When discussing the hero’s journey of Star Wars a lot of people like to talk about Luke. However, an argument can be made that it’s actually Han Solo who undergoes a more dramatic hero arc over the course of the original trilogy. He starts out as a smuggler who only cares about money, then transitions into a guy who just wants to protect the woman he loves, before finally becoming a full fledged hero and leading the Rebellion as a general. With the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story we get to learn even more about how far the best smuggler in the galaxy has come.

Through five films we’ve gotten to see the best and worst of Han. His decisions aren’t always right, but they’re usually smart. As he explains to Rey, he finds out if something is possible after he’s finished doing it. The cocky swagger coupled with his natural flying capabilities is one of the reasons we love the character so much. However, these are also the qualities that can get him in trouble and lead him into bad choices. For fans ready to dig even deeper after seeing Solo, here are the worst and best things that Han Solo has ever done.

WARNING: Major spoilers for Solo: A Star Wars Story ahead! 

20 WORST: HEADS TO TATOOINE TO WORK FOR THE JABBA THE HUTT

We all know that without going to Tatooine for the first time, Han may have never ended up meeting Obi-Wan and Luke in the Mos Eisley Cantina. However, the other side of the coin is that working for Jabba the Hutt is the source of many of the worst moments of Han’s life. It was Jabba who put a huge bounty on his head, leading to Han being the target of Boba Fett, and it’s Jabba who keeps Han frozen in carbonite as decoration for his club.

After everything he goes through in Solo: A Star Wars Story, Han decides he likes the freedom of being a criminal. Though things don’t work out with Beckett and Qi’ra, he still takes his former mentor’s advice and heads to Tatooine, because there’s a big time gangster putting a crew together. If only he had decided to join the Cloud Riders in their new Rebellion, instead of heading to the desert planet with two suns, his life would have still been full of excitement, but maybe with less time as wall art. While it led to a few good things, we’re sure if you asked Han what he would do different, he probably wouldn’t want to work for Jabba again.

19 HEROIC: DESERTS THE EMPIRE

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From the minute we meet young Han in Solo: A Star Wars Story, it’s obvious he’s not one for taking orders. He double crosses his boss, stealing valuable coaxium, with plans to sell it and leave Corellia. Unfortunately, circumstances lead to joining the Empire as his only way out. He plans to be a pilot, but that doesn’t work out, as he’s kicked out of the academy for insubordination. This means he’s now stuck as an infantryman, and will not make it back home anytime soon.

There’s a moment between battles where he wonders what the objective is. The commanding officer gives him the usual spiel about bringing peace and order to the galaxy. In a very Han Solo line of dialogue, he points out that they’re actually the invaders on this planet, leading to the moment he decides to just leave. Considering how things work in the Empire, this is a bold move for such a young kid. Once he meets Beckett, he sees the crew of thieves as his way out of the Empire and back to Corellia to get his girl. He jumps from the frying pan into the fire, but somehow he just knows he should be a criminal, not a soldier.

18 WORST: DISRESPECTS OBI-WAN’S RELIGIOUS BELIEFS

When we first meet Han Solo in A New Hope, he’s just a cocky smuggler who’s all about the money. He has zero interest in people past what they can pay him for his services. As they travel to Alderaan, he has no time to hear Obi-Wan explain the Force to Luke. The idea of an all powerful force that surrounds us and can be understood and used by certain people is a tough ask. However, that is no reason to be disrespectful. Han not only dismisses the Force, he’s downright rude about it.

This is one of those unfortunate moments when we remember how unlikeable Han is when the trilogy begins -- he’s really not that good of guy. You’d think paying someone 17,000 credits would warrant the customer some sort of respect. Apparently, in Han’s world it only gets you a ride. What’s really baffling is, he saw Obi-Wan take out those guys in the cantina with a lightsaber, so when he says he has special powers, shouldn’t Han believe him? Even as Obi-Wan leaves to disrupt the tractor beam and help them escape, Han is still calling him names. It’s not his best moment and he never really gets a chance to apologize for his assumptions and ignorance.

17 HEROIC: PLANS TO GO BACK TO CORELLIA FOR QI’RA

From the first shot of Solo, it’s obvious Han is very much in love with Qi’ra. They have an us against the world, "Livin' on a Prayer" vibe to them that everyone can understand -- he doesn’t want to leave the planet without her. Sadly, just when they think they’re going to make it, she’s captured while he escapes. He’s ready to give up to be with her, but then decides the better plan is to go away, become successful and come back.

