May Lucasfilm strike me down if I get out of line, but even as a devout Star Wars fan it’s got to be said, Han Solo is really not that good of a smuggler. It’s an even worse statement to make because that’s his JOB. You can definitely argue that a good deal of it isn’t his fault considering who he smuggles for and has to essentially deal with occasionally, but Han’s a big boy, and he’s got a big friend named Chewbacca that can run interference when it’s needed. So why does he stink so bad at his job if he’s got backup and is supposed to be an ace smuggler?
He doesn’t always deliver when he’s supposed to.
Call it extenuating circumstances if you’d like but Han has been known to dump shipments (coughcough, Jabba, cough, spice) when the going gets rough and it’s his only way out. He’s also been known to shortchange people when he sees the need and thereby go against his word when it comes to delivering the goods. So why is that? Does he have too much of a conscience or is he just that unreliable? It’s hard to tell really but one thing is certain, Han is not really the guy you should be calling if you want a shipment that absolutely positively must be delivered on time.
He’s constantly broke.
Han owes money to people on such a regular basis that it’s a wonder that he isn’t shot on sight wherever he goes. He’s had a death mark on him in the original trilogy and a bounty on his head so high that the most elite bounty hunters in the galaxy considered him a priority everything else. To say he’s been a thorn in the side of Jabba the Hutt and the Empire at the same time is putting it mildly. But add in the Alliance at the same time and then you’ve got a better idea of just how skilled he is at rubbing people the wrong way.
Despite his desire to be a smuggler, he’s really too much of a hero.
Now this would actually count in his favor since despite all his grumbling to the contrary Han Solo is that smuggling fiend with the heart of gold. Otherwise Luke probably would have been vaporized and Yavin 4 would have been annihilated by the Death Star. So yeah, he’s a good guy really, but this makes him lousy when it comes to being a criminal largely because he does care about others no matter what he says. You kind of have to assume that criminals who hear about his exploits might think differently about associating with him unless they figure that it can get them something in return. Otherwise it’s safe to assume that, since bad guys really don’t want their good getting dumped into space and want them delivered on time, it might be a good idea to give Han Solo a wide berth.
Don’t think I’m not a Star Wars fan after this, I absolutely LOVE the Star Wars galaxy and everyone in it. But Han, really, all respect to the deceased character, you weren’t a good smuggler. Great hero, lousy smuggler.
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