"Mal Reynolds vs Han Solo" Topic

Han has the Falcon *and* a blaster based on a broom-handled Mauser. No contest.

Han.
He shoots second!

I like Mal more, but his creation was inspired by Han.

It's important to note that there is no controversy whatsoever that Mal would have shot first!

Mal…19

Han…11

Draw/undecided…10

But the race has strong runners in both lanes, so it is not over yet!

:)

Surely no one can say they'd want to serve on Serenity based on the fact that they stand a better chance of surviving a trip? By my count two Serenity crew are killed because of actions taken by the captain/crew/ship. Only one person is killed of the Falcon's crew/passengers, and even then it is only because he let himself be killed. Based on those stats, it's clearly safer on the Falcon.

It should be noted that the comments of the Falcon having guns, well it doesn't come with guns, Lando added them to assist with his smuggling runs.

Crew being safer…Serenity 2005 PG-13 compared to Star Wars 1977-83 PG…surely Serenity would have been an R in 77-83…hundreds of shots down range in Star Wars hits like rain drops where as in Serenity you got shot, speared through the leg, and people actually die if they are shot at.

Crash your ship in Star Wars…walk away, pull the ship out of the mud, and fly away again.

Crash your ship in Serenity and at least the pilot dies.

So survivability comes down to a sense of reality I guess IMO.

Serenity was a direct gamable version of the Traveller RPG. Which is a good thing. I have played games of Star Wars universe using Traveller and it worked just fine but the survivability factor was different…a dozen storm troopers sending a hail of rounds your way is certainly a bad thing.

James Caan, Al Pacino, Jack Nicholson, Robert De Niro and Burt Reynolds turned down the role of Han Solo…what did they think was so bad about the Solo character or was it the little science fiction film itself :)

So the writers granting a measure of luck to the charismatic scoundrel has a long history in all media…certainly these to guys have this in bucket loads.

Actual good luck bad luck ratio is probably a wash in the actual end.

I am not trying to turn one opinion either way…I like both of them, their ships, their life choices, and their friends.

Win win in my book…and as the writer I would give them both lots of favorable good luck with just enough bad luck to make it fun.

Good responses and comments…fun topic.

*****

In a gaming end, I would be perfectly happy to serve with either captain, either ship, in either universe.

Considering nothing but the two characters themselves:

Solo

I'm going with Mal.

And as far as luck goes…

Mal survived 14 TV episodes AND a movie.

Han survived 3 movies.

Mal's luck can't be all that bad.

The Other Tim

Another vote for Mal, but only by the narrowest of margins.

Tally one for Han.
Although I really like Mal, Han IS the original, so to speak.
Everything else is personal preference… kinda the same character in most ways.
I like to imagine that after Episode 6, Han pushes Leia off a tall building and claims all the insurance money, then goes back to smuggling cargo under the noses of New Republic customs frigates…

It's got to be Han.
Who else would deliberately fly into an asteroid field against impossible odds? Certainly not some loser that needs a larger crew to run his ship and written by a hack writer.

Oh, if we're considering ship's crews, I'd choose Serenity for four key reasons -- Kaylee, Inara, Zoe, and River.

I'll be in my bunk.

"written by a hack writer"

…wow…

Ships (and pilots) Serenity versus Millennium Falcon, Falcon wins easily. Serenity is canonically a slower than light ship, and is unarmed. Wash versus Chewie for piloting: it's a wash (haw!) Both are great pilots with great ships. I'd give the edge to the ship with guns.

Scruffy Captains In a straight-up death match, Mal is the Determinator. He'll take hits and keep fighting. OTOH, Han seems to luck out pretty often. Blasters seem flashier but no more deadly than guns. In the end, let's call this a draw… depending on the situation, I could see either winning.

First Officer Zoe and Chewie are an interesting match. Both are good marksmen and solid in hand-to-hand combat. I'd say that if it gets to melee, Chewie's got it. On the other hand, Chewie's up against TWO crewmen: Wash and Zoe. Not only do they have numbers, but both are devoted to defending the other, and DEADLY as a team (ask Adlai Niska). The Washburne family if they're together, Chewie if he's facing either alone.

