Han Solo might not be Force-sensitive, but he still knows his way around a lightsaber. A recent Star Wars fan film brings Han Solo face-to-face with what might just be his first lightsaber, years before he used one to save Luke Skywalker’s life on Hoth, showing that you don’t need the Force to use a sword made of light. Even Chewie gets to try it out.
Actor Jamie Costa recently released his Han Solo fan film, “Han Solo: A Smuggler’s Trade.” The short film takes place before Episode IV, but after he’s already met Jabba the Hutt and acquired the Millennium Falcon. It tells the story of Han Solo stealing a lightsaber during a poker game in order to trade it for Chewbacca’s freedom. Solo bargains with Chewie’s captor, who’s dressed conspicuously like Darth Revan from Knights of the Old Republic, only when the deal goes sour, Solo calls upon his power of the Jedi and Force-grabs the lightsaber for a little intimidation. Psych, he’s actually using a magnetic bracelet!
There’s a lot of debate whether you have to have the Force in order to use a lightsaber. That requirement was established in the Expanded Universe, but it was never clear in the original films. Since the EU is no longer canon, the consensus seems to be that you can use a lightsaber if you don’t have the Force, albeit not very well. That probably explains why Finn was able to fight Kylo Ren in The Force Awakens, despite not seeming to be Force-sensitive. It’s looking more like the new Star Wars films are trying to broaden our understanding of the Force, as shown in how Jyn Erso’s mom reveres it in Rogue One, which comes out December 16.
