Most, if not all, Star Wars fans are by now familiar with the great “who shot first” debate. This fandom-wide controversy carries huge implications for the Star Wars universe and its beloved heroes. Season 1 of Disney+’s Andor makes it’s very own statement about exactly “who shot first” and what it means.
In Episode IV of the Star Wars saga, A New Hope, Han Solo is confronted by bounty hunter Greedo. In the original version of the film, Han shoots Greedo first. Star Wars creator George Lucas, however, felt this was a mistake for the character. He amended the film in subsequent versions, changing the scene so that Greedo shoots first. This led to immense pushback and the “Han shot first” campaign among Star Wars fans.
Why Shouldn’t Han Solo Have Shot First?
Despite the outcry, the fact remains that the creator of the Star Wars universe changed his creation to better suit his vision, even though many fans angrily disagreed with the choice. Why exactly was the change made? Perhaps it was because the Star Wars saga is essentially an epic science fiction fantasy meant for children of all ages. The reality of having a main character commit murder by shooting first is not only fairly adult, it is marring for the character. Han shooting first made him a killer, and killers are hard to root for, hard to get behind, and hard to fall in love with.
Having Han shoot Greedo only in self-defense makes him a character with a softer edge. It is then more believable that he is really just a lovable scoundrel and irascible rogue who could potentially find it in is heart to become a heroic leader in the Rebel Alliance. In short, Han is now more suitable to be a heroic figure for children and Star Wars fans in general. Audiences must not forget that the ultimate message of Star Wars is one of love and redemption. In the grand finale of the saga, Luke saves his father not by fighting, but with the immense love he is capable of.
Where Do Han Solo and Cassian Andor Rank as Heroes?
It becomes easy to see that the original intention for the heroes of Star Wars was to be forces of pure good. Ultimately, the heroes were to act benevolently, even towards their enemies. Despite this very Jedi-inspired spirit, fans see the beginning of a departure from that message with the Star Wars prequel saga. The good guys play a little fast and loose with the lives of their opponents, and eventually the hypocrisy of the Jedi is turned against them in the form of Anakin Skywalker/Darth Vader. Killing is now firmly on the table for everyone involved, and it is only the most good-hearted of heroes who refrain from the act of taking life.
Cassian Andor is a brand-new breed of Star Wars hero, despite his having so much in common with Han Solo. Andor is unmistakably willing to kill to accomplish his ends, even after joining the Rebel Alliance. When presented with an accidental death, Andor kills the only witness with just a long moment’s hesitation. In Rogue One his private mission is one of death, and he seems to have no issues with it. If Han Solo was the scoundrel-turned-hero, Anakin Skywalker was the fallen hero, and Luke Skywalker was the pure hero, Andor signals the rise of the antihero. This is revolutionary to the Star Wars universe.
What Does It Mean for Star Wars Heroes to Kill?
Many of those in the “Han shot first” camp will likely be satisfied with the new era of Star Wars heroes, such as Andor and the Mandalorian. Introducing antiheroes to the Star Wars canon in such expert fashion has breathed new life and high-voltage excitement into the franchise. It has also given fans who have grown up with Star Wars the chance to chew on more adult themes and higher-contrast issues than ever before. Yet, the message of the original trilogy remains; love is the ultimate weapon of the true hero.
So, what does having heroes who kill mean in the grander scheme of Star Wars? For fans, it means the science fiction fantasy world they escape to is permanently a bit darker, a bit more bleak, a lot more gray, and a little bit more like the real world. Is Andor less of a hero because he kills? Yes and no, in many complicated ways. He’s certainly no role model, and that was something that Greedo shooting first gave back to the character of Han Solo. Fans could look up to Han Solo safely, without a lot of the gray areas that allow the real world to bleed into fantasy.
The era of the Star Wars antihero is in full-effect, and that’s mostly a good thing for audiences and the franchise as a whole. Andor is not Han Solo, and that is unavoidably clear. Han Solo was a rogue, yes, but he was a hero. Andor does what he has to do, and would certainly reject the label of hero. Yet, while watching antiheroes is exciting and more complex, the fans and the franchise are painfully missing the return of a pure-good hero, like the Luke Skywalker of old.