Jayne vs… Chewie? Again? Has anyone noticed that Chewbacca fills a large number of crew positions? Give the wookie a break. Yes, he could probably kill Jayne, but let's assume that Jayne's passed out drunk and won't be appearing.

Perky Engineer R2D2 and Kaylee are a surprising matchup. Kaylee does have her incredible cuteness (and, later, hotness). But R2 seems to be better at hacking computers. Plus, he's equipped with a host of random tools and equipment. But the deciding factor is R2's unquestionable courage. He's an indominable little droid. Kaylee, meanwhile, is frankly a coward. Winner: R2 by a mile.

Old Man Spiritual Mentor Obi Wan versus Shepherd Book. Whoa. Shepard is dangerous with a gun or even hand-to-hand. But let's face it, Obi Wan is a Jedi. Winner: Obi Wan Kenobi.

Hot Chick Framed this way, it's Inara versus Leia. If this was a cage match, Leia would have it. But since it's the Hot Chick Match, the use of Wiles is authorized. And nobody has more wiles than Inara Serra. Leia might still win this one… but after considering this very carefully and from every possible angle, I'm convinced that this will end up in bed. A tie? Hardly. When Inara and Leia hook up, EVERYONE wins.

Useless Bumbling Aristocrat C3P0 versus Simon Tamm. Simon's medical training is admittedly useless versus a droid designed and constructed by Darth Vader. But C3P0 is useless versus any situation including, it appears, walking around. Simon by a mile.

Teenage Psychic Super-Warrior Luke versus… River Tamm? Are you ing serious? Jedi shmedi. Luke loses both hands, and now River's got a light saber. Ho ho ho. Now that I think of it, then she would probably mow through everyone else on the Falcon until she got to Leia and Inara, and then.. and then.. I'll be in my bunk.

"…and now River's got a light saber. Ho ho ho."

Oooh, extra points for the Die Hard reference!

Serenity is canonically a slower than light ship,

Seriously? Never watched the programme but this surprises me. So they spend their entire time travelling around in one, perhaps two tops, star systems?

I go for Mal. C'mon, if he can deal with Yo Saf Bridge, then he can handle anything!

link
firefly.wikia.com/wiki/Saffron

YouTube link

Dan
TMP link

Seriously? Never watched the programme but this surprises me. So they spend their entire time travelling around in one, perhaps two tops, star systems?

They don't really explain it; some theories suggest that the show takes place in a sort of bizarre super solar system containing lots of planets/moons (based on one of the intros). As in most sci-fi shows/movies, celestial bodies would appear to have fixed locations.

When Serenity goes to "full burn", that's using the rear-mounted nuclear pulse drive. The side-mounted jet engines are for in-atmosphere use. That's why there are so many moons-- you have one huge system with a ton of planets. They mention it in passing in the intro narration for the movie. Obviously not terribly plausible scientifically.

@Javelin, thanks, was wondering if someone would spot that. ;)

"Perky Engineer R2D2 and Kaylee are a surprising matchup. Kaylee does have her incredible cuteness (and, later, hotness). But R2 seems to be better at hacking computers. Plus, he's equipped with a host of random tools and equipment. But the deciding factor is R2's unquestionable courage. He's an indomitable little droid. Kaylee, meanwhile, is frankly a coward. Winner: R2 by a mile"

Hmmm I have been right along with you in your considerations but in this one there is issue…R2D2 can't even reach the engines, pick up a part/tool bigger than a apple, etc. so as an engineer/technician he is little more than a mobile diagnostic tool with personality

"R2 hand me the RT-7 Splorg Greeble"

"beep poo pi beep brrrurp"

"say what?"

"eeee…beep…poo..pi…beep…brrrurp"

"C3PO!"

…waits 3 minutes for mancy pants to shuffle over…

"translate please"

"R2D2?"

"beep poo pi beep brrrurp"

"he says no"

"what do you mean no?"

