Some things I’ve been thinking about:
Han Solo was born 29 years before the battle of Yavin. that would make him 7 years old at the time of episode two, and 10 at the time of episode three. Basically, he would have been a young boy during the time of the Clone Wars.
We know from the Revenge of the Sith novelization that the Jedi were greatly revered by everyone in the galaxy during the War, and were constantly on the galactic equivalent of television (HoloNet).
Naturally, Han Solo idolizing these Jedi, as any youngling does.
A 7-year old Han Solo, on Corellia, playing Jedi vs. the Separatists with his friends.
He is constantly trying to use the Force in everything he does. He wishes that he could be a Jedi knight, like the ones on the HoloNet. He wishes he could wield a lightsaber, and move things with his mind. He efforts are, of course, fruitless every time he puts his hand in front of him and closes his eyes, and focuses with all that he has to move that pebble.
Of the Jedi, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker were the most popular and loved.
“From the beginning of the Clone Wars, the phrase Kenobi and Skywalker has become a single word. They are everywhere. HoloNet features of their operations against the Separatist enemy have made them the most famous Jedi in the galaxy. Younglings across the galaxy know their names, know everything about them, follow their exploits as though they are sports heroes instead of warriors in a desperate battle to save civilization.” (Matthew Stover in the ROTS novelization)
Obviously, Han always insists on being Anakin Skywalker (some of the other kids whisper that the famous Jedi knight is the “chosen one”, whatever that means…) when him and his friends are playing. He even painted a tree branch as his lightsaber, and makes funny sounds with his mouth that him and all the other boys laugh about.
He follows the Jedi’s movements obsessively, and he, naively, trusts the noble warriors will eventually bring an end to the War. The adults, though, are not so sure. The adults have a sickening suspicion that Jedi cannot be trusted.
But young Han Solo’s faith is unwaivering. When Chancellor Palpatine is captured by the evil General Grievous, Han eagerly watches the HoloNet. The adults fear the worst, that the separatists have won. But Han does not question for a minute that the righteous Jedi knights, Obi-Wan and Anakin, will pull through once again for the Republic.
And he’s right. The Chancellor is rescued, and everything seems like it is going fine. The Separatists will surely be defeated soon, and the War will be over.
Then, the Jedi temple is burning, like that. Over the HoloNet, Han hears that the Jedi have betrayed the Republic, and does not believe it for a minute. The unbeatable duo of Obi-Wan and Anakin are dead. The adults were all right.
Han sees pictures taken of the burning Jedi temple over the HoloNet. He burns his mock lightsaber made from a tree branch. The Empire is established, the Jedi order gone.
Han thinks, and starts to believe, that maybe the Jedi’s power was all a hoax the whole time. He stops trying to use the Force to do things. It never did work, anyways.
And when he meets the young boy Luke Skywalker and the old Ben Kenobi in the cantina of Mos Eisley, bearing the surnames of his childhood heroes, he shakes his head and decides that it must be some sort of strange coincidence.
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