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Who shot first, Han or Greedo? Harrison Ford finally answers the longtime Star Wars debate (and it’s pretty much what you expect)

Harrison Ford stopped thinking about Greedo a long time ago (and maybe we should too)

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The “Who Shot First” debate isn’t going away anytime soon. In 1997 Lucasfilm rereleased Star Wars in theaters with new scenes and visual effects. This version, which was promoted as the Special Edition, tweaked Han Solo’s confrontation with Greedo, and it’s still a hot topic decades later.

In the original 1977 theatrical version Han Solo shoots Greedo preemptively, killing the bounty hunter. George Lucas, feeling the moment made Han seem too cold, added a shot from Greedo in the 1997 special edition. The idea was that if Greedo shot first, then it means Han was firing in self-defense, therefore he isn’t so bad. The scene was tweaked in further edits of the film, but each time Lucas made it clear that Greedo shot first.

Harrison Ford, who played Han Solo, says this is what fans bring up to him more than anything else. “They go back to the beginning. They want to know who shot first, me or Greedo,” Harrison Ford said during a recent THR Comedy Actor Roundtable.

Ford had the perfect response: “Who’s Greedo?” Zach Braff, who was also on the panel, tried explaining Greedo to the actor. “I believe Greedo was – ,” Braff began, before Ford cut him off. “No, that’s my thought,” Ford clarified.

Star Wars fandom may have strong thoughts about “Who Shot First,” but Han Solo himself can simply care less, which is honestly on brand for the character.


Get to know, understand, and love the Star Wars franchise more with our Star Wars watch order, guide to all the upcoming Star Wars movies & TV shows, and all the Star Wars movies and Star Wars TV shows ranked.

Joshua Lapin-Bertone

Joshua Lapin-Bertone: Joshua is a pop culture writer specializing in comic book media. His work has appeared on the official DC Comics website, the DC Universe subscription service, HBO Max promotional videos, the Batman Universe fansite, and more. In between traveling around the country to cover various comic conventions, Joshua resides in Florida where he binges superhero television and reads obscure comics from yesteryear.

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