O'Connell: Star Wars Trilogy

Try as I might, I cannot help but see Luke as the traditional hero as per Campbell’s archetype. Han, while certainly heroic, doesn’t follow the format closely enough to be interpreted the same way, instead fulfilling a more modern concept of the hero, complete with flaws and some less-than-heroic traits. Though I’m sure a convincing argument could be made for his fulfillment of the role, I personally don’t believe Han has enough backstory or motivation to make a complete claim to the position as a Campbell Hero. Han is much too earthly in his journey to consider it akin to Luke’s spiritual journey. Han is instead a realist, the civic hero to contrast with Luke’s otherworldly priorities of the struggle between good and evil, more concerned with the here and now, the lives of the common people, and his own human concerns.

However, Luke’s claim to the role as Campbell’s hero is glaringly obvious, as the format of the trilogy so directly utilizes the format of The Hero With a Thousand Faces. He fills all four characteristics of the hero, in that he is male, of lowly birth, orphaned, and bears a nobility of purpose. As we’ve already looked at in the past, Luke’s Departure for his journey has a distinct Call to Adventure in A New Hope as Obi-Wan informs him of his potential, and begins the journey after Luke’s refusal, and subsequent resolve to defeat the Empire. His Initiation also takes place in A New Hope, as he progresses on the Road of Trials in his first encounters with the Empire on the Death Star, and discovers his true powers of the Force as his Supernatural Aid and succeeds in destroying the Death Star. From a narrative perspective of the entire trilogy, the climax of The Empire Strikes Back acts as The Belly of the Whale. Luke is almost defeated, and things are looking their darkest as he loses to Vader, but it is also the point of rebirth as Luke finally learns the truth about his father, and is physically altered with his new robotic hand.

Return of the Jedi finally gives us a true conclusion, wherein many of the loose ends the previous films have left us with are resolved. Most importantly is the Atonement of the Father, as good triumphs over evil in Vader’s final hours, redeeming both he himself, and by extension Luke as his son, struggling to come to terms with the dark inside his heart, granting both Skywalkers clarity they were previously missing. As the reading states in startlingly appropriate terms, “[The Hero] beholds the face of the father, understands -- and the two are atoned” (Campbell 147). Finally, Luke has his Return, perhaps slightly morose, but spiritually fulfilled and gratified by the end of his journey, finally awarded the enlightenment and self actualization pursued by the contemplative hero.

Szklarski: Skywalker as Campbell's Hero

Luke Skywalker, as far as Campbell's standards go, completes the Hero's Journey in the Star Wars trilogy. Campbell's hero, with regards to steps of the journey such as Atonement with the Father, Master of Two Worlds, and the Belly of the Whale, is a better fit into the mold of a contemplative hero than a civic hero. The spiritual connection of the Force reinforces the view that the contemplative hero is like a religious hermit. Luke does not fight the physical battle on Endor. Han takes care of that side of the battle fulfilling his adherence to a civic hero role. Luke's battle takes place on the Death Star but also in his mind as the Emperor tempts him with the dark side.

I see the Emperor's throne room as an eye. The structure is similar to that of an eye; the circular form of the window and the way it has a perfect view of the battle taking place in space near the Death Star. These three characters pictured to the left all deal with what is going on behind the face, the mask. The most poignant visual representations of the Dark Side are Darth Vader's mask/cape getup and the Emperor. But the real power of the Dark Side is all in the mind, or behind the eyes. This is where the choices and decisions are made in a spiritual manner; internally.

The struggle within Luke's mind plays out visually as the scene ensues. Luke fights to what seems like the end when he calls out for his father's help. His father essentially dies saving him. Luke doesn't want to accept this as his father's fate. The point of Atonement with the Father is that each accepts the other. This is covered by Darth Vader's statement, "You already have [saved me]." He acknowledges Leia at this point as well when he tells Luke to tell his sister. 

The Belly of the Whale, a step of Luke's journey in The Empire Strikes Back, is commonly cave like. On Dagobah amidst his Jedi training with Yoda, Luke encounters himself basically. Seeing his own face behind the mask of the head of Darth Vader shows that he acknowledges that there is a piece of Darth Vader, or the Dark Side, within him. Many of the facets of his training reflect a kind of Belly in which Luke develops his contemplative side. 

