Han Solo Nearly Appeared In The Best Star Wars Prequel
Whether you love or hate the Prequels, most Star Wars fans can agree that Revenge of the Sith is the best film in the trilogy. At different points, equal parts operatic and Shakespearean, Episode III finally gave us an epic story worth cheering for. It’s crazy to think that Lucas almost ruined the whole thing by putting Han Solo in the best prequel.
Tween Solo
The original plan was for tween Han Solo to show up in the third prequel right around the time Chewbacca and Yoda were doing their super-secret-best-friends handshake. Lucas intended for Han Solo to be present for the Battle of Kashyyyk and had him interact with Yoda directly. Han finds a droid transmitter that alerts the Jedi of General Grievous’s presence on Utapau, explaining how they knew to send Obi-Wan there.
And why was Han Solo spending the prequels on Kashyyyk? That’s where his dad, Chewbacca, lives, obviously. Legends canon at the time had Han encountering Chewbacca as a slave during his brief time with the Empire. Apparently, George Lucas had other ideas.
Butchering Han’s Backstory
Solo as an orphan works. Han as Chewie’s adopted kid…not so much. Obviously, the 200-year-old Wookie is old enough to have raised Han Solo, but the idea is too precious even for the goofy prequels. The only thing worse would have been Han somehow being there for the twins’ birth and holding an infant Leia in his arms.
The Prequels Were Unhinged
In the prequel era, George was not known for his restraint. Fueled by the limitless possibility of CGI, Lucas put every random Star Wars idea he had ever had on screen. A 1950s diner in a galaxy without a 1950s? Check. A guy with the last name Sleazebaggano selling Dayglo cigarettes in a sports bar? Well, duh! And yet, with all of the ill-thought ideas he included in the prequels, somehow Lucas had the good sense not to end the trilogy with a 10-year-old Han Solo.
The Smallest Galaxy
Now, we don’t want to give Lucas too much credit. Chewbacca and Yoda being best buds twenty years before Luke and Leia were born is weird. You would think that would have come up between Chewie and Obi-Wan on the flight to Alderaan. And don’t get me started on how dumb it is that Jabba the Hutt’s wife used to own Anakin before Watto. How can such a vast galaxy be so freakin’ small?
Luckily, Han Solo’s cameo didn’t make it past the concept art stage. Of course, if you ask me, it shouldn’t have gotten that far in the first place. Regardless, cooler heads prevailed, and George realized how stupid it would be to put Han Solo in the prequels. Sadly, the Millennium Falcon still makes an appearance.
Random Cameos That Destroy The Timeline
At the film’s beginning, there is a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it cameo from a certain YT-1300 light freighter. While Lucas could have put the ship in there as an Easter Egg and kept his mouth shut, he confirmed that the ship is the Millennium Falcon. Given the time frame, it looks like the Falcon had a third owner before Lando.
What did we tell you? It’s the smallest galaxy ever. Oh well, at least we didn’t get a pint-sized Han Solo in the best prequel. Thank goodness for small favors.
