilogy unfolds. Han Solo isn't cool, he becomes cool.
I'm a geek and I've always thought the Luke was just plain awesome. Needless to say I have always identified with the most, along with C3-PO as I worry a lot at times. He is by far my favourite Star Wars character, bar none. Nuff, Said.
I thought this was the whole obvious point of Han Solo's character: We're supposed to see through his self-spun machismo, but at the same time see through his cynical, world-weary attitude, and the image that he likes to portray of himself as only being concerned with making it through life on his own, and ultimately see him as a modestly heroic "everyman" type character. A humble hero without a cause, serving as a mutually complementary contradiction to Luke Skywalker as a character.
Yep I am replying to a 3 year old video. The reason why Han is "cooler" than Luke is simply this. Han is a smart ass and is alittle witty socially, while Luke in the beginner is awkward socially.
The observation that Luke would really love Star Wars draws a parallel to Mark Hamill who also loves Star Wars. Meanwhile, Harrison Ford could not care less about SW do that is kinda like your observation about Han Solo's character
i understand you’re no fan of Man of Steel, but it would be great if you can do this for Superman in Man of Steel because most people are completely blind at how much of a superhero Superman is in that movie
Thanks for the video--it's great to see Luke getting the love and attention he deserves. Nice comparison of the two characters at the beginning. In terms of archetypes, Luke is more of the traditional hero, with an honor code and strong morals, while Han is the trickster who plays by his own rules and bends the existing ones to defeat enemies.
Good sight, maybe in the J.Abrahms new trilogy , Han Solo could change and try to learn how to be cooler: face the issues, work harder and be more helpfull (it's never too late!)
Feigned Disinterest and cynicism are cool, sorry but they just are. What you're saying is like in the movie "21 Jump Street" where not caring was cool back in the day, however Channing Tatum finds out how that platitude has apparently been turned on it's head. Fair enough , but I suggest the real cool, the old cool of not giving a shit, is a classic perennial which will never die (to paraphrase Neil Young).
+Captain Grub agreed, there's a difference between what is cool and what is "popular", the term cool, in and of itself, refers to one's disposition (aka he's not that interested in general, therefore his attitude is cool towards it). Given that, yes Han Solo is still technically the cool one, even though he may not necessarily end up as the most popular one right now.
I think there is kind of a strange definition of the word "cool". For me, cool is Shaft, James Bond, etc etc. They walk into hair-raising situations... and keeps their... cool. Indy calmly gunning down the swordsman once he realized that an even fight won't work. Luke is the role-model. He is the one that we aspire to be. He keeps his goal within sight. He never gives up. He works hard and is motivated to get what he wants through just and fair ways. He is, like Emmet the Lego Guy, the ideal member of society. Destined for greatness maybe. But ultimately a bit... boring. In comparison to... Han Solo. He goes for what is fun. Doing what is needed mostly to only get out of sticky situations. So that he can have fun. While Luke is what we want to aspire to be, Han is more accessible with his simple needs and even more pragmatic ways to attain those goals. Han is also the experienced swash-buckling space pirate-trickstet. He knows he can navigate the asteroid field while the Tie-Fighters will struggle. He is willing to play dirty to win short term challenges. And... as Leon said... he got the girl in the end. While Luke technically may have more of an arc in most respects... Han is just more fun to follow. Both may have aspects of cool. But Han is just more of a Hoopy Frood so to speak. That's my own two cents...
The midichlorians may not have come until the prequels, but from the start "The Force is strong" with Luke for no reason other than him being the protagonist.
