A few thoughts on the Han/Leia Circuitry Bay Kiss in ESB
I have always adored this scene. In recent years, however, Iâve seen a lot of people, particularly other women, commenting on how it makes them uncomfortable and gives off toxic/icky vibes. First of all, I just want to say that if thatâs what you take away from this, thatâs totally valid. Everyone comes to stories with their own experiences and triggers, and if this scene rubs you the wrong way, I completely understand. Consent is SO important, and itâs not 100% clear in this scene. It can be interpreted in a way that strips Leia of her agency. That being said, Iâve personally never interpreted this scene that way, and I thought I would break down why.
I wonât even argue that my interpretation was the intended meaning of the sceneâI would suspect that some of the problematic ideas about romance and sex common at the time this movie came out were part of what led them to film this scene the way they did, ideas that wouldnât (shouldnât) fly in this day and age. But Iâm writing this to offer up a different perspective on why this scene has actually always felt empowering to me personally, a survivor who relates deeply to Leia.
First of all: how did these characters get here? What is the context of this scene?Â
Han has spent practically the entire movie making his intentions known to Leia and trying to get her to admit that she has feelings for him, too. She clearly does, and everyone knows it. The film makes sure that we know it, too (that long stare in the Hoth command center, anyone?). But Leia simply canât bring herself to do it. Why? Well, for one, she lost her parents and her entire planet in the last movie. This probably makes her scared to get too close to anyone for fear of losing them, too. We also know from Leia: Princess of Alderaan that after what happened with Kier, she vowed not to fall in love again until the struggle against the Empire was over. These things alone are more than enough reason for her to resist admitting her feelings for Han. In addition, she is almost certainly dealing with PTSD from the trauma of being tortured and losing her planet. Sheâs likely feeling a lot of anxiety and struggling with blaming herself over what happened, which only compounds her resistance to being vulnerable with Han. Even if deep down she really wants to admit her feelings, even if she desperately craves being vulnerable and physical with him, her fear and shame wonât let her.
Han has a lot of bluster, but itâs covering a very observant and caring heart. We see this time and time again. If you look closely, you can see how he consistently notices when things are wrong with his friends and then does something about it. Despite his talk of being a scoundrel, despite the aura of cool bad boy he does his best to exude in order to hide his own vulnerable heart, heâs not a misogynistic jerk whoâs just pursuing Leia for the thrill of it, to put another notch in his belt. He truly cares about her. In the first part of ESB, heâs clearly feeling very hurt by her refusal to admit her feelings for him. But even so, it seems consistent with his character that he would recognize that Leiaâs struggling, perhaps even guess some of the reasons for it, and I believe that very much informs how he approaches this moment (even if he masks it to some extent with his signature bluster).
Now for the scene itself:
When Han comes up behind her in the cramped space of the circuitry bay to lend her a hand, Leia is startled and reacts in a hypervigilant way consistent with what sheâs been through. She violently pushes him away, and he pulls back and gives her a little space. A conversation ensues in which she has a moment to calm down from her startle response and where they talk a little bit more honestly than before about what they do and donât want (she doesnât want to be called names, he wants to be treated a little nicer). This is a small but important step towards vulnerability for Leia.
When Han takes her hands, she says, âStop that, my hands are dirty.â Her hands being dirty is just a reached-for excuse, but on a sub-conscious level, it tells so much about her inner state. She feels dirty because of all the shame she carries around. She blames herself for so much. Sheâs afraid that if she lets Han in, sheâll only bring more hurt to them both. Even as a kid, this struck me deeply; not because I read this scene as toxic or diminishing to Leia in any way, but because this was during a time in my life when shame and embarrassment were weighing heavily on me; when I, too, had been through some horrible things and was afraid to get physically close or be vulnerable with anybody. So I felt what Leia was feeling in a very visceral wayâthat sense of shame, of fear and near panic, and yet at the same time that core part of myself desperately wanting things to be different, desperately wanting to let myself be loved.
Han replies, âMy hands are dirty, too. What are you afraid of?â With that, he dismantles her excuse. He addresses the shame by indicating sheâs not aloneâthey both have fears and regrets, theyâre in this together, she has nothing to be ashamed of around him. And then, he astutely hones in on the other thing that paralyses her: fear. By asking her what sheâs afraid of, heâs helping her examine her anxious/panic reaction instead of just reacting. Heâs helping her regain control of it all so that she can make the decision she truly wants. Heâs pushing her, yes, but pushing her in a helpful way that she needs right at that moment. Heâs pushing her in a way that helps her exert agency over her own fear and shame.
When she repeats âAfraid?â we see her eyes are lit up with excitement, now, another clue that she does actually want this. He points out that sheâs tremblingâshe denies it with the hint of a laughâbut in saying that, heâs telling her itâs okay to feel the way sheâs feeling. Heâs giving her permission to take the opening heâs providing her. She doesnât move away from it. Sheâs still wrestling with fear and shame, but she allows him to come closer, to slowly pry her doors open.
From there, Han declares out loud what sheâs been too ashamed and afraid to admit: that she likes him, and that one of the reasons why is that heâs able to help her wrestle with things like this, to help her live on the dangerous side for a change, to help her set her true desires free.
She continues to argue (âI happen to like nice menâ), but sheâs almost smiling at this point, completely lost in his closeness, her body language speaking her desire. Her banter at this point is just a way to fill the silence and assert some control over her feelings.
Sheâs let him approach her this closely, and since her initial statement of shame, she hasnât moved to leave or shown any sign of rejecting his advances. In fact, every indication is that she is very much into this. Saying what she wants out loud is still really scary, but Han knows that. So, after making his intentions very clear through his words and through his own body language, after slowly closing the gap between them and giving her plenty of time to react and reject his advances if she so chooses, he finally kisses her. It is not sudden; it does not come as a surprise to her. She does not squirm or stand there as if frozen. Instead, she meets him halfway, kissing him back passionately.
I certainly donât mean to suggest that someone not saying no or not moving away equals consent. People can freeze under trauma. But Leia, while certainly afraid, doesnât seem to shut down. On the contrary, she seems to welcome it and participate in it fully. Ideally, consent would be crystal clear, without a doubt, but I think thereâs much in the context of this story to indicate that Leia very much wants this and that she gets to make this decision for herself.
The deleted scene is even better, because it makes her agency and consent even more perfectly clear. After an initial kiss, Han pulls back, looking at her questioningly to see her reaction. âOkay, hot shot,â she says, and initiates the next kiss herself, drawing him closer again.
Sometimes, when youâve built up walls of fear and shame, you want someone to push past your defenses in a way that feels safe and respectful. Iâd argue this is exactly what Han is doing here. Han has given her permission to be vulnerable and respond the way she really, truly wants to, even if sheâs unable to say it out loud quite yet. Heâs made this a safe place for her to dismantle her walls for a moment. He took things slowly, making sure she had time to react, to pull away from him, to say no. She doesnât. She takes his invitation, and finds the moment of freedom, vulnerability, and passion sheâs wanted for so long. She lets herself be known.
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