From then on everything in his life is motivated by making enough money to get back to Corellia for her. He basically tells anyone who will listen that he needs to get back to the planet. When they meet up again, the first thing he says is sorry for leaving her, and he was coming back for her. She’s very cool about it, because she’s pretty much moved on with her life ,as she’s done whatever it took to survive. Considering how young they were, and how crazy the galaxy is, it’s very sweet and noble that he held onto the promise all those years. It’s a nice glimpse at a part of Han’s personality that we get to see more of down the road.

16 WORST: CAUSES ALL THE TROUBLE WITH DRYDEN

In Solo, Han is very green about how the real world works. When he runs into Beckett and his gang on the battlefield, he doesn’t immediately recognize that they’re not Imperial officers. Later, once he figures out they’re thieves, he tries to talk his way into the crew, even resorting to blackmail. Despite all this, Beckett sees something in him that makes him take a chance on Han and Chewie, while the other members of the crew think he’s too young and inexperienced.

Though his quick thinking and bravery prove to be important assets to the group, his newness to the world becomes a major detriment when he drops the shipment they’ve come there to steal. Yes, he thought he was making the right call since they had already lost two friends and could have been blown up. However, what he didn’t know was that they were working for very dangerous people and his decision had just made everything worse. We’ve seen Han think first and ask questions later several times -- it’s kind of his default setting. When he does it as an inexperienced newbie, it has unforeseeable consequences. Everything bad that happens in the movie can be traced back to him dropping the first shipment they tried to steal.

15 HEROIC: THE KESSEL RUN

One of the very first defining traits we learn about Han Solo is that he did the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. For years Star Wars fans have been quoting this line and talking about it like it’s the greatest feat a pilot has ever done. The thing is, none of us really know what that entails. Why is the Kessel Run so hard? Is 12 parsecs actually that good of a time? Is this really something worth bragging about. Turns out, it’s pretty impressive.

As the crew is escaping Kessel with their extremely valuable, yet unstable coaxium fuel, they realize the only way they can get to Savareen fast enough is to do the Kessel Run. Lando has been injured, so it’s up to Han to fly the Millennium Falcon. Han uses every trick he learned in the alleys of Corellia, plus a few they make up on the spot to navigate giant aliens, gravity wells and Imperial blockades. Up until this sequence, we’ve just been hearing Han talk about how great he is, with just a few glimpses of his natural pilot abilities. Finally getting to watch Han fly the Kessel Run is where Solo feels most like a Star Wars movie. As you would expect from Han Solo, the less than 12 parsecs claim is somewhat exaggerated, but at this point who really cares.

14 WORST: PASSES ON THE NEWLY FORMED REBELLION

We’ve always known that Han Solo was a secret good guy, and that he just wants the world to think he’s one of the bad guys. Even when he’s complaining about being stuck with Leia and the Rebellion, you can tell he loves it. The Han we meet in Solo, is much more idealistic about the world, seeing a real difference between good and bad. He’s upset when he gets cheated by Lando, leaves the Empire and just wants to get back to the girl he left behind.

As the movie progresses, he becomes a lot more familiar with how things really work in the criminal world. As Beckett says, “Don’t trust anyone. Expect everyone to betray you and you will never be disappointed.” The constant lies and double crosses harden him by the end of the movie. His experience leads him to reject an offer to join what sounds like the very start of the rebellion against the Empire. Enfys Nest sees the leader in him and wants him to help them fight Crimson Dawn and the Empire, but Han isn’t ready for that yet. He needs to find himself out in the world, on his own. Though, this was a missed opportunity for Han, he wasn’t mature enough to be what the Rebellion needed at that point.

13 HEROIC: SAVES LANDO ON KESSEL

When Han lands the Millennium Falcon on Bespin, we instantly know there’s an interesting relationship between him and Lando Calrissian. We get snippets of their history where we find out Han won the Falcon in a card game, and we also hear that they’ve worked a few jobs together. There’s a trust between them, but you can see that it’s strained. One of the things fans were most excited to see in Solo, was the early friendship between Han and Lando, and actor Donald Glover really embodies everything fans have always loved about the latter.