Um...I can't say I though Solo was the more powerful of Luke or Leia but I do think he acts tough and dresses cool. he's just the cool guy not necessarily the tough guy
But Luke's not a geek in the way that's cool now. Being aloof is still the standard of cool; it's just the trappings that have changed. Seeming like you don't care sends the message of "experienced" and "calm leader" If the characters in TBBT are legitimately cool in any way instead of being just "adorkable", it's that they know what they're doing on matters of science and technology. Han flies a space ship; that's his thing, and we usually see him being GOOD AT IT. Luke, on the other hand, spends his screen time going from knowing nothing about his signature skill to becoming talented. Inexperience is never cool; video games might be popular now, but the respect goes not to the person who likes the game the most, but still to whoever can beat the level without breaking a sweat. And thats really the problem. Fallibility, what makes a relatable character is directly at odds with what makes a cool character. Luke is you, and you're not cool. No matter who you are, you know about the mistakes you've made, and you look up to the person who you see making fewer. And being passionate in terms of what is cool, that's a delicate line. I mean Picard gets angry, Picard contradicts his allies, and Picard's still cool; it's one of the things that makes him cool. Why? Well notice at least our typical vision of the captain, he's usually mad because somebody is going to get some one killed. Luke is mad because of something Solo SAID. We subconsciously classify Luke as "whiney" because he took offense. I mean why do people hate vegetarians? Why do they hate feminists? Why do they hate anyone holding an opinion of either extreme about religion? Because even if consciously we concede the person was right, we still as a species hate being corrected or reprimanded. Really, it's more that our definition of a geek has changed than our actual opinion, because when someone starts a sentence with "Actually..." our knee jerk response is still "Do you ever shut up?"
Yeah, people love Han, but when you play as kids everyone wants to be Luke. I don't ever remember anyone thinking Han was more bad-ass than Luke, and bad-ass trumps cool everyday.
Hmmm. But you know what's also "cool" right now? Antiheroes. Characters as underhanded as Han but even darker on the inside. So even though Luke might have become a little more likeable, I'm pretty sure Han is still considered the cool one. Come to think of it, antiheroes might be a good topic for a future episode of yours ^_~
Are we forgetting that Lando wouldn't have been able to blow up the Death Star II without Han and crew on the ground? I always liked that Star Wars does a decent job of keeping things a team effort, kinda feel like you're neglecting this to prop up Luke. Good video tho.
If left to the original, Han Solo's character arch is more intriguing and "piratish" in A New Hope. He becomes a coward, jealous, and a bit of a whiner going into Return of the Jedi. Fans really leave out Return in terms of Solo's character, but he truly became less kool by the time the trilogy wrapped.
+michael rojas Maybe that kinda also explains why so many people don't feel so strongly about Return as they do about Empire, seeing as how Solo's crowning moment (the carbonite freezing scene) is in it... That and the Ewoks...
what i find interesting is that george had a specific vision for star wars and specific roles for this characters , had he had his way , starwars would have become very dated and only people who see things as george lucas does would enjoy them , instead starwars is very maleable and the understanding and enjoyment of star wars changes with time and with the culture around it , hence why were still talking about it to this day
you can make the same comparison with Superman and Batman; supes can save the entire planet, but people largely like batman more, who struggles to prevent crime in one city. go figure (I like both, if you could not tell from my photo).
I've always thought Luke was the coolest and best character in Star Wars just on his growth in the trilogy alone. He goes from a teenager who wants to go on an adventure to a Jedi at the end of it. He's one of the best characters created and I'm glad he's someone who is looked upon as the relatable character or at least someone we want to relate to, as this video points out.
Excellent as always. The only thing I disagree with is that The Lego Movie is part of this wave of "The Chosen One" characters. I saw The Lego Movie as a direct commentary on how that trope is being overused. But you're dead on with everything else.
Rick Beck yeah, and with the plot twist at the end, pretty much every trope was more or less both understandable, relatable and smartly wowen into the plot in an organic fashion.
Morgan Freeman saying with a straight voice "there will be The Special, and they will be the most important, most creative, most interesting person in all the universe!" is the biggest joke in the movie. I'm sure Morgan cracked up recording that line like "You're really gonna' put *that* in the movie?"
Luke's shirt is grey on the inside. And with the new installment of episodes 7 and 8, I think Luke's behavior in those films show that he believes in a grey area of the force. Which is possibly the most clandestine themes of the entire series. Including Clone Wars.
