Anna Daniels
Han and Leia have very different approaches to life. Han doesn’t even verbalize his feelings for Leia when he is about to die on Bespin. Instead of saying, “I love you” back to Leia, in what could have been his final words to her, he replies, “I know.” Harrison Ford ignored the script, which called for him to say, “I love you, too.” He and director Irvin Kershner felt that his version of the line was much more Han’s vibe. Admittedly, it is. But it’s still kind of savage.
On George Lucas’ reaction to the switch, Ford said to Vanity Fair, “I think it’s fair enough to say he went apesh*t. He thought it was horrible and that it would get a bad laugh.” It did get a laugh, but it was a good one — so the line stayed to become one of the most iconic romance scenes in film history.
A whole 32 years went by between the conclusion of Return of the Jedi and Han and Leia’s reunion in The Force Awakens, where they reveal that they broke up when their son went Dark Side. After reconnecting through a candid conversation about the split, Leia feels the exact moment her son kills the love of her life. The look on her face the moment it happens is enough to make a Sith weep.
Written by: Looper
