Han Shot First, Again! The Ethics of First Strike
In Star Wars and Conflict Resolution: There Are Alternatives To Fighting, Deborah & Emily Cai take on one of Star Wars’ biggest controversies and expand it (that’s right! sometimes you need to make conflicts seem worse before you can resolve them!). Han shot first, sure… but should he have?
A first strike is an action that causes harm to someone who has not yet caused harm to you but who may cause harm to you in the future. Sometimes striking first is the useful or wise strategy but are first strikes ever ethical? Han Solo, in the original version of A New Hope, shoots and kills Greedo, but Greedo does not shoot at Han. Subsequent edits of the scene change the sequence of events, much to the consternation of fans. Star Wars conflict is born at this moment in time! Fan/fan and fan/Maker conflict aside, the edit spotlights the question of whether Han’s first strike was ethical.
The authors suggest one perspective to consider this is offered by applying the Caroline test applied in international law. The Caroline test states that one nation can strike first against another nation if the strike meets three conditions: necessity, imminence, and proportionality. The answers to these questions in the Han/Greedo encounter depend on one’s perspective. Was Han’s response proportional to Greedo’s threat level? Was it necessary to shoot Greedo? Was Greedo going to imminently inflict violence upon Han, or was he just taking Han to Jabba for a conversation?
Simple enough? No prob, let’s make that just a bit more complex: thee Caroline test distinguishes between preemptive and preventative strikes. A preemptive strike is used when the danger is imminent while a preventative strike is used when there could be danger later on. Generally speaking, the authors explain, preemptive strikes are more ethically sound than preventative strikes, given that many cultures and legal systems recognize the need for self-defense.
The chapter compares and contrasts the Han/Greedo scene with a later encounter between Han and Darth Vader on Bespin. There, the minute Han sees Vader in Lando’s dining room, Han draws his blaster and fires. Once again, Han shot first! In this case, Vader didn’t even have a weapon (other than the Force, of course, but don’t get Yoda started on saying the Force should be considered a weapon…). And yet, the authors point out, no debate raged around whether Han’s “first strike” in this situation was ethically justified, and nobody edited the scene to have Vader attack Han first or simultaneously. This highlights the point that ethics are never simple: the way we label these situations and the justness of characters’ actions has a lot to do with us and our own perspective, in addition to the context surrounding the action.
— Written by Max Lentz, SW&CR Padawan and 3L student at the University of Oregon School of Law
