6. "I love you." "I know." - The Empire Strikes Back
Another element that was memorable about
The Empire Strikes Back was the relationship between Han and Leia. Basically hating each other during the first film, the characters begin to respect and admire each other as they run from the Empire together, ultimately falling in love. As Han is about to be lowered into the carbonite, it's an extremely tense and dramatic moment. The audience has no idea if Han will survive the freezing process, so this could be the last time we see him. Afraid, Leia confesses her true feelings for Captain Solo and he responds in the most Han Solo way possible by simply saying, "I know." Credit Harrison Ford for the ad-lib. I don't think words can describe how perfect that line was. Showcasing Han at his most emotionally vulnerable, the man who was once ready to take on the entire Death Star by himself now tears up at the thought of never seeing his friends again. He was frightened. He was scared. We never saw Han scared before. He was always so sure of himself, but not this time. Like all the great moments in this franchise, this scene serves to show us new sides to the characters we've grown to care about, always looking for ways to make them seem relatable and more human. If anyone still had the impression that Han didn't care about anybody but himself at this point, they learned that simply was not the case.