Solo changes from a selfish runaway to a selfless hero. Luke changes from a daring psychopath to a even bigger scarier psychopath who is so scary he scared the dark side out of his father. Luke is a killer of millions, he's a master manipulator, and he sports that bowl haircut like it's nobody's buisness because Luke only cares about his goals in life. he's an uber narcissist overachiever with a code, he is Gordon Gekko with the force instead of money.
Ok, who else cringed and said "THAT'S YOUR BROTHER" at 7:26 ?
This video is great, and so are the rest of the Renegade Cut videos. Intresting & informative, good stuff. Keep up the great work!
As far as the Twelve Year Old Me is concerned, the characters work, fit together, and satisfy my need for pulp space opera spectacle. The Forty Seven Year Old Me, on the other hand, is fascinated by the narrative ineffectiveness and style-over-substance snake oil of the two 'badass' fan favourites (Han Solo and Boba Fett) and the strutting, hollow chest-thumping masculine wish-fulfilment they ultimately expose as substanceless. Bravo, RC, for taking the time to point this out.
You know who doesn't anything and is still admired as cool? Boba Fett!
EU Boba Fett is pretty awesome though.
Yeah lol. Boba fett coasted far on just having a really cool armor design.
I'm still figuring out how I even know his name.
Django got in a bitchin' fight with Obi Wan.
The idea that Han managed to convince everyone he's the cool guy without doing anything to earn it feels like a very Han move
I get the impression that the whole crux of Han's character is that the coolness is an artificial facade Han wears ... recently I realized that Han's mannerisms and behavior are almost identical to my big brother (he was a teenager when I was just barely 10), and so I don't think of Han as the "cool guy", I think of him as the "older brother", and I'm betting that was Lucas' intent. When I was a kid, Han was cool because he was just like my older brother. Now that I'm older, I'm realizing just how much of my brother's cool was simulated or imagined, and whatdya know, that exact same type of simulation can be seen on Han's character, which Harrison acts out perfectly BTW. Though it's troubling how many grown adults still think Han's cool like a big brother .... the character is supposed to be pathetic and vulnerable from an adult's perspective.
Yes, exactly. And thankfully Solo really got that aspect of his character right.
The 21 Jump Street movie displayed the changing trends of what is “cool” perfectly by showing that the popular high school kids get good grades, are socially aware, and don’t like those who physically bully. Hilarious since I’m Gen X and remember when aloof and defiant was considered “cool”.
This IS why I love this page!!! Thank you for this Renegade! Since I was 12, I always "felt" closer to Luke than Han. I never really understood 'Luke - Hate' from my friends growing. I did understand Han's "attractiveness" (surprisingly, more from guys than girls)--but Luke was a deep character and even as a child i got his arc more clearly. Luke Skywalker to me will always be the core of the saga--and its something even Hamill understood including his recent rejection to what Luke did in the recent films. Thanks again for bringing some logical to this 40 year old argument.
Good points. I do think though the reason solo was a fan fav. was the fact there was an mystery to him, that allows your mind to fill in the blanks of his past.
The listing of Han and Luke's respective accomplishments reminded me a lot of discussions I have had about Shinji Ikari from Evangelion. Popular perception of Shinji is that he is a weak, whiny loser. If you compare his record against giant monsters with any other character, though, he comes out way ahead. It's really interesting what makes a character (or person) seem cool.
Luke Skywalker would love Star Wars, awesome
I often wish for the alternate timeline where Solo dies in Return of the Jedi like Harrison Ford wanted. Not only could ROTJ have really benefited from the stakes-raising of killing off a beloved main cast member, Han "I'm not in it for your rebellion" Solo laying down his life for The Cause would have been one hell of a character arc.
Look didn't blow up the Death Star. The established most powerful wizard established in the universe at the time did. He got Luke to turn of the computer *so* Obi wan could break the laws of physics and make those missiles turn at right angles (the Rebel plan was impossible without someone breaking the laws of physics btw)
I've heard a lot of people compare Robert Downey Jr. performance as Iron Man to Han Solo. I assumed these comparisons were due to the characters personalities. They're both cocky, arrogant, and they get the girl. I assumed Han Solo's popularity has more to do with this than his actual role in the movie.