Their first meeting doesn’t go well, Lando cheats Han out of a sabacc game, but their love of flying seems to bond them. Han is probably the only one who appreciates the Falcon as much as Lando does. As expected, the job to steal coaxium from a mine on Kessel doesn’t go according to plan. When his droid L3-37 is shot, Lando runs out to save her and he is injured. Without hesitating, Han jumps out to get Lando back to the ship. At this point, they’re more co-workers than friends, so Han has no reason to risk his own neck to help Lando. Despite their continued arguments, this may be the moment when they begin to develop a begrudging respect for one another.

12 WORST: ABANDONS THE REBELLION

It’s no secret that Han Solo is not interested in getting involved in the Rebellion. He’s no fan of the Empire, but his plan is to just avoid them and stay off their radar. It’s actually not a terrible idea and may have worked for awhile, but eventually someone like Han would have done something to draw attention to himself. Once he hooks up with Obi-Wan and Luke, he has no choice but to get involved -- the Stormtroopers shooting at him don’t really care what his political ideals are.

He, Luke, Chewie and Leia battle their way through the Death Star, shooting Stormtroopers and escaping garbage compactors. This is where we realize how special these characters are when they’re together. After all the fighting, they finally make it off the space station with the plans and have a small tactical advantage against the Empire. This is the moment when they need all hands on deck, but Han decides to leave with his reward. Yes, we know he has Jabba waiting for his money, but it’s still a jerk move to run when they clearly need his experience and leadership. We know he’s not ready, but it doesn’t make the rejection any less stinging.

11 HEROIC: LEADS A STRIKE TEAM TO ENDOR’S MOON

As the Rebels prepare to make their final stand against the Empire and blow up the new Death Star, they need someone to lead a very dangerous mission to the forest moon of Endor, so they can lower the shields of the space station. Piloting the Empire spacecraft onto the moon, is the riskiest part of the mission and Han doesn’t hesitate to volunteer. At this point, he’s embraced his role as a general and is ready to lead his people against any threats they come across.

Just like when he comes back to help Luke in A New Hope, this is another pivotal moment for Han. For most the trilogy he resisted the idea that he had a destiny, or that he should become a hero others could look up to. However, after escaping Jabba the Hutt, it seems his outlook has changed. Not only did he choose to pilot the ship, he didn’t volunteer any of his friends for the dangerous mission and he is now concerned with what happens to the people around him. His actions in these scenes really show how Han has grown as a person and a hero. He even forgave Lando for his betrayal and got him a job -- that’s a really good friend.

10 WORST: SHOOTS BECKETT

The Han Solo we got to know in the original Star Wars trilogy is a professional who has an answer for everything. His ship is tailor made for smuggling and he knows how to handle himself in any situation. The Han we meet at the beginning of Solo is young, awkward and a little naive. The person who helps him get from point A to point B is Woody Harrelson’s Tobias Beckett. The seasoned thief takes Han and Chewie under his wing and teaches them some important life lessons.

Once they’ve finished the Kessel job, Han decides he wants to go against Dryden and give the coaxium to Enfys Nest. Beckett’s not happy about it, but he wishes Han well and leaves. Of course, he pops back up to double cross everyone, taking the fuel for himself and using Chewie as a hostage. Han goes after his friend and in the process is forced to shoot his mentor. Beckett understands and is ok with Han’s decision. This is the moment the young, idealistic Han gets pushed aside for the cynical, cocky guy we meet in Mos Eisley Cantina. While it was self defense because Beckett would have killed him if given the chance, it’s still tough to watch him shoot his friend.

9 HEROIC: GIVES THE COAXIUM TO ENFYS NEST

Once Han and Chewie hook up with Beckett and his crew, we start hearing about a rival group led by Enfys Nest. Apparently, they’ve had a few run-ins before and have cost Beckett’s people other jobs. The Cloud Riders crash the coaxium train robbery, leading to the death of Beckett’s wife Val and pilot Rio. Seems like they’re a more dangerous, ruthless gang.

Later, when they take the coaxium from Kessel to Savareen, Enfys Nest is waiting for them, ready to steal their prize. As it turns out, the Cloud Riders aren’t marauders, they’re rebels. They stage these attacks against Crimson Dawn to hurt the money they use to terrorize planets like the ones they are all from, and they want to use the coaxium to help fund their efforts to fight the Empire. Han knows he needs the money, but he’s also a good guy who doesn’t want to give such a valuable substance to a gang controlling the galaxy. Han comes up with an elaborate double cross that gives the fuel to the rebels, while Dryden and Beckett get nothing. He even tells Enfys he has no interest in joining them, but we know he will eventually change his mind. Han doesn’t know it, but he’s just done the first of many favors to help the Rebellion.

