First of all how is this even a debate. GL wrote the scene so I think he knows who shot first. If you frame by frame, Han ducks his head to the right dodging the shot and then shoots Greedo.

no that never happens you are thinking of the special editions where they digitally make him dodge it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qWoTWd_nRw

no that never happens you are thinking of the special editions where they digitally make him dodge it.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-qWoTWd_nRw

You see? The indoctrination of tomorrow's youth has already shown its effects. Or that guy was just trolling.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bVyJP92TiVg <<---No CGI? I suppose this was all fully acted zomewhere in New Zealand.

Thanks for the totally out of context quote, if you read my comment, it's pretty clear I'm talking about the original trilogy. I'll repost it here.

I saw the original trilogy back in the late 80's on TV when I was around eight or nine, as far as I'm concerned, what I saw then is canon. Han shot first, and there is no CGI in Star Wars.

So before where he was acting all for himself, greedy, and self interest completely changed when he didn't shoot first?.....Ok last I checked throughout the whole movie, he still is the greedy and self interest person up until near the end of the movie.

If you don't find it to be a big deal, why are you arguing about it? What he is like in the rest of the movie doesn't change the fact that these cantina scenes are character establishing moments for Han Solo. And the scene still says something about a person through actions that can't be conveyed in words. I honestly can't think of anywhere else in the movie where it is more established that he is a seedy guy than this here scene.

The important thing about a story, and this story in this case. Is that with character development, it's better to see Han Solo as selfish and only out for himself at the start. But even by the end of Episode IV we know that he has a good heart. There is a progression, a flow in the character that establishes him as.....not static, and that is why a scene where the character is clearly established from the start is important as opposed to be told through dialogue later on "Oh yeah, did I tell you I only care about myself?"

Actions speak louder than words. In this scene, we are SHOWN that Han Solo might not be much of a good guy because he's the one who shoots first. (As someone mentioned earlier, this gives him more of a chaotic neutral edge) Then his actions speak AGAIN when at the end of the movie he brings Millennium Falcon into the last fight.

Oh, and I believe I mentioned it's hilariously unbelievable that Greedo would miss when he's sitting within three feet in front of him? So it doesn't come down to just character building, but to making your story look organic as well.

Maybe I'm just some weirdo minority Star Wars fan but frankly I've never cared who shot first

Same here.

And I'm not gonna take seriously anything that Lucas says anymore.

Can't help but throw my two cents in here regarding the Han Shot first thing...

First, nobody believes shooting somebody with a gun pointed at you who just told you that they could arrange to have something taken over your dead body makes you a cold blooded killer. That's called self defense.

So, let's look at the scenario...

The way the fans want it...

Greedo sits two feet from Han... Han realizes Greedo is about to squeeze off a bolt, and at this range, there's no way he could miss, so Han preemptively pulls out his own blaster under the table and fires first, the shot hits, causing Greedo's aim to veer and hit the wall near Han's head.

The way Lucas wants it...

Greedo sits two feet from Han... Han realizes Greedo is about to squeeze off a bolt and pulls his own blaster out under the table. Even so, Han sits there and lets a shot get off, counting on the fact that this bounty hunter has such horrible, horrible aim that he can't hit a large, non-moving target that's sitting two feet away. Han's incredibly stupid gamble pays off, Greedo does in fact miss the broad side of a barn, and then Han shoots him.

Which of those is the better story? It's not about wanting Han to be a cold blooded killer, it's about not wanting Greedo to be such a worthless Bounty Hunter that he can't hit somebody sitting right in front of him, and not wanting Han to be an idiot who just sat there and let himself get shot at from near point blank range.

Han never shot first, you are all just confused.

http://www.avclub.com/articles/george-lucas-says-han-never-shot-first-you-were-ju,69159/

Lucas wrote it so, Lucas get's final say. Lucas wins. End of argument and I'm okay with that.

However, it makes more sense to me, knowing Han's character, for Han to allow Greedo to shoot first. At that point in the story Han was not one of the good guys. But, that does not mean that Han was a cold blooded killer. Hans one flaw is his ego and ego would have dictated that he controlled the situation to where it looked like the other guy shot first. Also, Han was in a bar where Greedo would have had known associates and if Han had shot first they would have killed him in a heartbeat and Han knew that. Greedo shot first, or Han made it appear that way, and then Han takes Greedo out.

Bottom line is that if Lucas says it happened a certain way then that's how he wanted it to happen. Any other arguments contrary to that is moot.

However, it makes more sense to me, knowing Han's character, for Han to allow Greedo to shoot first. At that point in the story Han was not one of the good guys. But, that does not mean that Han was a cold blooded killer. Hans one flaw is his ego and ego would have dictated that he controlled the situation to where it looked like the other guy shot first. Also, Han was in a bar where Greedo would have had known associates and if Han had shot first they would have killed him in a heartbeat and Han knew that. Greedo shot first, or Han made it appear that way, and then Han takes Greedo out.

This is one of the dumbest arguments I have ever seen, and I mean EVER. Letting anyone shoot first when your life is on the line is retarded- not borderline retarded, but you-deserve-to-be-removed-from-the-@#$#@$#-gene-pool retarded. Anyone who does this should be put right up there with the dodo bird in the category of "Too @!#$$!$!@@# stupid to stay alive".

Natural selection: it's only natural.