This video made me think of that guy on Twitter who asked Mark Hamill if he had seen Star Wars and he replied he hasn't in 12 years; when the remastered editions got released in theaters.
I have to say I disagree with Han not having a compelling Arc. Hans Arc, though not as big as Lukes, is still pretty compelling at least to me, he goes from being a selfish, callous, drug smuggler who only cares about money to a rebel hero that is ready to give his life to defeat the empire, In the beginning of Empire he is leaving the rebellion to make money to pay of Jabba because his being in the Rebellion has become a liability, Bounty Hunters are trying to find him constantly and if they find him they find the Rebels. Basically he goes from "Im not in this for your revolution sister Im here to get paid" to "I will sacrifice happiness, leave my friends, and potentially die for my cause" Not a bad arc if you ask me.
as the video points out, that arc takes place almost completely in A New Hope. Afterwards, his main story is romancing Leia and staying alive. His development is minimal.
Watching this 8 years latter, while knowing that neither Han, nor the Sarlack, ended Bobba... It feels weird...
I heard Han was originally going to be killed at the end of Empire, but Lucas changed it because fans liked him so much. Maybe that's why he was basically comic relief in Return of the Jedi, there wasn't anything for him to do.
Thank you so much for making this comparison. I have always admired Luke far more than Han and I have never understood the love for him and it's now led to a lot of bandwagoning by new fans, just cuz for nerd cred durr. I always took Han as putting on a show of being a tough guy when Luke actually had to face all the emotional and physical trials and become the tough guy. I mean christ, the guy took having his hand getting cut off AND finding out the guy who killed his mentor and is the embodiment of all that is wrong with the galaxy is his father at the same time like a boss. How is being a space pirate/smuggler relatable?
The Geek has inherited the Earth.
I actually think that the genius behind the character of Han Solo isn't about him "being cool", but about him "looking cool", and how the whole saga goes on to totally demolish his initial character that is sometimes quite frankly an asshole and turn him into someone else, more admirable, that sheds that initial supposedly cool outlook (which is in fact just edginess and machism) for maybe something cooler, but definitely more subtle. He doesn't care about ideals and the rebellion in the first movie but is brought to like it and reluctantly support it at the end. He's horribly sexist and machist at the beginning of Empire, and eventually ends up more mature and respects boundaries about it all in ep6. I actually like the fact that everyone thinking that the character is "so cool" when they first see him in episode IV, get proven so wrong over time as the trilogy unfolds.
Han Solo isn't cool, he becomes cool.
Who killed Boba?
I'm a geek and I've always thought the Luke was just plain awesome.
Needless to say I have always identified with the most, along with C3-PO as I worry a lot at times.
He is by far my favourite Star Wars character, bar none.
Nuff, Said.
I thought this was the whole obvious point of Han Solo's character: We're supposed to see through his self-spun machismo, but at the same time see through his cynical, world-weary attitude, and the image that he likes to portray of himself as only being concerned with making it through life on his own, and ultimately see him as a modestly heroic "everyman" type character. A humble hero without a cause, serving as a mutually complementary contradiction to Luke Skywalker as a character.
Bam!!! Great video!
Yep I am replying to a 3 year old video. The reason why Han is "cooler" than Luke is simply this. Han is a smart ass and is alittle witty socially, while Luke in the beginner is awkward socially.
The observation that Luke would really love Star Wars draws a parallel to Mark Hamill who also loves Star Wars. Meanwhile, Harrison Ford could not care less about SW do that is kinda like your observation about Han Solo's character
You must give solo the assist for both death stars though...
i understand you’re no fan of Man of Steel, but it would be great if you can do this for Superman in Man of Steel because most people are completely blind at how much of a superhero Superman is in that movie
Thanks for the video--it's great to see Luke getting the love and attention he deserves. Nice comparison of the two characters at the beginning. In terms of archetypes, Luke is more of the traditional hero, with an honor code and strong morals, while Han is the trickster who plays by his own rules and bends the existing ones to defeat enemies.
Han is the favorite because his background is entirely untold and as such is all Headcanon.
