Star Wars: 20 Wild Revelations About Han And Leia’s Relationship

Name a more iconic duo. We’ll wait. Han Solo and Leia Organa are complete opposites, and always seem to be arguing about something or other. And that’s exactly what makes them a perfect movie couple. They’re real! They’re filled with passion, and every moment they share on screen is filled with life, tension, and electricity. They might have had their ups and downs over the years, but in the end it all just makes their relationship that much stronger. Some of the most iconic lines of the entire Star Wars franchise were uttered by these two characters. Their best moments together are unforgettable. In many ways, Han Solo and Leia Organa ARE Star Wars.

But even the biggest Star Wars fans probably don’t know every little detail about this famous intergalactic romance. Dig a little deeper into the Star Wars lore, and there are all sorts of juicy details waiting. There are also plenty of stories about what happened behind the scenes, and you know what they say – truth is a lot stranger than fiction. If you think you know all about this famous pair, then think again. We’re about to spill the beans on some wild revelations behind this iconic relationship…

20 Carrie Fisher And Harrison Ford Had A Fling In Real Life

One of the most powerful revelations to come out of Carrie Fisher’s memoirs was the fact that she had a fling with Harrison Ford during the filming of the Star Wars trilogy. It was all exposed in her recently released book, The Princess Diarist.

These revelations were obviously uncomfortable for Harrison Ford, seeing as he was married at the time. Rolling Stone quoted Carrie Fisher as saying: “I wouldn’t have ambushed him like that, but it’s still – no matter if I told him or not, it probably feels like an ambush. It feels like an ambush to me, and I’m the one who wrote it.”

19 Why Leia Calls Han A Nerf-Herder

It’s one of the most famous Star Wars insults, but very few people know what it actually means. In case you’ve forgotten, Princess Leia calls Han Solo a “Nerf-Herder” in Empire Strikes Back, when their bickering seems to reach its pinnacle. But what is a nerf-herder, anyway? Why is it such a big insult?

As it turns out, this insult is something of an inside joke. According to the comics in the Expanded Universe, Han and Leia actually end up smuggling nerfs across the galaxy, as a way to raise money after Han Solo gambles everything away. A nerf is something like a bison or water Buffalo.

18 Han’s Famous Line “I Know” Wasn’t In The Original Script

It’s one of the most iconic lines in the entire Star Wars universe. Han is about to be frozen in carbonite. Leia isn’t sure if he’ll survive the procedure. She decides to say “I love you” for the first time. Han Solo, in typical fashion, replies simply “I know.”

Now, there’s a lot of conflicting information about this line. Many people think it was improvised by Harrison Ford at the time, which actually isn’t true. Harrison Ford did create the line, but it wasn’t a spur of the moment type of thing. He basically thought that Han wouldn’t be the type of person to say “I love you too,” and invented his own line ahead of time.

17 Carrie Fisher Admitted That She Would Have Rather Played Han Solo

While Leia often looked down upon Harrison Ford’s roguish nature as Han, Carrie Fisher seems to have admired it. In fact, she once admitted that she would have rather played Han, instead of Leia.

As quoted by The Guardian, Carrie Fisher once stated: “I would rather have played Han Solo. When I first read the script I thought that’s the part to be, always wry and sardonic. He’s always that. I feel like a lot of the time Leia’s either worried or [angry] or, thank God, sort of snarky. But I’m much more worried and [angry] than Han Solo ever was, and those aren’t fun things to play …”

16 Leia Wasn’t Han’s First Love

Han Solo has a long, deep past behind him, and Leia was hardly the first woman in his life. That honor goes instead to Q’ira, Han’s childhood best friend and eventual lover from Corellia. These two grew up on the streets together, and developed a strong bond. They eventually went their separate ways, but not before embarking on a wild adventure together.

Much of this is explored in Solo: A Star Wars Story, and the romance between these characters is one of the main themes of this film. It’s interesting to note her similarities to Leia in many ways, and also her many differences.

15 Han Wasn’t Around For Their Son, Ben

Most fans agree that one of the main reasons Kylo Ren fell to the dark side was because his father was absent for much of his childhood. Instead of being with his family, Han seemed to be more concerned with living his old life of smuggling, adventure, and even starship racing.

