A one in a million find in a university library may finally settle one of pop culture's greatest debates. According to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC), librarian Kristian Brown of the University of New Brunswick stumbled upon an extremely rare early draft of the script for Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope while in the process of digitizing the school's entire science fiction archive. The script, which is labelled as a 'fourth draft' and bound in blue paper bearing the official Lucasfilms insignia, has the answer to a question that has haunted fans of the space saga for years: Who Shot First?
Ever since Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope debuted in theatres in 1977, fans have been fixated on of the film's most memorable scenes.
The scene in question features the smuggler Han Solo (Harrison Ford) meeting with Jabba the Hut's henchman Greedo at the Cantina Bar on the planet Tatooine. Greedo demands that Han settle his debts with the Hut. However the two can't agree and end up in a blaster duel with Han emerging victorious.
The debate centres on whom among the two fired first. The quick cuts employed during the scene make it difficult to pinpoint who the aggressor was. While re mastered versions of the film such as the 1997 edition, make it seem like Han Solo acted out of self-defence which to some Star Wars purists, drastically alters their view on the character and the whole scene in general.
Well according to Kristian Brown, his rare discovery proves that Han indeed shot first. "I'll tell you one thing, right now," Brown told CBC, "Based on the script, I can tell you 100 per cent, Han shot first."
Hopefully this settles the new 40 year old debate and lets Star Wars fans rest easy now.
