Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back Theme of Love

If there's one famous fictional couple that we ship unabashedly, it's Han Solo and Leia Organa. This is a classic case of opposites attracting: the high-minded princess falling for the rough-and-tumble bad boy. (Actually, now that we think about it, that's pretty much the exact same plot as Aladdin.)

Either way, this blooming relationship is one of The Empire Strikes Back's driving plot threads, with the stop-start romantic tension providing an emotional counterpoint to all of that intergalactic turmoil. Don't bother telling us you love us, Shmoopers—we know.

Questions about Love

  1. Does Luke love Leia? Explain your answer.
  2. Why does Leia refuse to admit her feelings for Han for so long?
  3. Why does Han say "I know" when Leia admits her feelings towards him?
  4. Why is Han so obsessed with Leia admitting her love?

Chew on This

Take a peek at these thesis statements. Agree or disagree?

Leia falls in love with Han because, despite being a lower class fellow than most men she knows, he's a decidedly good man.

Although he pretends to be casual about his feelings towards Leia, Han's insistence on her admitting her feelings shows how much he loves her.