All 6 Han Solo Movies & Appearances in Release Order

Han Solo is easily one of the most iconic Star Wars characters in the entire franchise. The space pirate was part of the original trio and stuck with audiences ever since. Harrison Ford was the perfect casting for this role. His line delivery and reactions just elevated the wit and cockiness of the character making him one of the most memorable characters in the franchise. Han Solo appeared in multiple films between 1977 and 2019 and has made a huge impact on audiences across the world. Without further ado, here are all Han Solo appearances ordered by release date!

How many movies has Han Solo appeared in?

Han Solo appeared in six movies between 1977 and 2019, played by both Harrison Ford and Alden Ehrenreich.  His first appearance was in ‘Star Wars: A New Hope’ in 1977, with his final one being in ‘Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker’ in 2019, the final entry of the Skywalker Saga.

Han Solo movies in order – at a glance

As seen in the list below, Han Solo has appeared in six Star Wars movies across the space of 42 years, starting in ‘A New Hope’ then ending in ‘The Rise of Skywalker.’ While the saga focuses on the Skywalker family, Solo plays a massive role in the original and sequel trilogy. 

1. ‘Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope’ (1977)
2. ‘Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back’ (1980)
3. ‘Star Wars: Episode VI  Return of the Jedi’ (1983)
4. ‘Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens (2015)
5. ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ (2018)
6. ‘Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker’ (2019)

While some of these movies were universally loved, some were a little more controversial and split the Star Wars fandom in half once again after uniting them with  ‘Force Awakens.’ One thing that all fans could agree on, though was Han Solo was consistently one of the best things about each movie, no matter how small or large his role was.

Are all Han Solo movies connected? Do you need to watch them in a specific order?

Every film Han Solo has appeared in is canon and important to the Star Wars story as a whole. The best way to watch them would be to watch them in release order. However, you can watch ‘Solo’ at any point after you have watched the original trilogy. The reason for this is because it doesn’t have any major impact on the rest of the franchise, and the original trilogy is the definitive introduction to the character. 

What is the best order to watch the movies?

The best way to watch these movies, as stated before, is by release order, as the original trilogy is the best introduction to the character and is the most iconic. 

All Han Solo movies in release date order!

1. ‘Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope’ (1977)

Back in 1977, audiences were introduced to what is now known as some of the most iconic characters in cinematic history. One of these was Han Solo, who was played perfectly by Harrison Ford. Han Solo starts off as nothing more than a cocky yet charming smuggler who owes some debts and is only there for the money.

We see him evolve into a hero who eventually believes in a cause by the end of the film and has stuck with fans ever since. 

2. ‘Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back’  (1980)

Regarded as one the best sequels of all time, ‘Empire Strikes Back’ improves every aspect of the original, including the characters. This especially includes Solo. When he goes out into the storm to save Luke, it shows how much he has grown as a character since ‘A New Hope.’

Starting out as someone who only looked out for himself, he proves that he would happily risk his life to save his friends. Let’s not forget the famous ‘I know’ when Leia admits her love for him, which was funnily enough improvised by Harrison Ford.

3. ‘Star Wars: Episode VI The Return of the Jedi’ (1983)

After being released from the carbonite, Han Solo has a great opening, fighting at Jabba’s Palace while almost blind and accidentally taking out Boba Fett. Although there are times in this film where it does feel like Solo was side-lined as there was so much going on in the story.

He does have some good action scenes, like at the Battle on Endor, but he isn’t as prominent as he was in the last two films. One major thing to remember about ‘Return of the Jedi’ was that Harrison Ford actually wanted Han Solo to die as he felt his story couldn’t go any further, but George Lucas refused as it ‘Wouldn’t sell toys.’ 

4. ‘Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens’ (2015)

Taking place 30 years after ‘Return of the Jedi,’ Han Solo is in a completely different place now than he was in past films. He is much older and is helping new characters Rey and Finn take down The First Order. We find out later in the film that the main villain, Kylo Ren is actually the son of Han Solo and Leia Organa, which contrasts the original trilogy where the father is the villain and the son is the hero.

This adds a ton of layers to Han Solo as he has to face his son and try to bring him back, which only results in Kylo Ren killing him. This was a great way to end Solo’s story and gave Harrison Ford what he wanted in ‘Return of the Jedi.’

5. ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ (2018)

This probably came out at one of the most awkward times in Star Wars history. After ‘The Last Jedi’ divided fans a year earlier, people were very cautious about a film exploring Han Solo’s origin, especially with a new actor playing the character. Alden Ehrenreich was fine as Han Solo, but he was always going to be under the shadow of Harrison Ford, who people had associated with the character since the 70s.

While it was a fun look at Han Solo’s backstory, it wasn’t needed at all and has slipped under the radar of many Star Wars fans.

6. ‘Star Wars: Episode IX The Rise of Skywalker’

Putting an end to the Skywalker saga, Han Solo made one last appearance as a vision that Ben Solo has before he turns back to the light side. Whether or not you liked the movie, seeing Harrison Ford back one last time was still great.

Where to watch Han Solo movies?

All of the Star Wars films and TV shows are available to watch on Disney +. You can also buy them on Blu-ray from any media store, plus digitally on Apple and Google.

Will there be more appearances of Han Solo?

With Harrison Ford being happy to retire the character, it is very unlikely that we see him return in any live-action adaptation, and Disney have also said they don’t want to recast anyone again. However, we still may see versions of him in video games and TV shows, with him being a prominent character in the current ‘Star Wars’ comic book series. 

Have anything to add? Let us know in the comments!

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