8 WORST: KILLS GREEDO

Before Obi-Wan and Luke enter his life and drag him into the rebellion against the Empire, Han lived his life in a world of thieves and smugglers. This meant he learned from an early age not to trust anyone. As he’s become more well-known and successful in the criminal world, he’s acquired more enemies. A guy like Han Solo has to be ready to defend himself at all times, and hen Greedo shows up in Mos Eisley threatening to take his ship, Han doesn’t hesitate to shoot him without remorse.

Despite the inherent bad guy move of shooting first, this was the scene that made many fans fall in love with Han. It instantly set him apart from the other heroes and characters in the movie. In an effort to make Han look like less of a murderer, George Lucas would go on to state that Greedo actually fired first. This fact has become a bone of contention among fans frustrated with Lucas’ constant changes to their favorite franchise. On YouTube you can find any number of slow motion videos where fans analyze the scene. It’s true no one is crying any tears for Greedo, but whether he shot first or not, Han did straight up kill someone, and never felt bad about it for one second. By the way, Han shot first.

7 HEROIC: SAVES LEIA FROM THE EMPIRE

As The Empire Strikes Back starts, Han is reluctantly leaving the Rebellion. He knows he has to pay off Jabba the Hutt, or else he’s a dead man walking. As he says his goodbyes, he and Leia have another one of their Hepburn and Tracy style arguments, which further highlights the amazing chemistry between Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher. Before he gets the chance to leave, the Empire attacks and he must save Princess Leia by “getting her out on the Falcon.”

From there he uses his clever knowledge of flying and the Empire to continuously evade the bad guys and keep the Princess safe. By the time they get to Bespin, they’ve obviously developed feelings for one another and he’s ready to do whatever it takes to keep her away from the Empire. Though he hides it under a cocky veneer, we can see his drive to be a hero and compassion to help is what delays his exit on Hoth. What makes Han such a great hero is that he, unlike Luke and Leia, isn’t super gung ho about going up against the Empire. Everything keeps telling him to fly away, but he just can’t. Yes, he’s in love with Leia, but he’s also a really good guy, albeit, rather reluctantly.

6 WORST: RETURNS TO SMUGGLING AFTER BEN TURNS EVIL

Losing a child is every parents’ worst nightmare. It may be even worse for Han and Leia, as they have to watch their son become the evil that they’ve spent a lifetime fighting. Ben’s turn into Kylo Ren tore the family apart. Leia became fully devoted to the Resistance, Luke disconnected from the Force and Han returned to life as a smuggler, because in his words, “it’s the only thing he was ever good at.”

We’re not here to judge how Han handled his grief, however, abandoning his wife and their cause couldn’t have possibly helped him work through his emotions in a healthy way. He basically ran away from his problems and left Leia to pick up the pieces and continue the battle alone. Even when he meets Rey and Finn, his first reaction is to go to Maz and have her get them to Leia, because he wants to stay away -- it’s just not a good look for him. Though, in the end he does try and talk to his son and break through the First Order brainwashing Snoke has implanted. Sadly, it doesn’t go well and Kylo Ren kills his father. We’re left to wonder if he had stuck around, would he and Leia have been able to reach Ben before he fully became Kylo Ren.

5 HEROIC: INFILTRATES STARKILLER BASE

The Han Solo we meet in The Force Awakens is completely different from the one we left in Return of the Jedi -- obviously 30 years of life experience will do that to a person. For Han, the trauma of losing a son to the Dark Side pushed him back into a life where he didn’t have any tough decisions to make. He left behind Leia and the Resistance and went back to smuggling as a response to his problems. However, once again the Force had other plans for him and he was dragged back into the fight.

Once he meets Rey and Finn, it quickly becomes clear to him that he needs to get away before he ends up in another huge space battle. Of course, we’ve seen this play out already and know that when push comes to shove, Han won’t be able to leave. He, Chewie and Finn sneak on to Starkiller Base to lower the shields and rescue Rey. They accomplish these goals and have a chance to get away clean, but it’s Han who says they need to go back and help the fighters. He chose to go back into the base and set explosives. A choice that had tragic consequences when he was killed by his evil son Kylo Ren. We’ll always wonder if Han knew what would happen when he stepped out on that bridge. Whatever the answer, we got to see Han Solo’s final act of heroism.

