Warning: Contains SPOILERS for Star Wars: Han Solo & Chewbacca #7!In the killing Greedo in the Mos Eisley Cantina in the original Star Wars film. However, later versions of the film edited the scene so that Greedo shot first, with Han only returning fire once his life was already in danger.
The change enraged some fans, who have argued that Han's trigger-happy ways so early in the story are what give his later heroism meaning, showing how far he comes from the days when he was willing to gun down an enemy before they definitely posed him harm. The edited footage of Han 'dodging' the shot by shifting his head slightly has likewise been called out as an overcorrection, making the moment perhaps the most hotly debated in Star Wars' vast fandom. Now, a new canon moment makes the decision even more controversial.
After the events of issue #5, Star Wars: Han Solo & Chewbacca #7 (by Marc Guggenheim and Paul Fry) finds the titular smuggler at the mercy of Greedo and his crew after the Rodian bounty hunter gunned him down. Greedo gloats over his newfound status as the one who killed Han Solo until his crewmate Akko confirms Han Solo lives. Claiming he’s always wanted to kill Han twice, Greedo goes to finish the job until he’s stopped by Khel Tanna. Ultimately, they decide to leave Han stranded on the Outer Rim planet Escalan. And while this may at first seem like an interesting bit of shared history between Han and Greedo, it totally changes the narrative of the “Han Shot First” debate.
Greedo Shot Han WAY Before A New Hope
This interaction backs up the version of Star Wars lore where Han shoots first, as it removes all doubt that Greedo was ready and willing to kill him. Greedo and Han's backstory shows that Han his well aware Greedo is willing to kill him, and that he's even been shot by the villain before. The idea that Solo would wait to shoot second knowing full well that his opponent has tried to kill him before makes the Galaxy Far, Far Away’s greatest smuggler seem far too naïve. At a certain point, it makes Han Solo too noble for his own good to the point of borderline ineptitude when it comes to his criminal dealings. However, this is still the canon version of events, making the comic's story particularly frustrating for those who prefer the original order of events.
Han Solo may not have always been the hero that the Galaxy needed, but his story of moral redemption is one of the greatest arcs in the Star Wars story. At this point, the idea that he would shoot second does more to undercut Solo’s narrative than to establish his heroic potential. With this latest development from Marvel Comics’ Star Wars universe, Han Solo couldn’t be more justified in shooting first, even if - according to the current cut of the Saga - that's not what happened.
Contains spoilers for Star Wars: Han Solo & Chewbacca #7!