Once Luke has defeated Darth Vader, which in a way brings his father back to life, he has won the internal struggle with the Dark Side. In a way, Mastering Two Worlds serves this trilogy to mastering internal and external forces. Luke overcomes the temptations of the Dark Side of the force as well as the temptations from the Emperor. 

To readdress Han's role as more of a civic hero and not quite a Campbell hero, I think it is important to  examine Harrison Ford's fame at the time that Return of the Jedi was filmed. "Lucas had foreseen the possibility that he might ultimately become 'too big' for the one-dimensional role of Solo and therefore created the controversial cliffhanger ending of The Empire Strikes Back…" (Pfeiffer, 129) Harrison Ford can be viewed as the hero type. He, along with the evolved character that Han has become, seem to fit as civic heroes. Han Solo appeared in A Hew Hope as a rather flat character and becomes more round by Return of the Jedi. 

Richard: Star Wars Trilogy

In my opinion, Luke Skywalker is the clear hero in this Star Wars Trilogy.  He posses all of the attributes of what we would consider to be a hero today.  We see the various ways that Luke’s character develops from the very beginning to the end of the trilogy. Luke would clearly be considered the contemplative hero while Han Solo would be the civic hero.  They are both heroes in a sense, but Luke has more characteristics than Han.  Throughout the trilogy we see the hurdles Luke has to overcome in order to reach his potential as a true hero.  In each movie we see the breakdown of the three steps.  After the first movie, it seemed as though he had already developed into a full grown here, but it was evident when he faced the Dark Side.  After encountering run-ins with his father, Darth Vader, it was clear that Luke was still maturing.  Luke had to look within himself to figure out a way to defeat his own temptation for power and to understand who he was fighting for.  The scene where he was going against the Dark Side showed a hurdle that he had to overcome in order to grow as a hero.

                What makes him different from Han is that Han is considered a civic hero.  Han is a hero but a different type of hero.  He is a hero on a smaller level.  Han is the type of hero that is complimentary to Luke.  He enhances the attributes that Luke has and develops him into a stronger character.  When Han comes to help Luke in the first movie when he was defeating the Dark Side, it shows how both of them grew.  Luke also became more mature as a part of the journey to becoming a full hero.

                I think a main part of him becoming a hero was when he saw he finally came on good terms with his father.  He finally understood his father and Darth Vader finally understood him.  Luke’s journey to becoming the hero he was happened because he was able to triumph throughout the series.  When Luke realized that he had something to fight for after he left home, he finally realized who he was.  It was almost like he became in tuned with himself and his purpose in life.  The fact that he did what his father originally wanted to do and didn’t fall to the Dark Side makes him a real hero.

Munoz: Two Heros Star Wars The Trilogy

Andres Munoz
Blog Prompt Week 4
Star Wars: The Trilogy

Being a hero are the fantasies of many people in which you want to become that one person with powers beyond imagine helping the people in need and or the damsel in distress. But other people just want to do the right thing these ideologies are described by Joseph Campbell in, The Civic Hero and the Contemplative Hero where he describes that there could be more than one hero fighting for the same cause. The only difference and what we can see in the Star Wars: The Trilogy are the phases or steps to become not only that hero but also the ending of the journey will be different for each hero. Han Solo is clearly the civic hero; the change that proved that Solo could become a hero in the community was when his self-serving desires became the needs of the community and the protection of them. Han Solo as well will be part of the community after the fight against evil is finished considering he has no higher vision to keep fighting for therefore could just savor the victory with the community and continue with their daily lives. For the contemplative hero there is a higher purpose and a spiritual journey. After the victory against evil the hero wouldn’t take credit for the victory and the contemplative hero will often seek to destroy the source of the evil rather than the soldiers and numerous followers of the darkside.  In Star Wars we believe that Luke will become a hermit as Ben Kenobi conserving the force for when the time to teach others the way of the force he would do the necessary even sacrificing for the higher purpose as Kenobi did. Joseph Campbell says that there is a cycle, which the hero takes which is the departure, initiation and return. 

