4. The Death Of Han Solo
In Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Harrison Ford got the moment he's been hoping for since Return Of The Jedi; the death of Han Solo. By far the most shocking and heartbreaking scene in the entire movie, the murder of the fan-favourite hero at the hands of his son Ben Solo/Kylo Ren is a gut punch to the audience, and J.J. has elaborated on why this ultimately had to happen. As you might expect, it boils down to Kylo's descent into the Dark Side. Explaining that it was a moment necessary for the villain to cross that line, Abrams confirms that while they initially struggled with the decision, killing Han ended up being a necessary part of this story. "We knew we needed to do something f***ing bold," he says. "The only reason why Kylo Ren has any hope of being a worthy successor is because we lose one of the most beloved characters." As for what it was like the day they shot those scenes, the filmmaker added: "It was really chilling. Seeing these two actors, they werent chewing up the scenery. They were just doing this thing in a way that, frankly, was disturbing. To see Harrison reach out and touch Adam. I know this sounds stupid, but literally watching it, I forgot I forgot that he wasnt his son. He did it so beautifully." I think that's a statement pretty much everyone who has watched the movie will agree on, and while whether it was the right decision to kill Han will likely be debated for years, Abrams' justification makes sense.