The Anakin-Han Connection

I hope there isn?t already a discussion on this, but I looked and looked, and didn?t find one . . .

My kids were watching ANH the other day, and something made my sit up and take notice: it was Han, saying, ?This is where the fun begins,? right as he's preparing to blow up a TIE fighter. It?s funny, because Anakin says the exact same thing as he prepares to engage droid fighters in ROTS. As we all know, Lucas frequently uses visual parallels and spoken dialogue to tie characters together. However, frequently, it is between family members, or characters who serve similar functions in the different trilogies. Han and Anakin seem to be an unlikely pairing. But, I got to thinking about this use of same dialogue, and came to realize there are more comparisons between these two characters than that one simple line.

In the movies in which both characters are introduced, it is made known that both are mechanically adept. Sure, we find this out about Luke too; he?s always tinkering with something. However, both Anakin and Han are shown to be skilled mechanics in a similar way: both take junk and scrap, and fashion it into something special (Threepio and the Falcon), which they are quick to tell us (brag) about. Neither item looks impressive, but both are. While this isn?t anything to spend hours writing posts about, it is interesting that Han and Anakin share this bond more than Luke and Anakin, and it is obviously by design.

Both Anakin and Han dislike Obi-Wan?s use of caution, while everyone else appears to respect it. Both characters ?prefer a fight to all this sneaking around,? and make their feelings about this clear. Maybe I?m stretching a bit, but Obi-Wan says ?There are alternatives to fighting,? to Han in ANH, and to Anakin in the Clone Wars cartoons in a visually similar way ? each time they were emerging from under a floor panel (yes, I know I shouldn?t use the cartoons as cannon, and I realize that they did make a point of using lines from ANH in the cartoons just for fun, but it does expand on my point).

Of course, there?s the obvious parallel of who they fall in love with, and vice versa.

Both are anti-establishment types.

And then there were the sidekicks ? Chewie and R2 ? serving as their partner and to some extent ? their conscience.

Where it becomes more interesting to me is how their careers can be compared. Anakin starts out with concern for others. He is willing to sacrifice himself to help others. By the time of his fall, he is concerned only for himself, and is unwilling and unable to help anyone but himself. It would appear his actions are to save Padme from certain doom, however, he himself states he cannot live without her - a selfish trait, but one we can all sympathize with to some extent. Our favorite scoundrel, on the other hand, starts his rebel career in the opposite way. He is concerned only for himself, and is unwilling and unable to help anyone but himself. It would appear his actions are to save Leia from certain doom, but he?s really only in it for the money. Again, circumstances allow us to be able to sympathize. Han, however, ends his career in the same way Anakin begins his. He sacrifices in order to help others. In AOTC, we see Anakin fall in love with Padme, while having his first brush with the darkside (Tusken Slaughter). With Han in ESB, we see the same thing ? he falls in love with Leia, however, he has his first brush with self-sacrifice (Carbon Freeze ? not that he had much choice, but it was the way he faced it that was heroic and unselfish).

Obviously, Luke had a profound effect on Han. Perhaps this parallel is used to highlight how the new Jedi Order can be effective, and where the Old Order went wrong. Han?s not a Jedi, of course - there were no others ? but it?s also an important point that he wasn?t. The Jedi, due to their arrogance, seemed to be in a self-imposed isolation in the PT. Luke valued and accepted Han, he was his brother. This would not have happened in the Old Order.

Has anyone else noticed this? I?m sure many of you can ex

 

That's interesting. Good observations. I think it's just a coincidence in personality, but it could be something different.

 

It's a good observation.

It's interesting to note that Han Solo is very high ranking on a list of movie heros i saw the other day, number 7 i think.

In many ways Anakin is the Han Solo of the PT, but he's also the Luke Skywalker.

It might be why the PT seems so stiff at times to people who are less Star Wars fans.

Not trying to bash, it's not meant that way, i'ts a comment on character interaction. In the PT you don't have the interplay between Luke and Han, the good boy and bad boy it really is one of the best parts of ANH.

