Han Solo’s abilities could have made him quite the force user.
We all love Han Solo. His personality and swagger are what many strive for in life. But while we love his antihero persona and sometimes harsh nature, his natural “luck” sometimes exceeds that of common characters in the “Star Wars” universe. While he may not officially be a Jedi or in tune with the force, he definitely shows signs that say otherwise. Join us as we explore the many reason why Han Solo could and should have been a Jedi.
The Insurmountable Odds Stacked Against Him (On Hoth)
In “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back,” we had the chance to see Han Solo evolve as a hero and truly put himself at risk. While assisting the rebel alliance on the ice plane Hoth, he discovers Luke has not returned to base. As they are about to end the search for the day and lock the doors due to harsh temperatures, Solo proceeds on Tauntaun to search for his friend. As he’s making his way out into the frozen abyss, C-3PO states his concerns as well as the odds of survival.
“Artoo says that the chances of survival are 725 to 1.”
– C-3PO on Han Solo
With odds of 725 to 1 that puts Han Solo’s probability of survival at less than 1% which is far less than the worst gambling addict in Vegas would chance. While surviving the night is already unlikely, the likelihood of finding Luke is another factor as well. While Han did have an idea of Luke’s last known whereabouts, this was no small feat. Luke was rescued twice during “Empire Strikes Back,” once from Han as he fell calling for help and then from Leia, his force sensitive sister, whom he contacted with the force.
Han Solo beat the odds by not only surviving but finding Luke in a speedy fashion. Was this just luck or Jedi potential?
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The Insurmountable Odds Stacked Against Him (Navigating An Asteroid Field)
In “Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back” Han Solo and his crew are being heavily pursued by the Empire while aboard the Millennium Falcon. As TIE fighters and a Star Destroyer continue to pursue them, Han Solo decides that his best chance to escape is navigating an asteroid field. This of course is a rather challenging, high-risk feat that is reinforced by C-3PO’s calculations of Han Solo’s chances. The odds also happen to be worse than the chances of survival on Hoth.
Sir, the possibility of successfully navigating an asteroid field is approximately 3,720 to 1.
– C-3PO on Han Solo navigating an Asteroid field
Why does this make Han Solo a potential Jedi? Well, the odds are stacked against him while his reflexes are sound and he navigates the field in a manner that seems intuitive. Of course Han Solo is a great pilot but with those odds I’m sure that some would agree those abilities are a sign of Jedi reflexes. And while his skills are quite remarkable, attributing it to luck is a bit dismissive when we all know lightning doesn’t strike the same spot twice.
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The Insurmountable Odds Stacked Against Him (Making The Jump From Hyperspace To Penetrate Starkiller Base)
This is a more recent addition to the list and an ongoing testament to Han’s abilities as a pilot and potentially a force sensitive. While the idea of using hyperspace travel to penetrate Starkiller base’s defenses is an intriguing plot point, it’s arguably the most difficult task ever achieved within the “Star Wars” universe.
The reaction time at that speed is impossible. The record for the fastest recorded reaction time for humans currently stands at 101 milliseconds. Hyperspace travel in “Star Wars” has to be faster than the speed of light which is at 186,200 miles per second. Using Earth as a litmus, the shortest point from ground to outer space is 62 miles. This means to enter orbit for Starkiller base Han Solo’s reaction time would need to be around 0.002 nanoseconds or 0.000001 milliseconds to disengage from Hyperspace travel. This is far beyond the abilities of a normal human and more than exceeds the abilities of the average force user.
For reference, in “Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace” Qui-Gon Jinn claims that Anakin Skywalker’s ability to race pods stems from the Force. Qui-Gon uses this as an explanation for Anakin’s natural piloting ability. This is in reference to piloting a vehicle that averages just around 800 miles per hour.
“You must have Jedi reflexes if you race pods.”
“He can see things before they happen. That’s why he appears to have such quick reflexes. It’s a Jedi trait.”
– Qui-Gon Jinn on Anakin podracing
To have a Master Jedi credit Anakin’s abilities to the Force we must also entertain the idea that Han Solo’s piloting abilities may be due to his “force sensitivity” as well. Especially since this task is far beyond the reach of an average human and well above the skills of podracing.
For reference:
- Millenium Falcon Max Speed (Before Light) – 1,050 km/h
- Average Podracer Max Speed – 700 km/h
- Anakin’s winning speed – 858 km/h
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“I Got a Bad Feeling About This”
The common quote used throughout “Star Wars” films is a variation of “I got a bad feeling about this.” While this quote is said many times by various characters, it is more commonly attributed to force sensitive beings, droids, and Han Solo. Anakin Skywalker, Obi-Wan, Luke, and Leia have all used a variation of the quote with C-3PO and K-2SO being the two droids to use the quote. But while every character has spoken some form of these words, Han Solo has spoken these words the most out of everyone.
This may be just a form of expression stemming from personal experiences, but definitively it points towards a form of intuition or calculated probability (from the droids). If the phrase were more universal such as “May the force be with you,” then it could be considered common dialogue used by a diverse group. But as the only humans to express their intuitive perspective are force sensitive, it’s interesting that Han Solo would be lumped into that group.
As a former smuggler that relies on luck, Han Solo’s recurring luck and assessment of situations seems a lot more like precognitive intuition. And as we know from Obi-Wan in response to Han Sol, there is no such thing as luck.
“In my experience there is no such thing as luck.”
– Obi-Wan
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If He Only Believed…
There are many force sensitive beings in “Star Wars” films and canon. While there is a great number of these users, many never hone in on their abilities which makes their applicable use limited to their beliefs. While Han Solo could have been trained to use the force, it was his lack of faith that was most likely his biggest downfall.
“Hokey religions and ancient weapons are no match for a good blaster at your side, kid.”
– Han Solo on The Force
As discussed, there are many scenarios that put Han Solo into the category of being force sensitive but while the force may be strong with him, his lack of faith is “disturbing.” The greatest Jedi masters have relied upon their faith and belief to properly use the force. It drives their will and their power. Even the greatest of Jedi like Luke Skywalker had to be trained to use their abilities with the first step being to believe in and trust the force.
As a smuggler and a loner, Han Solo is a character that relied upon pragmatic logic. His years of conditioning that personality made him a hardened and stubborn individual which may have distanced him more from his natural force abilities. If his background was more saturated by the force and its properties, he may have established a faith in the force. He may have not become a full-fledged Jedi, but as we learned from Chirrut Imwe in “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” he may have been able to manipulate the living force to guide him.
Han Solo’s Various Other Feats
There is a plethora of other small feats accomplished by Han Solo that puts him in a category beyond human capabilities. While we could continue to explore them, I will leave this discussion to the comments due to the debatable subjectivity.
- The Kessel Run – Read More Here.
- Taking out Darth Vader’s TIE Fighter in “A New Hope” undetected.
- “Accidentally” knocking Boba Fett into the Sarlacc in “Return of the Jedi.”
- Saving Lando from the Sarlacc by making a precision shot while mostly blind.
Tell us your thoughts on this perspective in the comments below!
References:
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Boonta_Eve_Classic/Legends
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/I_have_a_bad_feeling_about_this