"bleep poing pop brrr beep beep fring beep boop"

"he has little fingers and can't pick up a canned ham much less a RT-7 Splorg Greeble"

"Seriously? Never watched the programme but this surprises me. So they spend their entire time travelling around in one, perhaps two tops, star systems?"

It surprises me that you have not watched Firefly/Serenity :(

"Teenage Psychic Super-Warrior Luke versus… River Tamm? Are you Bleeped texting serious? Jedi shmedi. Luke loses both hands, and now River's got a light saber. Ho ho ho. Now that I think of it, then she would probably mow through everyone else on the Falcon until she got to Leia and Inara, and then…and then…I'll be in my bunk"

I also grant you Die Hard props.

But I think this may be closer than noted. With Luke's force push and telekinesis this could go either way, but no matter what I want Genndy Tartakovsky or Dave Filoni to direct the animated battle!

Yes, 28mmMan. I see Joss Whedon as a hack writer as I've seen several of the things he's worked on and found none of them even remotely entertaining.

Granted Lucas isn't a literary genius, but then he's making fantasy.

So for me this wasn't even a contest, Han always. Don't even talk to me about this other guy.

honestly I can name other sci-fi I'd watch over Star Wars, which some might see as blaspheme.

Solo and it's easy as to why.

When confronted with an opponent Solo wasted Greedo cunningly and ruthlessly. He only spoke enough to distract Greedo so he could kill him.

In the Serenity movie Reynolds nearly talked his nemesis to death and in the end only wounded him…deliberately.

In a confrontation between the two Reynolds would be waxing poetic while Solo puts a hole in his head.

Solo, no doubt about it. He has that ruhtless killer instinct while Reynolds is a romantic blowhard.

Wartopia I see where you were going with this but your example is a bit skewed as Greedo was a common thug and is not even marginally close in value to Jubal Early much less the subject of your thought, the nameless and rankless Operative…the assassin sent after them.

When Mal met up with a common thug, a much bigger and tougher thug, he kicked him into the engine intake and then put the next guy in line up for the same…cold blooded…Han would have hid behind Chewie :)

YouTube link

Sargonarhes if you find Josh a hack, Lucus not up to snuff, and would rather watch something else…then I celebrate your option to do so :)

It is quite nice to have choices.

…sure, Han shot first, but Mal shot an unarmed man (so for ruthless, Mal wins).

Since Han has been re-engineered by his creator NOT to have shot first, he doesn't even get these points. A wussy who shoots second? Compared to Mal and the unarmed prisoner shoved into the jet engine intake? Puh-LEEZE.

Mal, all by himself, easily dusts Han. And I like Han. He's a lucky guy. And a likeable scoundrel. But here's the situation, you judge:

You are a member of their crew, and for whatever valid reason, you have been left behind. I think

A) – Mal comes for you because he never leaves a man behind, whereas …
B) Han comes for you only if it will score points with the chicks.

I'd trust and respect Mal. I'd like but keep an eye on Han.

Mal wins.

And if you count his crew, he wins big time.

And regarding his ship. Which takes more guts? Going from place to place in a slowish transport with no weapons, or zipping from place to place in a lightning fast ship with loads of guns?

Mal wins, easy.

When I was young I thought Lucas was great, but that's nostalgia talking. I've just found sci-fi I like better than Star Wars since.

I'm trying to think of another rogue to compare here, but the original Starbuck is the only other rogue character I can think of. There really aren't enough rogues in sci-fi really.

Who would I follow into battle? Mal hands down.

Who do I want having my back in a bar fight? Han!

To be honest I'd ignore both of them and hang out in the engine room with Kaylee…

Hmmmm other rouges gallery types from popular media eh?

Ok

Farscape's captain…hmmm the ship is alive and linked to the pilot, the crew all tend to agree what to do…the role of Capt rotates by the day

Moya

*****

Captain is a Col…Col Young

Destiny

crew

*****

Captain Miller (event horizon)

Lewis and Clark

crew

*****

How about Captain Harcourt Fenton Mudd?

Unregistered J-Class

crew

*****

Captain Eo? heee heee

The Eo

crew

Well, if we include these, then I will be on board Moya.

Captain EO, Yeah!