The call of adventure both happens for Luke Skywalker and Han Solo, which they both rejected and then at some point accepted even though it took three movies for Solo to accept his call as a civic hero. Departure we could say as well it occurs for both characters considering we don’t know where Solo is from he travels a lot and we guess he departed and let everything behind him, even leaving his life of smuggler to help Luke. Luke in the other hand departs from his home and family.  In departure Luke does have a spiritual guide which teaches him the way of the force, where as Solo lived a life of solitude therefore not having a spiritual guide though having a friend when he is need Chewbacca. The crossing of the threshold where both Luke and Solo partake is the final step to departure. Initiation is something that both Solo and Luke go through though in different times but eventually accept and face. In the phase of initiation they have a lot of obstacles, which they have to fight against such as the darkside and its temptations and Solo refusing to fight with the rebellion. Finally the Return which we don’t really see in the trilogy though we do see how the victory have an effect on all the planet systems, the victory even showed how a native planet with the ewoks could now live in peace and have a fertile life and a fertile planet. The final scene we see the higher purpose of Luke being achieved though he doesn’t fit in the community not because he doesn’t want to but because his powers and knowledge isn’t necessary at the moment so he will become a hermit, for Solo everything turned out perfect where he got the girl, the respect of the community and their acceptance where they can live in peace till evil appears again.

Wlos: Trilogy Blog

Two Heroes

In George Lucas’s Star Wars Trilogy, the characters Han Solo and Luke Skywalker both embody the heroic characteristics outlined by Jason Campbell in The Hero’s Journey Defined.  Both men display such characteristics at separate times and there is no specific chronological pattern to the way in which each hero’s journey relates to the other one.  Although both characters had contact with each other during their journey’s and had effects on each other’s journeys, both journeys occur as independent events.  Luke’s heroic journey occurred in the movie A New Hope while Han’s occurred over the course of the three films.  First we, observe Luke’s journey.

            In A New Hope, Luke follows quite essentially the text book formula of Campbell’s heroic journey.  We see him make a departure, when he leaves his home planet.  We see him in the belly of the whale, when he’s trapped on the death star.  We see him experience an initiation when the task of destroying the death star falls into his hands.  And finally, we view him in his return when he is honored at a ceremony by the rebels he extended himself to save.  Luke’s journey is made rather apparent by Lucas, whereas mapping out Han’s requires a little more “connect the dots action.

            Han’s heroic journey is slightly more difficult to map than Luke’s.  Han’s departure occurs at the end of the first film when he decides to give up his former destitute, criminal life to engage in the rebellion, and he joins Luke in the run on the death star.  After Han’s departure we see Han enter the belly of the whale in a quite literal sense when he flies his broken vessel into the belly of a space monster in Empire Strikes Back.  After that, Han’s initiation occurs when he is given the task of destroying the death star’s shield generator so the rebel fighters can destroy the space station in Return of the Jedi.  Upon his successful completion of that task, we observe his return, when he celebrates with the rebels he fought for at the end of the film.

            While Luke and Han are very obviously different heroes, as different characters would naturally be unique, it’s without question that the two men both experience steps that are outlined in Jason Campbell’s The Hero’s Journey Defined.  This is a result, I believe, of the fact that their creator, George Lucas, was heavy influenced by Campbell’s work on heroes and used it as a template for creation.  Something interesting to note is that the two heroes’ differences can be mapped out by Jason Campbell’s outlines of contemplative and civic heroes.  When Luke becomes a hero in the first film, he is a civic hero, one who takes full part in his community.  When Han becomes a hero in the third film, he is also a civic hero, one taking part in his community, but by the time this has happened, Luke has become a contemplative hero.  Luke is not taking full part in the actions of the community and is instead providing much needed spiritual support from the outside.  The difference between Skywalker and Solo is that Solo has not yet become a contemplative hero.  Will he?

