All 6 Star Wars Movies with Han Solo in 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!

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.