CT Lando Calrissian - Hero or traitor to his friend?

Lando Calrissian the guy who would betray Han Solo to the empire in Empire Strikes Back but later would also help Han Solo to escape Jabba's Palace and also one of the leaders in the destruction of Death Star II. Do you consider him a traitor still or did he redeem himself as one with all he did for Han and the Rebellion?

 

Being instrumental in leading the strike that destroyed the second Death Star, I'd say he redeemed himself and proved his goodwill. Even in ESB, when faced with threats by the Empire, he finally saw his errors when Darth Vader altered the plan too far. Once their safety was in jeopardy, Lando, was quick to respond.

Instead of traitor, I think he was responding like any normal person would under threats from the most powerful force in the universe. Though instead of staying a bystander, he took action, which put himself in danger even further.

 

Its still interesting though because lots of people consider him as someone who betrayed his friend and it may be one of the biggest things they think about when they think of Lando.

 

He was an administrator trying to deal with the fact that the Empire led by Darth Vader himself just suddenly appeared on his doorsteps asking him to turn in his friends for Luke Skywalker. At that time, he was trying to make sure the Empire doesn't get the idea to start attacking Cloud City, thus injuring and/or killing untold numbers of his own people. If sacrificing three people would make sure Cloud City doesn't get possibly leveled by the Empire, then so be it.

Of course, once he realized that there was just no way Vader would listen, that Vader would keep altering the deal that would prove to be terrible for Cloud City and everyone else involved, he decided to attempt to save them.

I don't think he's a traitor, that implies he was willfully working with the Empire and enjoyed it. He clearly did not. Coward, sure, but not traitor. Again, businessman versus Empire that literally comes knocking on his door. Not much he could do. :/

 

These say it all right here!

 

I don't think that Cloud City was anywhere near in as much danger from the empire as Aldeeran. The mines were a valuable resource, so the empire would want to preserve them. Even when Lando joined the rebels, I think they just occupied so that way no one (but rebel scum) were hurt.

 

I don't see how Lando was supposed to know that. And the only reason the Empire ended up occupying Bespin, instead of destroying it, was that Vader was more interested in getting his hands on Luke. Once Luke fell into his trap, I doubt that he would have continued to consider destroying the mining colony. And even if he had destroyed Bespin, I doubt that he would have destroyed the mines - just a good number of the inhabitants.

Lando wasn't being a coward. If he truly was, he would have never helped Leia and Chewbacca escape from Bespin in the end. It really irritates me that some fans are determined to find a reason to condemn Lando for his actions in this film. And my question is . . . why? Why should it be more important for Lando to be loyal to Han than to consider the safety of the inhabitants he governed? And why wasn't Lando pissed off at Han for leading the Empire to his doorstep in the first place? I would have been.

 

I would say that, given Han didn't trust him and didn't even like him, Han wasn't really his friend to begin with.

 

I got the feeling that Lando didn't trust Han anymore than the latter trusted him. I'm still wondering why Lando never wondered how Vader learned that Han was heading for Bespin in the first place.

 

I know it veers off from the movies slightly, but their mistrust of each other is actually explained as part of the HST books written quite a while ago. Having said that I believe when Lando saw Vader rock up at his doorstep, he probably knew Han was in deep, and (minor spoiler) in the books he actually helps Han to foil Boba Fett as well.

Nevertheless, I don't consider Lando a traitor or anything. Really, when the Empire invades cloud city and tells him to lead Han and Leia into a trap, Lando has two choices: (1) Refuse and probably be killed or incapacitated or (2) Maintain the status quo until he can get the jump on them. IMO number one doesn't guarantee that Han and Leia will escape Vader, and they probably would have been captured all the same, and number two keeps Lando in the game until he can sort out a better plan. He also actively tried to negotiate for Leia to stay with him (until Vader renegotiated) so in my mind he made the right strategic choice all along, given the options he had available.

 

Han and Lando were really close buddies when they were younger, but they had a falling out:

 

He was both a double agent

 

Yes, Lando obviously didn't have much choice in the matter when Vader & the Imperials arrived before Han & co. & threatened him unless he helped them. And, IMHO he reedeems himself by risking his life & his business (Cloud City) to rescue Leia & Chewie from the Imperials & attempt to rescue Han from Boba Fett; and, later, when he risks his life again to rescue Han from Jabba the Hutt.

