This Time, Han Shot First: Crimson Jack's Fate In Star Wars Legends Was So Much Better Than Greedo's

Crimson Jack has seemingly been brought to the realm of live-action Star Wars in Star Wars: Skeleton Crew and his original incarnation’s story ended in a battle that may remind some of Han Solo’s standoff with Greedo. The modern Star Wars canon has already introduced its iteration of the pirate captain Crimson Jack in a recent comic series, but Skeleton Crew has revealed that Jude Law’s Jod Na Nawood has used “Crimson Jack” as an alias. This may make him the same character seen in modern canon Star Wars comics.

In his original incarnation in the Star Wars Legends continuity, Crimson Jack was a ruthlessly efficient pirate leader and a rival to Han Solo. In Marvel’s classic Star Wars comics, Crimson Jack robbed Han Solo and Chewbacca shortly after A New Hope, preventing them from paying off their debt to Jabba the Hutt. Crimson Jack would soon become the main villain of a five-issue story arc that ended with a climactic duel with Han Solo.

Crimson Jack's Final Duel With Han Solo Was One Of The Most Creative In Star Wars History

Han Solo and Crimson Jack’s final duel took place in deep space – a rarity in the Star Wars franchise, with most space battles taking place aboard vessels or space stations. Crimson Jack’s Star Destroyer projected an energy field that connected it to the Millennium Falcon and allowed Solo and Jack to meet in space without needing any protective gear other than oxygen supplies. What was intended to be a trade, however, became a blaster duel between the two outlaws.

This Time, Han Shot First

While Crimson Jack’s energy field protected the two from the many hazards of deep space (aside from the lack of oxygen), they remained vulnerable to blaster fire, and the first blasts exchanged between Crimson Jack and Han Solo were simultaneous. While Crimson Jack became distracted by a larger space battle surrounding him, however, Han Solo took advantage of the opening and blasted him. This will no doubt remind Star Wars viewers of Han Solo’s somewhat controversial encounter with the bounty hunter Greedo in A New Hope.

Related Han Solo Isn't The Only One: 10 Pirates & Smugglers Who Made Star Wars History Han Solo is far from being the only smuggler, pirate, or rogue to make Star Wars history. Many others have made a major galactic impact as well.

At the time of this issue’s publishing, there was only one iteration of Han Solo and Greedo’s standoff, with Han Solo preemptively blasting the bounty hunter who was all too eager to kill him. The scene has been – infamously – altered many times, with the 1997 Star Wars Special Edition having Greedo fire at Han first and each successive re-release of A New Hope bringing their blaster fire exchange closer to being simultaneous. Han Solo and Crimson Jack’s duel in Star Wars Legends, while beginning with simultaneous blaster fire, ends with Han Solo definitively shooting first.

Skeleton Crew Release Date Schedule Episode Director Release Date Episode 3 David Lowery December 10 Episode 4 The Daniels December 17 Episode 5 Jake Schreier December 24 Episode 6 Bryce Dallas Howard December 31 Episode 7 Lee Isaac Chung January 7 Episode 8 Jon Watts January 14