In its 40-plus years of history, Star Wars has had one truly iconic couple: Han Solo and Leia Organa. “I know” is an occasionally appropriate response to “I love you” because of these two.
Their relationship is complicated, and it might get even knottier thanks to a new storyline in the canonical Star Wars comic book series from Marvel. ComicBook.com has new panels from Issue 68, which is set after Episode IV: A New Hope but before Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Enter Dar Champion, a new character who is not Leia’s boyfriend, according to Leia, but who mentions a standing date, so he definitely thinks he might be Leia’s boyfriend still. Marvel describes him as Leia’s ex.
By the looks of it, Leia isn’t interested in Dar, but he’s still interested in her — TVTropes would classify this as a Type 4 love triangle.
Introducing an ex is a little weird. Why is it a problem? Well, it will make Han and Leia’s relationship through this comics arc more about tumultuous feelings, and some of the plot will probably be expended just letting them hash things out. The triangle also seems to make Leia into an object to be won or competed over by Dar and Han, based on Han’s reaction to Dar’s appearance.
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Now, this idea could have been chosen because of when this comic is set: before Episode V. At the start of the film, Han and Leia are particularly prickly with each other, almost as if they’ve had a disagreement or a spat recently.
Empire is also where the original Star Wars love triangle shows up, the one between Luke, Leia and Han. Leia kisses Luke to make a point to Han early on in the film, and Luke’s smug reaction implies that he enjoys it. Of course, that’s before Leia and Luke learn they’re related.
It looks like the comics are creating a second love triangle in a possible attempt to explain why Han and Leia are tense at the start of The Empire Strikes Back. Granted, Wookieepedia only notes Dar will appear in three issues so far, but that one of them involves Leia, Dar and a dance floor.
Yikes, Marvel.
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