Entertainment

This Han Solo & 'Tangled' Theory Will Make You LOL

by Allie Gemmill

In all of the hubbub that's arisen following the reveal that Han Solo's name isn't actually Han Solo, there have been some amusing guesses from fans on social media about the Star Wars character's actual name. One of the most interesting fan theories about Han's name connects to Tangled, of all things. On Twitter, a few eagle-eyed fans (including Bustle's own Emma Lord) have half-seriously, half-jokingly noted that maybe there's something about being a swashbuckling rogue that causes you to want to change your name. To be fair, you can't exactly use your real name when it comes to stealing valuables or making young women across the land (or galaxy) swoon, now can you?

While the Twitter observations are relatively fresh — about 24 hours old to be exact — and have no concrete basis in a specific fan theory, it is amusing to see where people are drawing the connections. As mentioned, the most blatant connection between these two rakish gents is the fact that the names we know and love them by are revealed to not be their actual names. This would imply that the journey of a rogue hero is to undergo a total transformation of self and that includes a major name change. Makes sense.

The other interesting implication in unpacking this thought process is that Han Solo could perceivably be a geek at heart, because his name could potentially be something geeky like Eugene's was in Tangled. Eugene totally transformed himself to become Flynn Rider, and thus, become the greatest thief in all the land. But as it was revealed during the song "I've Got A Dream," we learned the Tangled hero has a softer, albeit money-colored, side. If this line of thinking scans with what we know about Han Solo, then we could potentially see a different side to Han Solo in the standalone film.

Even if this whole Tangled connection doesn't bear any weight in the Han Solo standalone film (which it most likely won't), that name change does imply a transformation of sorts. If that's the case, then the version of Han Solo we meet in the standalone may not look anything like the Han we've come to know and love.

Either way, this Han Solo-Tangled connection tickled me pink. I think I'm going to pretend for a little while longer that they are indeed connected in some delightfully silly way.