10 Facts Everyone Always Gets Wrong About Star Wars

5. Han Solo Was Almost Killed Off

The Misconception: It's one of the most commonly reported "what if's" in Star Wars; back when plotting the story for Return Of The Jedi the prospect of killing off Han Solo came up. He was already in jeopardy after the end of The Empire Strikes Back and the death of one of the central trio would provide added tension to the final chapter; no one was safe. Of course we know that nothing came of this, with Han living to appear in another trilogy, but that shouldn't distract from how close he came to death.

The Truth: Both Harrison Ford and writer Lawrence Kasdan may have been attracted to the idea, but Lucas was having none of it. It was probably born out of a desire to keep the film lighter and keep Solo a marketable character, but whatever the reason he never even entertained the prospect, meaning it was as hypothetical as running up to J.J. Abrams and shouting "bring back Jar Jar." When compared to other alternate possibilities we've already discussed - Lucas was going to have a Sequel Trilogy follow soon after the originals that detail Luke's hunt for his sister and confrontation with the Emperor - this is rather slight both in terms in story and chances of happening.