Fly Casual: Han Solo vs. Indiana Jones

I know I tell a lot of jokes on this blog, and I make a lot of posts that are goofy, but more or less meaningless. But today, I want to discuss something very serious - something very near and dear to my heart. Today, I discuss which Harrison Ford role is better: Han Solo or Indiana Jones?

Normally, I start these with a quick summary of the subjects being compared. But if you aren't familiar with either of these names, then this blog really isn't the place for you. Both of these roles are played with a typical Harrison Ford swagger: Solo being the mercenary, smuggler pirate-pilot (that's hard to say) while Jones is the archaeologist with no rules, killing any Nazi or Thuggee cult member that gets in the way of precious artifacts and the museums they belong in. Jones reputation is legendary; from the fedora that he never loses to his handy whip to his rugged attitude, his cultural impact is undeniable. Having recovered the Ark of the Covenant, the Holy Grail, and a few glowing rocks in the second movie, there's a reason Indy's name has become synonymous with adventure. Solo, however, is just as iconic of a character as the pilot of the Millenium Falcon and having one of the most famous co-pilots of all time, Chewbacca. Solo has an equally impressive resume (if not more impressive) - he had a hand in destroying both Death Stars - the galaxy's ultimate weapon. Though he technically didn't destroy either, neither one would have been blown up without his contributions (I guess he gets the assists - call him Steve Nash).
No one watches Star Wars in English, anyways

One disadvantage Solo has against Jones is the fact that he's technically a sidekick. As whiny and annoying as Luke Skywalker may be, he is ultimately the one responsible for helping his father fulfill his destiny and restoring the Jedi Order. Jones, on the other hand, gets to lead whatever adventure he's on, and pretty much making it up as he goes, like he tells Sallah and Marion.

Both have a memorable cast of friends and partners. Indy gets to roll with people like Sean Connery and Short Round (to whom I apologize for not calling him Dr. Jones). Solo gets to roll with Chewie, though, and who wouldn't want to do that. He also made friends with a whole tribe of Ewoks, something that we all want to do. He's also cool with Lando Calrissian, and Lando + Colt 45 = a good time (can you imagine when Solo, Lando, and Chewie get together? That must be a wild time). And each has some less desirable companions: Indy has Kate Capshaw; Solo has Luke, Jabba, and just about every bounty hunter in the galaxy.

However, the one thing that separates Han Solo from Indy is his ability to get the girl in the end. Although Indy has a different female companion in each of the 3 movies, he can never seem to keep them around. Solo, however, ended up with Princess Leia without even trying. He spent most of the trilogy mocking her, and when she finally confessed her love for him, he simply replied, well you know what he said. Even though he was constantly disrespectful, it worked anyway. You may be thinking, "Wait a second. In the fourth movie, Indiana Jones and Marion reunite and get married." But as far as this blog is concerned, the fourth Indiana Jones movie never happened and, therefore, doesn't count. So to that, I say, "I don't know what you're talking about." Solo gets the girl and the win.
And Leia doesn't scream every five minutes

PS: Call me a nerd, but I'm going there. Not only does Han shoot first, but Indy does as well.