Here’s How Old Han Solo Is in Each Star Wars Movie

Star Wars may be one of the biggest franchises of all time, but without its original trio, Luke Skywalker, Han Solo, and Princess Leia it wouldn’t have been as iconic as it is today. Out of the three, Han Solo was always the oldest in the group, which is no different from Harrison Ford being the oldest actor of them. Even though Han Solo was the oldest, he wasn’t necessarily the wisest with his original goals being just to pay off his bounty and make money. In the films, it has never been stated how old he is, but with a little bit of comparison with the actor’s age and when the films take place, it can easily be figured out. So, how old is Han Solo through Star Wars movies?

The official guidebook for ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ states that Han Solo was born 32 years before the Battle of Yavin. With The Battle of Yavin happening in ‘A New Hope’ it places Han Solo at 32 years old at the start of the original trilogy and 36 years old by the end.  With ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story taking place 13-10 BBY, it places him 19-22 years old during the film. He then dies at the age of 66 at the hands of his son, Kylo Ren.

Now that we have briefly discussed Han Solo’s age in the Star Wars films, let’s analyze it in more detail. If you are interested in more, stay with us and keep reading! 

How old is Han Solo in ‘Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope’?

With Han Solo being born in 32 BBY, it places him at 32 years old by the time of ‘A New Hope’. This is three years younger than Harrison Ford, who was 35 years old when he first played the character.

Due to Luke and Leia both being 19 years old during the film, Han Solo was 13 years older than both characters. While he might have been the oldest, he was by no means the wisest and went through a tremendous character arc throughout the film. Starting off as a simple spice smuggler only interested in money, to becoming a respected member of the rebel alliance by the film’s end.

How old is Han Solo in ‘Star Wars: Episode V – Empire Strikes Back’?

Since ‘A New Hope’, three years have gone past, which makes Han Solo 35 years old, the same age Ford was when he first played the character. In ‘Empire Strikes Back,’ Han Solo, Princess Leia, and Chewbacca all flee from the Empire after the Battle of Hoth and end up in Bespin.

This leads to Solo’s oldest friend, Lando, getting blackmailed by the Empire, which causes Han Solo to get frozen in carbonite. This is easily one of the most memorable moments for the character, with him delivering the iconic line of ‘I know’ right before he gets frozen. 

How old is Han Solo in ‘Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi’?

The final entry in the original trilogy takes place only one year after ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ making Han Solo 36 years old.  This is three years younger than Harrison Ford, who was 39 years old at the time of release. Harrison Ford was originally quite reluctant to come back for a third film, wanting Han Solo to die a heroic death. George Lucas rejected this idea as ‘it wouldn’t sell toys’, but Solo did get a good ending with the rest of the characters, becoming a war hero who helped save the galaxy from the Empire.

How old is Han Solo in ‘Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens’?

In ‘The Force Awakens’ we meet a much older but not much wiser Han Solo. Taking place 30 years after ‘Return of the Jedi’, Solo is 66 years old, which is nine years younger than Ford was at the time of filming. Early on in the film, we find out that the main villain of the movie, Kylo Ren is the son of Han Solo and Princess Leia, and his turn to the dark side has caused a rift in their relationship. Finally getting his wish of dying a heroic death, Solo tries to bring his son back to the light and is killed in doing so.

How old is Han Solo in ‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’? 

‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ is said to take place 13-10 BBY, making Han Solo 19 years old at the start of the film and 22 years old towards the end, exactly ten years before ‘A New Hope.’ When shooting, Alden Ehrenreich was 29 years old, making him a decade older than the character he was portraying. During the film, we see Han Solo meet Chewbacca for the first time during his time in the Empire, and for some reason, they explain his last name.

While Solo wasn’t a terrible film, it most certainly wasn’t needed and didn’t do too well at the box office. This made Disney go the Disney+ series route instead of doing more Star Wars Story films.

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