Star Wars Creator George Lucas Insists Han Didn’t Shoot First

It’s the quintessential ‘Star Wars’ question: who shot first – Han Solo or Greedo?

In the original 1977 version of ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’, it’s Han who has the itchy trigger finger… but in the most infamous Special Edition change, George Lucas made Greedo just a little bit quicker off the mark.

And it seems he stands by his decision.

“Han Solo was going to marry Leia,” he told Entertainment Weekly. “You look back and say, ‘Should he be a cold-blooded killer?’”

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The theatrical version of the original ‘Star Wars’ movie shows Han making the first move… after all, Greedo’s threats and intimidation demand a pre-emptive strike.

But Lucas just doesn’t like how that looked.

“I was thinking mythologically,” he added. “Should he be a cowboy, should he be John Wayne? And I said, ‘Yeah, he should be John Wayne.’ And when you’re John Wayne, you don’t shoot people [first] - you let them have the first shot. It’s a mythological reality that we hope our society pays attention to.”

Of course, most ‘Star Wars’ fans think that he was completely wrong.

After all, Han’s quick reflexes and ability to shrug off an attempted hit like nothing happened shows us just what a cool customer he really is… and reminds us that while he may have that charm and swagger, he’s also not to be messed with.

I mean, let’s face it – Han letting Greedo fire off a shot at point blank range when he knows it’s coming just doesn’t make any sense.

But despite our objections, it looks as though George Lucas won’t be paying any attention.

“[I’ve] assiduously avoided the Internet since 2000,” he said. “No Facebook, no Twitter, no e-mail even.”

The first of the much-derided ‘Star Wars’ prequels - ‘Episode I: The Phantom Menace’ - was released in 1999, and that can’t be a coincidence. After all, the internet was awash with ‘Star Wars’ prequel bashing in the wake of Jar Jar Binks… and that hasn’t exactly stopped.

Who really shot first? That argument continues to rage on.

But for us, it’s always got to be Han.

‘Star Wars: The Force Awakens’ heads to cinemas on 17 December 2015.

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Picture Credit: Lucasfilm.