Andrew Wlos

Smith - Star Wars Trilogy

Heroic Luke

Luke Skywalker is the character that George Lucas wanted to represent the contemplative hero in the Star Wars Trilogy. During the trilogy, the development of Luke’s character has brought me to understand Joseph Campbell’s definition of a hero. A hero is someone who has given his life to something bigger than himself.  Joseph Campbell states in The Hero With a Thousand Faces that there are three phases of a hero’s journey, which are the Departure, Initiation and Return. According the Campbell, Luke is the perfect definition of a hero because, as an initiate, he has gone through all of the three phases and has not turn back. Luke is a male who puts the needs of others before his own. Heroes seem to have a lowly station in life and usually have a secret origin that causes their status to rise. Heroes often are orphans that people have sympathy for and don’t seem to have a past that would have made them feel entitled and not care about others.

The first step of Luke’s journey is the Call to Adventure in the Departure Phase, which occurs when Obi-Wan talks to Luke about the force, Luke’s father and their mission to destroy the Empire. After Luke’s Refusal of the Call, Obi-Wan and Luke leave Tatooine on their adventure into the unknown. Campbell states, “The journey requires a separation from the comfortable, known world, and an initiation into a new level of awareness, skill, and responsibility, and then a return home.”

The second step of Luke’s Journey to become a hero is the Road of Trials in the Initiation Phase. I want to emphasize the scene in where Luke aids Han in destroying the empire fleets after their escape from the death star. This is the scene that occurs directly after Luke witnessed Obi-Wan’s death. By seeing this tragic scene, he understood the importance of sacrifice and is now on a journey greater than himself.

The third step of Luke’s journey that deserves emphasis is his final battle against Darth Vader in the final movie. Yoda and Pfieffer agree that, "by strictly adhering to the code of the Jedi, so that he may finally earn his place as the last of the Jedi Knights." (Pfieffer 130) This is important because it is the final step in the Return Phase and it occurs when Luke realizes he has completed his journey by defeating the Empire and has become a full-blown hero. 

Lucas recognized that if Luke was the only hero in this series of movies, it wasn’t going to be enough for the viewer. People need to see a hero that is more human and does not have the help of the supernatural. This hero is the civic hero and is represented by Han Solo. We appreciate Luke and we suffer with him during his trials, but I think that his goal is something that most people would not be able to relate to. Luke is very isolated and he does not have a place in the community, which is a big factor of the contemplative hero. We understand Luke’s spiritual struggle and we sympathize with it. Luke is the contemplative hero because Leia is the only part of Luke’s life that brings him back to the present and keeps him from going into exile. The main realization that I came to at the end of these movies was to recognize that 99% of the population is not equipped to handle the task and journey that Luke was sent on.

 Han Solo is the bad boy, confident, reckless, and dangerous, which is exciting for the viewer. Because he is willing to be dangerous, he is able to protect those who are not able to protect themselves. The movies taught Han to recognize the value of community, which is new to him, because before he did not respect community values and was not able to fit into a community. The civic hero is imbedded in the community, which is where Han Solo is now that he has become a hero.

Jordan-There Can Only Be One

Although both Han Solo and Luke Skywalker represent a unique type of hero, Luke is the clear representation of the Campbell hero. The departure of Luke signifies the beginning of Campbell's prototype of where a hero's journey begins. Campbell states that the hero is often someone who is lonely, orphaned, and searching for something deeper in life. Luke begins in the first film as a young naive kid who wants to leave the farm and join the Rebel Alliance. Luke is also lonely and orphaned which is symbolized by the small hut he lives in.

"The Call to Adventure" is defined as the part of the movie that signifies that destiny has summoned the hero and transferred his spiritual center of gravity from within the pale of his society to a zone unknown (Phieifer 58). The point at which Obi-Wan calls for Luke to come to Alderaan represent's what Campbell was referring to earlier. Luke "rejected" the call as he should have. He has just recently met "Ben" and from what Uncle Owen says he his crazy. So when he rejects the call he reacts in a rational manner. Han also rejects his call tho. When Han is asked by Luke and Liea to help take down the Death Star he leaves for personal reasons. Luke at this point is still remaining to be the Civic Hero because he stays to help the rebellion.