Who knows what might have happened if Han had played a bigger role in his son’s upbringing. It was obvious that Kylo Ren harbored a real sense of resentment towards his father, seeing as he eventually plunged a lightsaber through Han’s chest. Still, perhaps he was always destined to fall to the dark side…

14 Luke Wanted To Rescue Leia Because Of Her Beauty, While Han Only Cared About The Reward Money

Han only ever agreed to rescue Leia because of the promise of riches. This was in stark contrast to Luke’s motivations, as the young Jedi seemed captivated by her beauty more than anything else. Nevertheless, they each played their part in the rescue operation for their own reasons, and this proved to be the first time Han and Leia met.

One might argue that Leia eventually succeeds in changing Han into a less money-obsessed individual, but there’s no denying that he only met Leia in the first place due to his greed. It’s an interesting thought to say the least.

13 In Return Of The Jedi, They Reverse Their Famous Lines

We already know that Empire Strikes Back contained one of the most iconic lines of the franchise: “I know.” But Return Of The Jedi contains a little detail that some people might have missed. Their iconic lines are actually reversed in this movie, with Han saying “I love you,” and Leia answering simply “I know.”

It’s a great little touch, and it makes sense in the context of the movie too. When this exchange happens, Leia has just finished taking out a couple of stormtroopers with a concealed blaster, leaving Han thoroughly impressed. Finally, the audience understands that the feeling is mutual between these two.

12 There’s A Massive Age Gap

Not only was there a massive age gap between Carrie Fisher and Han Solo at the time, but also in the established lore of Star Wars. In the actual movie, Leia is actually ten years younger than Han. In real life, Harrison Ford was fourteen years older than Carrie Fisher! This is quite a big age gap, but it never seems like a big deal in the movie.

Carrie Fisher is incredibly mature for her age, while Harrison Ford seems a little boyish at times. In the end, it’s not really a big deal. Who knows what the age gap was like off camera.

11 Leia Is In Denial About What She Really Wants

Leia is constantly going on about how terrible Han is, complaining about his manners, his motivations, even his “scruffy-looking” appearance. She seems to hate the fact that he’s not really a “nice guy.” But as much as she claims to prefer nice guys, that obviously isn’t the case. She’s deeply in love with Han, and probably because of the very attributes she claims to hate.

It’s an interesting reminder that love and hate are intrinsically linked with each other. These two emotions are essentially two sides of the same coin, and it shows in Leia and Han’s deeply complex, tumultuous relationship.

10 Originally, Luke And Leia Were Never Intended To Be Twins

One of the craziest things about Leia and Luke is that they actually kiss in the first movie. Looking back, this seems like a strange decision from a storytelling perspective. Why would they allow such a bizarre scene to take place, knowing that these were actually twins? The truth is that at the time, George Lucas and the production team had no idea these two characters were going to be related.

It was only later that these two were made into siblings. And if the rumors are correct, there was originally supposed to be a love triangle between Han, Leia, and Luke.

9 Leia And Han Never Told Kylo Ren That His Grandfather Was Anakin

For the longest time, no one knew about Vader’s descendants. Leia actually kept her father’s identity secret, because this revelation would cripple her political career. This level of secrecy was extended to her son, Kylo Ren, who was never informed about his grandfather’s dark past. Eventually, the truth came out and Leia’s career was destroyed.

At this point, it’s likely that Kylo Ren eventually discovered the truth. He must have felt betrayed on some level, seeing as his parents kept such vital information from him. It might have been a factor in his eventual descent into the dark side of the force.

8 Han Never Wanted Kids

In the novel Bloodline from the Expanded Universe, it was revealed that Han Solo never wanted kids. He never imagined himself as a father, and this put him in conflict with Leia, who wanted a family. He seems to have been pushed into the family lifestyle, at least to some extent.

This might explain why he was absent for so many years during Kylo Ren’s upbringing, and why he and Leia drifted apart after a while. No matter how much he loved Leia, it seems like he always had a wild side – the same side of him that we met in Mos Eisley all those years ago.

