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A wild Star Wars theory that suggests Han Solo is invisible to the dark side has us second guessing everything we know about the Force.
Han, of course, famously has no Force powers of his own, but still manages to wriggle out of just about every tight corner he finds himself in across the saga. That might seem like a high degree of intergalactic street smarts or even just plain old luck, but this theory presents another take: actually, Han can't be seen by the dark side at all.
Does that sound completely wacky? Sure, but the evidence is very persuasive…
Now you see Han, now you don't
A fan took to Reddit to share their observations on Han's apparent invisible powers after watching the Star Wars original trilogy. "I just got done watching the OT this weekend (1995 VHS baby!) and noticed something fairly consistent with Han Solo: the dark side can't seem to track/observe him," the viewer wrote.
As their supporting evidence, u/PhelesDragon noted that Han escapes from Tatooine in A New Hope with Luke Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi onboard, despite the stormtroopers being in hot pursuit. Then, when taken aboard the Death Star, he manages to conceal everyone inside the Millennium Falcon and evade detection again. In fact, the Redditor speculates that it's Han's presence that makes Obi-Wan so hard for Darth Vader to sense. At the end of the movie, Han even arrives as if from nowhere to save Luke and make blowing up the Death Star possible. So far, so convincing.
Then, the Redditor points out that Han escaped Imperial capture in The Empire Strikes Back until the villains went to bounty hunter Boba Fett for help, and only then was he caught. In Return of the Jedi, Han manages to trick Imperials by putting on a scout trooper helmet and declaring the rebels defeated (after attracting attention by stepping on a snapping twig, though).
In The Force Awakens, u/PhelesDragon notes that Han manages to take Kylo Ren by surprise, despite Kylo's strength in the dark side.
"Dude's a dark side jamming field and he doesn't even know it; no wonder he was a good smuggler," observes the Redditor.
That's not how the Force works
You have to admit, when you lay it all out like that, it's looking pretty likely that Han is, in fact, invisible to the dark side. Others in the Reddit thread added their own thoughts, diving into the nitty gritty of the mysticism of the Force.
"There's an argument circulating around that Han has some kind of... well, he can't wield the Force actively, but that may just be a matter of 'not trained.' Whatever it is, it makes probability go completely sideways," suggested a commenter. "Plus, the whole showing up as a Force ghost thing in Rise of Skywalker. Apparently, no one told him a muggle couldn't do that. Even if they did, he probably wouldn't care and would tell Luke or whoever else to hold his spectral beer while he does it anyway."
Of course, the Force connects all living things, so who's to say it doesn't give Han a helping hand every now and then? Another commenter speculated exactly that: "Remember the line 'the Force works in mysterious ways'. The Force doesn't just work with the Jedi and Sith, it works with normal people as well. The Force users don't work in a vacuum. They have to work with the rest of the universe. So the Force can direct things that are not Force users like rocks.
"My take is that the Force helps Solo to do the things he does because he is part of the grander plan," they continue. "The Force needs Solo to do his part in the grand scheme of things to move the Force in the direction it needs the universe to go. Remember Anakin was part of a prophecy (the one who will bring balance to the Force). The universe knew all this was going to happen and it directed both Force and non-Force users to an ultimate outcome."
But let's not discount Han's impeccable abilities at getting himself out of a jam, either. We are talking about the guy who, literally immediately after being melted out of carbonite, has a quick excuse ready for Jabba that ends with: "It's not my fault!"
Han has a slick move or a hidden trick for all occasions, which is something the dark side just can't predict. After all, what scout trooper would seriously think someone would simply tap him on the shoulder to distract him while they run the other way? No one, that's who, and that's why it worked for Han in Return of the Jedi. There's just no other scoundrel that bold, and that kind of confidence isn't something the Force can give you.
Fly casual
All in all, there's evidence either way for Han's abilities as a Force Bermuda Triangle. It would explain a lot if Han did have some kind of invisibility powers that encompass his friends, too, but it's also clearly fallible – Han is flying the shuttle when Vader senses Luke above Endor, for example.
But, since the Force does work in mysterious ways, we're definitely not ruling anything out. All is as the Force wills it, and maybe, just maybe, the Force willed Han into getting away with some of his outrageous schemes. Never tell him the odds!
Next up on the Star Wars release slate is Disney Plus show Ahsoka, arriving this August 23.
In the meantime, get ready with our guides on what to watch before Ahsoka and how to watch The Clone Wars in order – or check out our roundup of all the upcoming Star Wars movies and TV shows for everything else the galaxy far, far away has in store.