Good sight, maybe in the J.Abrahms new trilogy , Han Solo could change and try to learn how to be cooler: face the issues, work harder and be more helpfull (it's never too late!)
Feigned Disinterest and cynicism are cool, sorry but they just are. What you're saying is like in the movie "21 Jump Street" where not caring was cool back in the day, however Channing Tatum finds out how that platitude has apparently been turned on it's head. Fair enough , but I suggest the real cool, the old cool of not giving a shit, is a classic perennial which will never die (to paraphrase Neil Young).
+Captain Grub agreed, there's a difference between what is cool and what is "popular", the term cool, in and of itself, refers to one's disposition (aka he's not that interested in general, therefore his attitude is cool towards it).
Given that, yes Han Solo is still technically the cool one, even though he may not necessarily end up as the most popular one right now.
+Ali Al-Shaikh (Viredae) That's why he has top billing on the episode 7 poster.
+Harry Williams your reasoning is that the marketing team isn't biased in their own right, there being a high chance they're of a previous generation.
Did you ever actually do a video on Princess Leia?
So the take away is, you just have to act like the manly man, and people will fall for it.
I think there is kind of a strange definition of the word "cool".
For me, cool is Shaft, James Bond, etc etc. They walk into hair-raising situations... and keeps their... cool. Indy calmly gunning down the swordsman once he realized that an even fight won't work.
Luke is the role-model. He is the one that we aspire to be. He keeps his goal within sight. He never gives up. He works hard and is motivated to get what he wants through just and fair ways. He is, like Emmet the Lego Guy, the ideal member of society. Destined for greatness maybe. But ultimately a bit... boring. In comparison to...
Han Solo. He goes for what is fun. Doing what is needed mostly to only get out of sticky situations. So that he can have fun. While Luke is what we want to aspire to be, Han is more accessible with his simple needs and even more pragmatic ways to attain those goals.
Han is also the experienced swash-buckling space pirate-trickstet. He knows he can navigate the asteroid field while the Tie-Fighters will struggle. He is willing to play dirty to win short term challenges. And... as Leon said... he got the girl in the end.
While Luke technically may have more of an arc in most respects... Han is just more fun to follow. Both may have aspects of cool. But Han is just more of a Hoopy Frood so to speak.
That's my own two cents...
The midichlorians may not have come until the prequels, but from the start "The Force is strong" with Luke for no reason other than him being the protagonist.
no no no luke is the best thing that ever happen to this world
Um...I can't say I though Solo was the more powerful of Luke or Leia but I do think he acts tough and dresses cool. he's just the cool guy not necessarily the tough guy
Is there a Leia episode? I want that too. Is it here yet? 1 please.
But Luke's not a geek in the way that's cool now. Being aloof is still the standard of cool; it's just the trappings that have changed. Seeming like you don't care sends the message of "experienced" and "calm leader" If the characters in TBBT are legitimately cool in any way instead of being just "adorkable", it's that they know what they're doing on matters of science and technology. Han flies a space ship; that's his thing, and we usually see him being GOOD AT IT. Luke, on the other hand, spends his screen time going from knowing nothing about his signature skill to becoming talented. Inexperience is never cool; video games might be popular now, but the respect goes not to the person who likes the game the most, but still to whoever can beat the level without breaking a sweat.
And thats really the problem. Fallibility, what makes a relatable character is directly at odds with what makes a cool character. Luke is you, and you're not cool. No matter who you are, you know about the mistakes you've made, and you look up to the person who you see making fewer.
And being passionate in terms of what is cool, that's a delicate line. I mean Picard gets angry, Picard contradicts his allies, and Picard's still cool; it's one of the things that makes him cool. Why? Well notice at least our typical vision of the captain, he's usually mad because somebody is going to get some one killed. Luke is mad because of something Solo SAID. We subconsciously classify Luke as "whiney" because he took offense. I mean why do people hate vegetarians? Why do they hate feminists? Why do they hate anyone holding an opinion of either extreme about religion? Because even if consciously we concede the person was right, we still as a species hate being corrected or reprimanded. Really, it's more that our definition of a geek has changed than our actual opinion, because when someone starts a sentence with "Actually..." our knee jerk response is still "Do you ever shut up?"