 

And just one more thought on this very interesting observation, Jawabacca:

Han and Anakin are the guys in the saga who fell in love and get the princess/former queen in the second movie of each trilogy. And at first both women refuse to admit that they are in love (for different reasons, of course). Only at the end when they think they lose the guy they love they are ready to say "I love you". And just have a close look at the different way how Han and Anakin love - Han in E VI would let Leia go, it would be hard for him, but he is not possesive, he is able to live without her, if it would be the best for her. That's one thing Anakin never could do.

 

I agree, and that is what shows the amount of character development of Han throughout the saga. Han in ANH would never be that selfless.

 

Actually I always imagined that if Anakin and Han had met they'd get along pretty well. If Vader somehow had survived, I think that Han would have been one of the first to forgive his past (he's quick enough to forgive Lando - he just seems like a 'live, and let go' kinda guy to me) and then they would have bonded...

 

We do not know much from the movies about Han's former life, especially his childhood, but I think he was not born in bondage. As a grown-up he became a smuggler - lived a dangerous life and had always to adapt to the situation - and to let things go if he wants to survive. Surely there are some rules you have to follow when you are a smuggler and want to survive - but not as much as for a Jedi.
And let's have a look why Han seems to be kind of greedy in E IV: His smuggling didn't make him rich - we see this on the "Falcon", which sure is a good and fast ship, but on the outside seems to be "a piece of junk". And Han didn'd earn enough money with smuggling in the former years to pay Jabba - seems he has no savings because smuggling doesn't make him rich - let's say Han is a poor guy. So Han is not greedy to get more and more, he is just greedy "to pay the bills".

Does anyone has some more thoughts about Han, guys?

 

I'm not so sure... Vader is the direct link to Han's being tortured. Whereas Han admitted he didn't trust Lando, and probably can't blame him for what his (Lando's) actions brought. He might have been disapionted that his friend was so quick to betray, but Han must have been expecting that possiblity. (And in the end, Lando does come through)

I'm not sure he could forgive Vader quite so eaisly, especially with the trauma Leia suffered at his hands...that being said, he might be the first of the group to be able to differntiate "Vader" from "Anakin".

 

You're so right. Another thing that I missed in the PT was the wit that Han had. But, I, like you, don't mean to bash. I loved the PT, and would have resented a carbon-copy of the OT. The PT was just different, that's all. Obi-Wan had a few good lines, which made sense for his character. I suppose it wouldn't have made a lot of sense for Anakin. I usually laugh out loud at many of the things Vader says, though, in the OT, but mostly it's when he's choking people, and that's a different kind of funny.

I like your thoughts, Eliza. Han's a survivor, who always manages to get by. Anakin, ultimately, is not. We really don't know much about Han's past, but we get the impression that he's doing what he can to get by, and he did not have an idyllic time up to this point. He's on his own, for some reason, and that reason cannot be good. So, we can infer that hes had it rough. Han doesn't join the rebellion, or the empire - his loyalties are only to himself at first, and then he becomes loyal to the rebellion. (My impression of Anakin is that he was initially loyal to the Jedi, then when he turned, he became loyal only to himself - not to the Sith Order).

I don't read the EU (no time), other than the scholasitc books my son has me help read to him. I did see once, that Han had rescued Chewie from a life of slavery. But, I suppose this doesn't count, since it's not a movie thing. It's interesting, though.

Another interesting parallel is that both Han and Anakin are known their impulsivity (Han shot Greedo first!). Both are very proud characters. Oh, and both are outstanding pilots. And both are the "bad boy" hero type. The kind you don't bring home to mother, for fear your mother might try to steal him from you!

It just seems that Lucas purposefully drew a parallel between the two. One evolved into a good guy, the other went the other way.

 

I've read the various novels focusing on Han before he got involved with Luke and Obi Wan. They are pretty good as far as SW novels go.

 

Well, up untill he told Vader that he was going to take his daughter for a spin on the Falcon. There would have been dreams of his daughter crashing because of something Han forgot to fix....Vader would have sabotaged the ship....Han would have fixed it, Vader would freak out..



Carnage

 

Interesting observation.