Another way to look at this is that if Han & co. hadn't come to Cloud City in the first place, Vader would never have tracked them there & Cloud City would presumably still be intact. The Tibanna gas mining business seemed to be fairly lucrative for Lando, and it's fairly evident that if the Empire hadn't taken over the city (as seen at the end of the film), Lando could probably have run the business successfully for years & stayed off the Empire's radar. As he said to Han & Leia, "Our operation is small enough not to be noticed...."

Interesting anecdote: Years ago, I read an interview with BDW in which he mentioned that when he took a plane trip after ESB came out, a stewardess got angry with him because he had betrayed Han Solo in the film. The way BDW told the story, she was not able to separate him as an actor from the Lando character. Oh well, she was obviously a dedicated Star Wars fan

 

I'm not saying that Lando should've put Han above everyone else. In fact, I'm saying the exact opposite. Lando was trying to protect his people.

I may have been quick to call him coward, but Lando was trying to protect his people.

 

Billy Dee, at a recent convention appearance, spoke about this very subject. You can hear it on the latest RFR in the Billy D quote of the week. He says something along the lines of: "People keep saying he betrayed Han or whatever - but I was just trying to figure out what to do - er, *Lando* was trying to figure out what to do. He's running an empire! - he's running Vegas, and then all of a sudden, his friends show up, and their friends show up and there's Darth Vader! He could have lost everything - He *DID* lose everything!! People don't think about this stuff."

 

I don't think at the time that he made the original deal Lando really comprehended just how duplicitous Vader was or how strongly he'd feel for the Rebel cause when he actually saw it. His relationship with Han was tenuous at that time, so what he did, for the greater good of his city, was understandable. When all of that changed, so did he. Credit where it's due.

 

All I know about that is that Han was awfully quick to forgive him for what he did. Even though we assume Lando had been supporting the Rebellion and involved in the plan to free Han during the time between movies, from Han's point of view, Lando was still the guy that betrayed him.

 

Yes. Based on Lando's conversation with Vader in the hallway after Han got frozen, it appears that Vader had initially told him that after Han was put into Carbonite & Luke was captured, Leia & Chewie would go free and Carbonite Han would stay with them (so he could presumably be thawed out later). However, Vader altered the deal by insisting that Leia & Chewie never leave Cloud City, and also by giving Han to Boba Fett. Soon after, Vader altered the deal even further by insisting that Leia & Chewie be given over to him.

So Lando wanted to do the right thing by rescuing Chewie, Leia, and Han to try to make up for what had happened; and, IMHO he justifiably felt that he didn't have anything left to lose since the Empire was probably going to take over Cloud City anyway.

 

If he would have said no, vader would just have killed him and ambushed them when they arrived at cloud city. He more then made up for what he did by joining the rebels and blowing up the second death star.

*edit* plus if he would have told han that it was a trap, it wouldn't have mattered since then lando han and leia would have gotten killed. he thought that vader was going to let the rest of them go.

 

The only thing that Lando did wrong was lie and wait to turn him over to Vader. He should have just been straightup and told Han "you shouldn't have come here, the Empire arrived before you and I need to hand you over.`` By lying he made himself a betrayer.

 

Lando had to choose between protecting his friends and protecting the thousands or millions of inhabitants of Cloud City. It's an easy choice to make, actually.

 

It's a choice any government leader should be prepared to make. Anyone who represents a community- either politically, professionally, or even in your own neighborhood- needs to put their people's preservation and safety at the top of their priority, even at great expense. When Lando realized that Cloud City was lost, he dropped the deal with Vader, collaborated with Lobot and initiated the mass evacuation of the city. Once that order was given, priority could then be directed to saving Han. True leadership.

 

And Han lied to Lando:

LANDO: What are you doing here?
HAN: Ah, repairs. I thought you could help me out.

Something that's always bothered me somewhat.

 

That wasn't a lie. The reason they could not escape the Empire is because the Falcon's hyperdrive was in need of repair.

 

It's a lie of omission.