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Star Wars' Billy Dee Williams says Lando blowing up the Death Star in Return of the Jedi was heroic redemption for his betrayal In The Empire Strikes Back
Billy Dee Williams is relieved that Lucasfilm put Lando in a more heroic direction for Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
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You can’t help but love Lando Calrissian. Maybe it’s his smile, his swagger, his cape, or maybe it’s just the way that Billy Dee Williams plays him. Either way, we can’t help but love this rogue. However, there was a time when feelings towards the character were more mixed.
Lando Calrissian first appeared in the 1980’s Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. The former smuggler was the administrator of a mining facility called Cloud City. He offered Han Solo and Princess Leia sanctuary as they hid from the Galactic Empire, but Lando later betrayed them, handing them over to Darth Vader.
It was a nuanced situation, as Lando was deceived by Darth Vader, who threatened to take over Cloud City. Lando turned the tables on the Empire in the third act, helping Leia escape, and saving Luke after his duel with Vader. However, some Star Wars fans still regarded Lando as a traitor. Luckily, 1983’s Return of the Jedi gave the character a chance at redemption. During the film, Lando piloted the Millenium Falcon and blew up the Death Star.
Speaking to a crowd at Tampa Bay Comic Convention, Billy Dee Willaims recalls his reaction to reading the Return of the Jedi script for the first time. “I was really looking forward to it,” Williams said. “I didn’t know what direction they wanted to take after The Empire Strikes Back, so when I was given the assignment to blow up the Death Star, that was a heroic act, I was quite pleased with it, because I love the idea of playing heroes.”
In addition to blowing up the Death Star, Lando also played an integral role in rescuing Han Solo from Jabba the Hutt. This act cleared his metaphorical ledger from the previous film. While some fans still give Lando a hard time for betraying Han, Billy Dee holds his head high. After all, he’s the one who got to blow up the Death Star.
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