Indeed bother are self-serving "scoundrels," but I think the main difference between the two of them is in belief. Han never truly believed in anything. He never rooted his world view in anything except protecting his own interests. I'm aware that itself might be a belief, but Han vehemently rejects the Force in Star Wars. Compare that to Anakin, who believes in the power of the Force and the Dark Side to the point of killing in their name and idea.

Han is not above killing, but he never believed in an abstract idea to that point. He was a "realist," in that if it gave immediate results, he was for it. As was Anakin, except that he exploited the Force to his own ends. Yes, they're the same in many ways, but interestingly, they're the same in where they are different. Anakin expoited FAITH for his own ends while Han exploited the LACK OF FAITH to his own ends. Han was free while Anakin was a slave. Anakin fought for an idea where Han fought to survive.

NOTE - My interpretation of Han is based on his introduction and actions in the first film. I'm quite well aware of his change and eventually fighting for a cause, but that's a discussion for a different thread/topic.

 

Its interesting that you mention this. Because Han told Luke "May the Force be You". It appears Han was already in the process of changing. Where he eventually came back and literally took back his word that he was not doing it for the Rebellion. He eventually cared for the Rebellion not just himself anymore.

In ESB, he tells Leia that she following him, because she needs him, but the only reason he was staying was because he believed Leia had fallen for him and hints he would stay if she needed him (to be a love interest). On the opposite part of the coin, Anakin joins the Darkside because of the way he felt about Padme. Because of the love of her and keeping her alive, he "joins" and swears allegiance to the Darkside.

 

Ha! That's quite true... And Leia would be majorly pissed off because Daddy would stick his nose into stuff that's none of his business. Leia and Vader, I imagine, would have huge fights. Actually, Leia's dislike of Vader might keep Han from getting too close to the former Sith. Or he would try to get her loosen up, like in Tatooine Ghost, where he seems to have gotten over his animosity towards his father-in-law. Of course, Vader was dead then and not around to sabotage his ship...

 

I hope G-FETT doesn't mind my quoting him here. This is actually taken from the CBC in the Prequel Forum, where he's discussing charred Anakin's arrival back on Coruscant. It's another interesting observation, and also another parallel. Both characters are now in a state of stasis: Han being frozen in carbonite, and "from a certain point of view" Anakin is frozen as well. Although, I should add that I actually don't buy into Obi-Wan's point of view. Anakin may have been dead to him, but he was still Anakin. Just bad Anakin. Anyway, it is an interpretation that exists, so I must acknowledge it.

Each character emerges from this situation a very different person: Anakin comes out of it, and for once, frees himself from slavery, saving his son on the process. Han meanwhile, has a new hairstyle (but not a new wardrobe - never a change of clothes for this man), and has lost his sense of humor.

 

Both are overconfident hot shots who fall inlove in the trilogy. Also both are great pilots and strong fighters who are daring and bold.

Other than that, I can't find much relation.

 

Interesting, at best.

 

Thats an interesting observation. What it tells me is that if theyre were to be one more SW story to tell in film form the money would be safer with The Adventures Of Han Solo and not a furthurment of the Skywalker Saga. As a stand alone film it would be a tremendous blockbuster pending only on the casting of Solo but I guess if it were a smash hit Lucas would make a trilogy.

 

A little off-topic but I suppose it goes towards Han's personality...

Forgiving Lando...it was really quick wasn't it? The last time he saw Lando was when he was being put into carbonite and as far as he was concerned, Lando had betrayed him. He didn't know what happened after that. Then in ROTJ, Luke says to stay close to Lando and Chewie and suddenly Han forgives and forgets. I mean that was the first time Lando was mentioned to him since he was frozen in carbonite so surely Han should still be angry with Lando.

 

They both save their partners life.

 

Anakin's personality is like the combination of Luke and Han....NOT to bring that "other" sci-fi universe into it, but, Anakin is like the "Captain". A blend of the "nerdy logical guy with the ear problem" and the "identity confused doctor...dammit, I'm a...." Just substitute whatever adjectives you want....under different circumstances, I think Anakin would have gotten along with his son in law just fine.