4 WORST: HAS ZERO INTEREST IN RESCUING LEIA ON THE DEATH STAR

When Obi-Wan and Luke hire Han and Chewie in Mos Eisley, he makes it pretty clear he’s only there for the paycheck -- he’s not interested in any causes or charity cases, and getting captured by the Empire doesn’t change this. He just wants to survive and escape with his ship and friend. When Luke discovers that Leia is on board, he immediately wants to rescue her. We’ll skip over his unhealthy obsession this time. Han couldn’t possibly care less about some soon to be executed princess. It’s only when Luke mentions a huge reward that he perks up and joins the fight.

Once they meet, it’s like oil and water. He has no time for who he perceives to be a spoiled princess, while she has even less interest in some lawbreaking scoundrel who’s only in it for the money. Of course, we now know the quartet make a great team and the Empire never stood a chance. Han refusing to rescue a rebellion leader who’s been sentenced to death may be his best path to self preservation, but it’s also one of his weakest moments and a sad break in character for a man who we can see is actually itching to prove his worth as a hero.

3 HEROIC: HELPS CHEWIE ESCAPE FROM THE EMPIRE

There is no relationship more central to Han Solo’s life than his friendship with Chewbacca. When we first meet them in A New Hope, we can tell they’ve been together for awhile and that they would do anything for each other -- they’re a perfect partnership that just always works. They stick together through the Death Star, Han being frozen in carbonite and blowing up the Death Star again. Even later, when Han has left behind his tragic family life to go back to smuggling, Chewie is right there at his side. In The Last Jedi, there’s this constant sadness to Chewbacca, because he’s obviously missing his other half. At the end of the day, everyone wishes they has a friend like Chewbacca.

In Solo, we finally get to see how they meet. Han is arrested as a deserter and put in a cell to be fed to the beast and, of course, the beast turns out to be Chewbacca. Han understands him and they hatch a plan to escape. From that moment on, they’re inseparable. Seeing the early foundation of their friendship explains why Chewie has stuck by Han through all the crazy messes he’s gotten them into. Han helping Chewie escape is one of those times where you don’t realize you’re making a life changing choice.

2 WORST: KEEPS TRUSTING QI’RA

At some point, everyone has been in a relationship where they knew it wasn’t meant to be, but you just can’t help staying with that person. This often involves a first love, as those are the ones you never forget and always romanticize. For Han Solo, Qi’ra is the girl he can’t get over. Perhaps, it’s the sad way they were separated, or maybe it’s the nonstop fighting they had to do to survive but either way, she was going to be the one for him forever.

Once they’re reunited, it’s obvious she’s changed. Whatever she’s had to do to survive and prove her loyalty to Crimson Dawn has turned her into a more battle hardened warrior. It’s clear to everyone except Han that she’s not his childhood girlfriend anymore. She’s in it for herself and to a certain extent, Dryden Vos. Beckett even tells him several times what a bad idea it is for him to keep trying to reignite their relationship. However, he just can’t see the new Qi’ra, he only sees the girl he grew up with. In the end, she does save him from Dryden, but it’s implied she did it to take over his position within Crimson Dawn.

1 HEROIC: HELPS LUKE BLOW UP THE DEATH STAR

Throughout A New Hope, Han Solo makes it clear he’s no hero. His main concerns are looking out for himself, Chewbacca and the Millennium Falcon, in that order. Once he, Chewie, Luke and Leia escape from the Death Star, he thinks they’re home free and he’s out. He wants his reward for rescuing Leia, so he can pay off Jabba and continue living the good life with no responsibilities. Luke is disappointed, while Leia says Han must figure out things on his own terms.

Apparently, it didn’t take him long to find his place, as just when all hope is lost and Darth Vader is about to blow Luke out of the sky, Han Solo comes in out of nowhere, shoots Vader’s ship, saving the rebellion from destruction and helping Luke blow up the Death Star. Despite everything that comes next in the franchise, this is the moment Han Solo became a hero. No matter how many times he left, but came back, this is when he committed to caring about a cause bigger than himself. As the greatest smuggler in the galaxy, he already had a reputation as a rebel and a pirate. However, now he’s a Rebel with a capital R, becoming a leader and general, who still has some pirate tendencies from time to time.