Why Lando's Actions On Cloud City Were Justified
There were many brave souls in the galaxy that stood against the tyranny of the Galactic Empire. They were selfless and noble heroes that were willing to sacrifice everything in the hopes of a better tomorrow. Among these individuals was one Lando Calrissian, a man who proved his worth countless times in the Galactic Civil War, and came out of the other side as a war hero. But despite his many great deeds, he could never escape the shadow of his past mistakes. I am speaking of course of his infamous betrayal of our heroes on Cloud City. This one deed was a constant stain on his reputation. However, I would argue that not only were his actions sensible, they were also completely justified.
To better understand the incident on Cloud City we must first examine Lando’s past with Han. After all, this preexisting relationship was the subject of the betrayal. Lando’s first encounter with Han boiled down to a prolonged business venture in service of the crime syndicate Crimson Dawn. The two met during a crooked card game and immediately butted heads. As the job went on, the group faced setback after setback with Lando seemingly taking the lion’s share of losses. By the end of the job, Lando’s prized ship, the legendary Millennium Falcon, suffered massive damage, and worst of all his copilot droid L3-37 was destroyed in the process. It was safe to say the two did not part on good terms. Adding insult to injury, Han returned to the card table and managed to win the Falcon from Lando.
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That ill-fated job was the last time Lando had seen Han in many years. Imagine his surprise when his former pride and joy appeared on his mining platform in Cloud City. Lando had every right to turn Han away or rage at his former business partner. Instead, he welcomed Han to his home. It was also worth noting that at the time of his arrival, Han had not only accrued an increasingly massive bounty from Jabba the Hutt, he had also allied with the Rebellion. Han’s involvement with the Rebellion would bring Land’s previously unnoticed business enterprise to the Empire’s attention.
Some time before our heroes arrived on Bespin, the Empire appeared on Lando’s doorstep. His guests were not some high ranking Moff or regional governor, but Darth Vader himself, flanked by Boba Fett, the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy. It was clear that Han’s past had caught up with him. There was nothing Lando could have done to save him at this point. Despite the circumstances, Lando stood his ground. His dealings with the Empire showed that even in the face of certain doom for him and his city, Lando wanted to broker a deal and make the best of a bad situation. The original arrangement he made with Vader was arguably the best possible outcome. Han would be turned over to Boba Fett, but his friends would be safe under Lando’s care.
If Han had been approached by the Empire on Cloud City first and offered the same deal, Han would very likely take the deal himself to save his friends and the many innocent lives on the mining platform. Therefore, the fact that Lando fought for the same thing despite owing Han and his friends next to nothing was unquestionably admirable. We could even argue that he took a lot of risk in arranging the deal. From the get-go Lando had little bargaining power to work with. The Empire could have easily taken what they wanted by force, so his boldness endangered not only his own life, but the lives of every citizen in Cloud City. He did it anyway to help his old friend to the best of his abilities.
“I am altering the deal. Pray I don’t alter it any further.”
When his gamble eventually backfired and the Empire showed its true colors, Lando realized that he was very close to losing everything. A lesser man may have folded, allowing the Empire to claim their ill-gotten gains, and take over his former operation. In the end, Lando did the unthinkable. When he realized there was still a chance to undo the damage, he warned all the citizens of the Empire’s threat over the platform’s loudspeakers. This was effectively treason. He had branded himself a criminal. Lando stayed the course and ultimately saved Han in the end.
To call his actions in this scenario a betrayal is an absolute injustice. It is hard to imagine how much pressure Lando was under that fateful day. Millions of lives rested on his shoulders, and he still decided to add four more to his list of problems. At the end of the day, he made a deal with the devil that he prayed would hold. When that deal went south, he did everything in his power to make it right regardless of the personal ruin it would bring him. Betrayal is the mark of a selfish coward. Lando’s actions throughout Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi showed that he was anything but. He was no angel, but when the chips were down, he was a dependable ally through and through.
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Source(s): The Star Wars Shadow Council