Cacique-Borja, Not Lukewarm

Not Luke warm

Campbell's general idea of a hero consists of a male that overcomes "roadblocks" while gaining wisdom in order to return peace to its people. The trilogies visually display the hero's journey for Luke as the audience visually sees Luke depart, train with Yoda and ultimately kill the emperor that represents the Dark Force. During the entire trilogy there is more camera attention dedicated to what Luke and the force are doing. Seldom does the camera rest upon Han. Han's majority of camera time consists of unveiling a romantic relationship between him and Leia. Han is either seen flirting with Leia or combating clones with Chewbacca. .

As Campbell writes, "The civic hero is imbedded in the community", Luke rises from a small unknown settlement in Tatooine. When he is forced to leave he doesn't know anyone and has a very awkward feel about the entire situation. Han on the other hand rose from the multitude, was forced into the journey by the situation and became a hero of the people. In both journeys, both men succeed in their journey but the duration of each differs. At first Luke denies his calling, but is quickly convinced by Obi-Wan and his thirst of adventure. On the first movie we see, Luke rise to hero position by aiding in destroying the death star. His actions lead him to complete the journey of a hero in a superficial level for he created a tangible goal; the elimination of the death star, and fulfilled it. Once he fulfills this goal, Luke realizes that his actual purpose in life has a higher meaning, to defeat the Dark Force, a non tangible object. This second journey takes the entire three movies to complete but his journey is one that appears mystical and not relatable, that of a contemporary hero.

Unlike Luke, Han takes the entire trilogy to fulfill his hero’s journey, constantly battling his inner good and bad often giving in to the bad. Han embarks on the journey out of necessity to pay his debts, a story many can relate to. When he is invited to join the rebels and fight for the cause, Han is quick to think of only him and needs, refusing the call. When the rebels are in need he returns to aid and stays in a sort of conditional stay, until they recover. This is his way of sort of accepting the call, a position many people see themselves at while trying to aid others and trying to prioritize themselves at the same time. Han’s return also occurs during another conditional stay under the same premises. Becoming a hero happens by mistake while trying to save Leia who he has fallen for.  Fulfilling the romantic aspect of Campbell’s hero. In The Return of the Jedi, Han confuses Luke as Leia’s lover and is willing to let them be because this is where his journey as a hero ends, the same way many of us end our journey through a lot of hardship only to be rewarded by redemption.

While Luke appears to be on a mystical journey with the Force, Han’s sole objective is to survive. His role of survivor appeals to a wider audience and thus is the true civic hero.