7 Han And Leia Actually Did Get Married Right After The Battle Of Endor

For many Star Wars fans, the end of Return Of The Jedi marked the end of the relationship between Han and Leia. These two young lovers were victorious in their struggle against the Empire, and they were finally able to settle down and pursue a real, loving relationship with one another.

But as perfect as their last moments on screen were, we never actually saw them get married. Rest assured, it DID happen, and the ceremony was illustrated and explained in the expanded universe. It was the happily ever after that these two characters deserved, even if it wasn’t to last.

6 Ben Solo’s Fall To The Dark Side Was The Main Reason Their Relationship Fell Apart

Although Han and Leia’s relationship was already strained when Kylo Ren turned to the dark side, this new twist in their family life proved to be the final nail in the coffin for their relationship. In many ways, it was if their son had perished. In the same way Obi-Wan once described Vader as “eliminating” Anakin, Kylo Ren murdered Ben Solo – the boy Leia and Han had raised.

Their grief after this loss proved to be too much of a strain on their relationship, and they chose to end things. This was the real reason they drifted apart – only to reunite again in the Disney sequels.

5 Leia And Han Once Took Out An Entire Imperial Weapons Factory Together On A Secret Mission

A lot of time passed between the events of A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back – enough time for Leia and Han to get into all sorts of sticky situations. One highlight included the pair taking down an Empire Weapons Factory together, on Cymoon 1. Disguised as an envoy for Jabba The Hutt, they managed to infiltrate the facility and destroy it.

They programmed the facility’s reactors to self-destruct, and got out of there before the entire factory exploded. This was one of the first times Han Solo started to express his true feelings for Leia, but there was still a lot of tension between the two.

4 Han Solo Had An Ex-Wife That He Never Told Leia About… Sort Of

Believe it or not, Han Solo was married once, long before he ever met Leia. Well, sort of. In truth, it was all part of an elaborate plot to pull off a major robbery while Solo was still a very young man. Solo and a woman called Starros pretended to be married in order to pull off the con. It all went smoothly, until Solo decided to betray Starros and take her cut of the take.

Years later, Starros tracked Solo down, seeking revenge and jokingly claiming to be his long lost wife. Obviously, this didn’t sit well with Leia, who was developing strong feelings for Han at the time.

3 Leia And Han Once Fought Side By Side With Lightsabers

On camera, the only time we ever see Han use a lightsaber is to cut open a Tauntaun to keep Luke warm. He doesn’t even use it in combat, and he only activated the blade for a brief moment. In most cases, it’s clear that the lightsaber is the weapon of force users, and no one else.

Well, there was one instance in the expanded universe where both Leia and Han are forced to use lightsabers. This was when they were on the “smuggler’s moon” of Nar Shaddaa, and they were forced to use the lightsabers after their other weapons had been lost. It was an awesome moment to say the least.

2 Han Solo Once Tried To Eliminate Leia After Being Brainwashed

Before Leia and Han reached the ice world of Hoth, where the beginning of Empire Strikes Back would take place, they found themselves on the Rebel Outpost of Horox III. During a brief skirmish, Han was brainwashed by Abersyn Symbiotes, and forced to serve an evil queen.

The queen then gave him shocking orders: Eliminate Leia. Forced to comply, Han Solo attempted to hunt Leia down on the outpost, almost succeeding in eliminating his future wide. But Leia was able to convince him to put down his weapons, and the brainwashing was eventually broken. Not many people know about this little incident.

1 Han And Leia Helped Squash A Mutiny On Mon Cala

Almost immediately before the events of Empire Strikes Back, Leia and Han traveled to Mon Cala, in order to deal with a mutiny on the Rebel-allied planet. During this undersea adventure, Han and Leia worked with the legendary Admiral Ackbar, and succeeded in stabilizing the planet in their time of turmoil.

The end result was that Mon Cala’s impressive fleet was at the disposal of the Rebel Alliance, something which would prove extremely valuable in later battles. Looking back, Han Solo and Leia achieved a lot together between the events of A New Hope and Empire Strikes Back, and this undoubtedly strengthened their relationship.