Campbell states that the Hero will gain help from an outside source to help him defeat the evil opposition that he faces. In Return of the Jedi while Darth Vader and Luke fight, Luke gains the advantage and has the chance to kill his father. He refuses and for this is attacked by The Emperor. Darth Vader intervenes and helps his son. Luke also receives outside help when he is blowing up the Death Star from Han.

While Both Luke and Han are respectable heroes, it's clear that Luke is the Civil Hero and Campbell's true hero of the film. Han is more of an Contemporary hero.

Mather - Trilogy Blog, A Hero's Journey

In analyzing the Star Wars trilogy, it is hard to place archetypal roles on each of the characters, because the main three (Luke, Han, and Leia) all fulfill multiple aspects of several roles. If one were to choose out of the three, Luke Skywalker would have to be the main hero of the films. Han Solo and Leia Organna both are heroes in their own rights, but do not complete as full of a journey as Luke does. Harrison Ford (Han Solo) even "confessed that he had reservations about the script, since Jedi made Han Solo very much a secondary character." (Pfieffer, 130) Luke's journey can be charted by Joseph Campbell's "The Hero's Journey Defined" quite thoroughly, starting from the Departure to the Return. Luke's first step, the Call to Adventure happens when he stumbles upon R2D2, a droid carrying a recording of Leia requesting help from Obi-wan Kenobi. Luke has every right to dismiss it and follow his aunt and uncle's orders, but instead he is whisked away after this moment on an adventure that will take him across the stars.

After meeting Obi-wan and being asked to come with Obi-wan to Alderaan with him, Luke fulfills the next part of his Departure by refusing the call, saying that he has chores and responsibilities to his aunt and uncle. Unfortunately his refusal is in vain, as his aunt and uncle are killed by the Empire before Luke can return. As the trilogy goes on, Luke fulfills more and more of Campbell's hero's journey, finishing the Departure, and culminating with the Atonement with the Father.

This occurs at the end of the trilogy, when Luke faces the Emperor and Vader. Darth Vader, unable to watch the Emperor kill his son, throws the Emperor into a vast pit on the Death Star, and begins to die. This is a deep moment of atonement for Vader, as he is finally redeemed for all of the evil that he has done. Vader, although it is too late to save his life, has been saved from the Dark side of the Force. Before Vader dies, he asks Luke to remove his mask so that he may see Luke with his own eyes." It is here where the two experience a moment of understanding, Luke has saved his father, and Vader has saved his son, the two meet as equals, as father and son for the last time.

It is also important to note the type of hero that Luke is. According to Campbell, there is the contemplative hero, and the civic hero. The former being one that is somewhat removed from the community, but contributes to a higher cause. Luke fulfills this as he never really fits in with his community. Growing up he wasn't allowed to join the Rebel fleet as a pilot, when he was with Han on the Millennium Falcon, he was just a passenger learning the Force from an old hermit, and even after Hoth he leaves his friends in order to pursue further training from Yoda. His removal from his friends is what allows him to become a hero and a Jedi Knight. Han Solo on the other hand fulfills the civic hero, one that is already imbedded in the community. He doesn't care to seek the Force, he just wants to earn a buck to pay back Jabba the Hutt. In negotiating his world, he finally finds his place among the Rebels, helping lead the fight against the Empire.

Tom Mather

Hall: Han Solo Alone

The true embodiment of Joseph Campbell's 'hero' is not a question of either or when it comes to Lucas’ characters, Luke Skywalker and Han Solo. It is only when both of these hero's paths are evaluated that Campbell's definition of the hero’s journey becomes realized. They both go through different ways of defeating the power of the Dark Side. Luke directly combats the dark side and his feelings of anger when he fights his father Darth Vader. Han Solo has to deal with his selfish tendencies and his proclivity for distrust. 

