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The original Star Wars film didn't need to be altered to justify Han Solo's behavior. (Disney/LucasFilm)

John P. Gross is an assistant professor of Clinical Legal Education and director of the Criminal Defense Clinic at the University of Alabama School of Law.

By John Gross, assistant professor of Clinical Legal Education and Director of the Criminal Defense Clinic at the University of Alabama School of Law.

With the upcoming release of "The Force Awakens" and the return of Harrison Ford to the iconic role of Han Solo now is the time to finally set the record straight: A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away, Han Solo shot Greedo and he acted in self-defense.

In the original theatrical release of Star Wars: A New Hope, Han Solo shoots and kills the bounty hunter Greedo in a Mos Eisley cantina. George Lucas, the film's director, has said that he was dissatisfied with the scene because Solo shoots Greedo first, making it seem as though he is "a cold-blooded killer." In later editions of the film the scene was edited so that Greedo fires at Solo from point blank range, somehow misses, and then Solo returns fire. That change never sat well with fans of the original film for the simple reason that it was completely unnecessary. Nothing about the original scene suggests that Han Solo is a cold-blooded killer.

Lucas has compared the character of Han Solo to a "cowboy" and "John Wayne". According to Lucas "when you're John Wayne, you don't shoot people - you let them have the first shot", although Rooster Cogburn and the man who shot Liberty Valance might disagree with that sentiment. Even if that were true, the archetypal good guy in Hollywood Westerns that Lucas is describing almost always shoots first. If he didn't he wouldn't be around very long. What he doesn't do is reach for his gun first, he only fires in self-defense; he just happens to be quicker on the draw then the other guy.

In the original version of the film it is obvious that Greedo intends to kill Solo and his decision to shoot first is entirely reasonable. Greedo is already in the cantina when Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi arrive. He doesn't elect to confront Solo until Chewbacca leaves to get the Millennium Falcon ready for departure. Greedo waits until he sees that Solo is vulnerable before confronting him. Greedo points a blaster at Solo's chest and forces him back to the table where he had been sitting. Then the two of them have the following exchange:

"Going somewhere, Solo?"



"Yes, Greedo, as a matter of fact I was just going to see your boss. Tell Jabba that I've got his money."



"It's too late; you should have paid him when you had the chance. Jabba's put a price on your head so large every bounty hunter in the galaxy will be looking for you. I'm lucky I found you first."

"Yeah, but this time I've got the money."



"If you give it to me, I might forget I found you."



"I don't have it with me. Tell Jabba--"

"Jabba's through with you. He has no time for smugglers who drop their shipments at the first sign of an Imperial cruiser."

"Even I get boarded sometimes. Do you think I had a choice?"



"You can tell that to Jabba. He may only take your ship."



"Over my dead body..."



"That's the idea. I've been looking forward to this for a long time."

"Yes, I'll bet you have."

Then Solo shoots. During this exchange Solo had surreptitiously unholstered his blaster and had it pointed at Greedo underneath the table. Greedo never saw the shot coming.

Let's assume that the law of self-defense on Tatooine is the same as it is in just about every jurisdiction in the United States: a person is legally permitted to use the amount of force that reasonably appears necessary to defend him or herself against an apparent threat. If deadly force is used in self-defense, then the person must also believe that it was immediately necessary in order to prevent the infliction of serious bodily harm or death. Many jurisdictions also explicitly authorize the use of deadly force in order to prevent what they define as a "forcible felony", crimes such as robbery or kidnapping.

During their brief conversation, which takes place while a blaster is pointed at Solo's chest, Greedo tries to rob him when he demands that he give him the money he owes to Jabba the Hut, threatens to kidnap him by taking him against his will back to Jabba, and then finally decides that he is going to shoot him.

If a person reasonably believes that deadly force is about to be used against them then they have the right to use deadly force in their own defense. They don't have to wait until someone shoots at them; they don't even have to wait until they see the barrel of gun. The scene never needed editing because it is clear that Solo was completely justified in shooting Greedo when he did. In other words, Han legally shot first.

Lucas is right to view Solo as a "cowboy" but that doesn't mean he can't shoot first and still be the good guy. Greedo should have heeded the advice of Tuco from the classic Western "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly": If you are going to shoot, shoot. Don't talk.