Yeah, people love Han, but when you play as kids everyone wants to be Luke. I don't ever remember anyone thinking Han was more bad-ass than Luke, and bad-ass trumps cool everyday.
Hmmm. But you know what's also "cool" right now? Antiheroes. Characters as underhanded as Han but even darker on the inside. So even though Luke might have become a little more likeable, I'm pretty sure Han is still considered the cool one.
Come to think of it, antiheroes might be a good topic for a future episode of yours ^_~
Are we forgetting that Lando wouldn't have been able to blow up the Death Star II without Han and crew on the ground?
I always liked that Star Wars does a decent job of keeping things a team effort, kinda feel like you're neglecting this to prop up Luke.
Good video tho.
If left to the original, Han Solo's character arch is more intriguing and "piratish" in A New Hope. He becomes a coward, jealous, and a bit of a whiner going into Return of the Jedi. Fans really leave out Return in terms of Solo's character, but he truly became less kool by the time the trilogy wrapped.
+michael rojas Maybe that kinda also explains why so many people don't feel so strongly about Return as they do about Empire, seeing as how Solo's crowning moment (the carbonite freezing scene) is in it... That and the Ewoks...
what i find interesting is that george had a specific vision for star wars and specific roles for this characters , had he had his way , starwars would have become very dated and only people who see things as george lucas does would enjoy them , instead starwars is very maleable and the understanding and enjoyment of star wars changes with time and with the culture around it , hence why were still talking about it to this day
you can make the same comparison with Superman and Batman; supes can save the entire planet, but people largely like batman more, who struggles to prevent crime in one city. go figure (I like both, if you could not tell from my photo).
The orginal trilogy was Luke's story. Luke is a great hero. But come on! It's Han Solo! HAAAAAAAN!
Leia is the coolest. Prove me wrong.
Yup - exactly the same age as Luke, but already a key player in both galactic politics AND the rebellion!
I've always thought Luke was the coolest and best character in Star Wars just on his growth in the trilogy alone. He goes from a teenager who wants to go on an adventure to a Jedi at the end of it. He's one of the best characters created and I'm glad he's someone who is looked upon as the relatable character or at least someone we want to relate to, as this video points out.
Excellent reading of this (let's face it) problematic character. Even more excellent reading of Han Solo's character. Thank you!
You need more vids and subs ta for great work
Boba fett lives so Han didn't do that either
Excellent as always. The only thing I disagree with is that The Lego Movie is part of this wave of "The Chosen One" characters. I saw The Lego Movie as a direct commentary on how that trope is being overused. But you're dead on with everything else.
Rick Beck yeah, and with the plot twist at the end, pretty much every trope was more or less both understandable, relatable and smartly wowen into the plot in an organic fashion.
Morgan Freeman saying with a straight voice "there will be The Special, and they will be the most important, most creative, most interesting person in all the universe!" is the biggest joke in the movie. I'm sure Morgan cracked up recording that line like "You're really gonna' put *that* in the movie?"
Luke is a boring goody two-shoes, Han is a more complicated character.
decent analysis, but it feels a bit shallow.
Well done video. Too bad I had to see the Hayden ghost at the end of ROTJ though. Not cool. ;-)
Luke's shirt is grey on the inside. And with the new installment of episodes 7 and 8, I think Luke's behavior in those films show that he believes in a grey area of the force. Which is possibly the most clandestine themes of the entire series. Including Clone Wars.
Solo changes from a selfish runaway to a selfless hero. Luke changes from a daring psychopath to a even bigger scarier psychopath who is so scary he scared the dark side out of his father. Luke is a killer of millions, he's a master manipulator, and he sports that bowl haircut like it's nobody's buisness because Luke only cares about his goals in life.
he's an uber narcissist overachiever with a code, he is Gordon Gekko with the force instead of money.
Its so disengenous to make this claim. Yes, he blew up the death star. But what happens if he doesnt?
Seen in this light, Rey's lack of a Jedi pedigree makes her much more of a hero than Luke ever was.