I do believe that Luke Skywalker is the main hero in the Star Wars Trilogy. He is depicted going through most of what Joseph Campbell defines as the “hero’s Journey.” However, what Luke lacks is what is discussed in the short essay “The Civic Hero and the Contemplative Hero,” he lacks the capacity as a romantic hero. He is the contemplative hero, who reaches his goal through an inner look at his self and the principles he has been taught by the Supernatural Aid. I also don’t think his character made such a radical change when comparing it the change found within Han Solo. Throughout the movie, although he does go through the difficulties of resisting the Dark Force and the allure of a relationship with his father, I found him still to be a rather static character. Always trying to do the right thing, save his friends no matter what, use the force etc. This might just be my distaste for what I find to be an overly earnest Mark Hamill, but I was never surprised by any of Luke Skywalker’s actions. So I’m going to argue Han Solo as the embodiment of the hero. 

Han Solo is the quintessential loner who rejects the company of everyone but his sidekick, Chewbacca the Wookie. When Han is first encountered he is the epitome of selfishness and is motivated only by rewards and his resolve to save his own skin. In Episode IV the hen the Millennium Falcon is first captured by Imperial forces, Han’s only prerogative is to save his own skin. He only agrees to assist in helping Princess Leia when he is told that she is rich and there will be great reward if she is saved. This is a constant strain in the first movie in the trilogy, but his development towards heroism is first displayed when he comes back to help Luke destroy the first Death Star, even despite his claim that “what’s good a reward, if you ain’t around to use it”. As Pfeiffer and Lewis mention, in the second film is when we really get “to know him better” as a hero and a truly viable character (105). Despite his loudly proclaimed convictions that he should just take care of himself and depend on no one, he constantly puts himself into danger for his new found friends. An example of this would be in the beginning of Episode V when he first puts off his plans to leave the rebel base in order to search for Luke and his later decision to take Leia with him when they flee the base because of the approaching Death Star. He eventually learns to accept his place as “civic hero,” learning to “negotiate that world, to overcome the temptations of the world, and finally serve the world in a leadership capacity.” He is the hero who in this movie experiences what Campbell calls the “ultimate adventure.” The meeting of the goddess, who in this film is Leia the “brave leader” leader of the rebel movement, and winning her love, is the final test of talent. Campbell says that this represents the “hero’s total mastery of life.” Basically, Han is ‘winning.’

Miller Trilogy Blog: Two Hero's One Fight

Michael D. Miller

Blog Prompt Week 3

Star Wars Trilogy

Hero v. Hero

Campbell writes that in order for the hero to begin his journey to become a man, his father figure cannot remain a part of his life, as evidenced by the death of his father figure, Uncle Owen. Campbell describes that the hero must called to adventure, refuse, and then accept the adventure, receive the help in the form of a supernatural aid, leave the safety of his home and venture into the unknown, face danger in order to save the village (galaxy) from evil, and face many adventures of trials to develop his skill and confidence, meet and be tempted by the goddess, and then atonement with the father.   

In the Star Wars trilogy, it is clear that Luke Skywalker is the contemplative hero as his journey is purely spiritual. Luke Skywalker is a male character who lives with his aunt and uncle on the planet Tatoonie. Luke is working as a farmer and harbors a deep desire, nobility of purpose, to join the rebel forces in the fight against the Empire. Luke’s surrogate father, Uncle Owen, is a reminder of his duties and responsibilities on the farm. The call to adventure for Luke Skywalker begins with Luke revealing the images of Leia pleading “Help us Obi-Wan, you’re our only hope.” This plea eventually leads to the meeting with Obi-Wan. The full disclosure of the call comes when the entire message is revealed to Obi-Wan and he in turn summons the help of Luke to join him in his journey to help the rebel alliance defeat the Empire. It is not until his family is murdered and the farm is destroyed by Imperial Storm Troopers that Luke is allowed to accept his call to adventure. 

Luke leaves his home planet on his journey into the unknown the point of no return, the crossing of the first threshold. Luke and Ben request the help of a smuggler, Han Solo, to get the plans of the Death Star to the rebel alliance. The Empire has constructed a Death Star to destroy the rebel bases in their evil plot to rule the galaxy.

Obi-Wan Kenobi assumes the role of his surrogate father and spiritual guide in the use of the Force, the supernatural aid, on Luke’s journey. Luke finds another spiritual aid in the form of Yoda, the Jedi master. Yoda is the supernatural aid guiding Luke through the maze of his mind to open him up to accepting the nature of the Force so that it may guide him and prepare him to face evil. 

  

The belly of the whale occurs when Luke, Ben, and Chewbacca are captured by the Imperial forces.  The road of trial for Luke occurs when he fights to rescue and save princess Leia from the Imperial Troopers. Luke finds Leia being held captive in the detention block, meeting of the goddess, and he soon develops feeling for the princess, the temptation of the goddess. 

The atonement with the father, Luke faces Darth Vader in the Empire Strikes Back and learns that he is his father. Initially, Luke hates Darth Vader because Vader killed his father and Obi-Wan Kenobi. However, Luke feels that there is still some good in Darth Vader. Vader tempts Luke to the Dark Side by inviting him to join him and together they can rule the galaxy. Luke refuses and throws himself off the platform into the abyss only to be saved by princess Leia. Luke again confronts Darth Vader in the Return of the Jedi and tries to redeem him and bring him back to the side of good. Dark Vader kills the Emperor in order to save Luke and in the end Luke redeems Anakin. The forces of evil have been temporarily disrupted. Luke’s status is elevated to that of a god-like figure because of his defeating evil and becoming a Jedi Knight.

  

On the other hand, Han Solo is the civic as his journey is on that involves growing closer to becoming a part of the society that he chooses to protect. Han Solo is a male character with no family, with the exception of Chewbacca, and his birth rite is unknown. He appears to be a self-made man. His chosen profession at the time of this story is that of a smuggler, with outstanding debts to the underworld, and wanted by the Imperial forces. 

Han Solo’s hero’s journey begins with his call to adventure by accepting the transport of Luke, Ben and the two droids on their journey. Crossing the threshold, Solo’s ship is captured by the Imperial forces as they lay hidden inside the belly of his ship. An opportunity presents itself and they escape from the ship and soon rescue princess Leia, meeting of the goddess. Han has to fight side by side with Luke to ensure Leia escape. Han and Leia are at odds with one another, but it is soon revealed that they care for one another. Their relationship blossoms, but Han feels threatened by her feelings for Luke, tempting of the goddess. 

Han is again called to adventure by Luke when Luke asks for Han’s help in destroying the Death Star. Han refuses the call by stating that it is not his fight and he is only in it for the money. Han later returns and saves Luke life and the Death Star is destroyed. Han is repeatedly tested on his road of trials through his determination, fighting ability and piloting skills. He facilitates the escape from the hands of the Imperial forces through his cunning tactics by blending in with the trash, flying through an asteroid field to evade Imperial fighters, and he saves Luke from dying in the snow storm to name a few. 

  

Han Solo is rescued from the clutches of certain death at the hands Jabba the Hutt and takes up the fight again for the alliance. He takes on the role of commanding a group of allied soldier on a mission to destroy the base that supports the shield around the Death Star. Han and his group of fighters are successful. He grows closer to princess Leia and returns to world as a hero where he is free to live his life with Leia. Han Solo transcends from smuggler to achieving a higher status in society. 

Both Luke Skywalker and Han Solo are hero’s in the Star Wars trilogy. There is no doubt that each serve to protect the rebel alliance and save the galaxy by defeating the forces of the Dark Side. Their paths to accomplish this mission are very different. Luke’s battle is with the forces of evil such as Darth Vader and the Emperor. Han is actually fighting imperial storm troopers and engaging in suspenseful space battles with imperial fighters. Their strategy is actually two-fold in the sense that Han is fighting the body of evil and Luke is fighting the head of evil. Together they defeat the immediate threat of the evil forces of their time. The story might not work so well of there were only one hero or the other. The audience might not relate to the Luke’s hero journey because it is a spiritual one, as that of a monk. Even though the character of Luke is central to the plot of the trilogy, his ongoing role is less exciting but is still very much climactic. Luke’s journey requires more internal thought on the part of the audience. On the other hand, Han reflects more of the common man and his hero journey is filled with action and adventure that can be expressed by the film maker with exceptional special effects. In the end, the audience emotionally connects with one or more of the central characters; the story of good versus evil makes for a suspenseful plot and give the audience a sense that through perseverance and sacrifice good can win.