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Greedo I've been looking forward to killing you for a long time.

 

Han: I bet you have.

 

Suddenly the slimy alien disappears in a blinding flash of light. Han pulls his smoking gun from beneath the table as the other patron look on in bemused amazement. Han gets up and starts out of the cantina, flipping the bartender some coins as he leaves.

"Over my dead body," Solo said unamiably.

 

[Greedo] was not impressed. "If you insist. Will you come outside with me, or must I finish it here?"

 

"I don't think they'd like another killing in here," Solo pointed out.

 

Something which might have been a laugh came from the creature's translator. "They'd hardly notice. Get up, Solo. I've been looking forward to this for a long time. You've embarrassed me in front of Jabba for the last time."

 

"I think you're right."

 

Light and noise filled the little corner of the cantina, and when it had faded, all that remained of the unctuous alien was a smoking, slimy spot on the stone floor.

 

Solo brought his hand to the smoking weapon it held out from beneath the table, drawing bemused stares from several of the cantina's patrons and clucking sounds from its more knowledgeable ones. They had known the creature had committed its fatal mistake in allowing Solo the chance to get his hands under cover.

 

^{_{Star Wars (novelization) Chapter 7}}

Greedo I've been looking forward to killing you for a long time.

Han: I bet you have.

Suddenly the slimy alien disappears in a blinding flash of light. Han pulls his smoking gun from beneath the table as the other patron look on in bemused amazement. Han gets up and starts out of the cantina, flipping the bartender some coins as he leaves.

"Over my dead body," Solo said unamiably.

[Greedo] was not impressed. "If you insist. Will you come outside with me, or must I finish it here?"

"I don't think they'd like another killing in here," Solo pointed out.

Something which might have been a laugh came from the creature's translator. "They'd hardly notice. Get up, Solo. I've been looking forward to this for a long time. You've embarrassed me in front of Jabba for the last time."

"I think you're right."

Light and noise filled the little corner of the cantina, and when it had faded, all that remained of the unctuous alien was a smoking, slimy spot on the stone floor.

Solo brought his hand to the smoking weapon it held out from beneath the table, drawing bemused stares from several of the cantina's patrons and clucking sounds from its more knowledgeable ones. They had known the creature had committed its fatal mistake in allowing Solo the chance to get his hands under cover.

^{_{Star Wars (novelization) Chapter 7}}

The novelization (which, despite having Lucas' name on the cover, was actually written by Alan Dean Foster but presumably approved by Lucas) also contradicts Lucas' statement:

However, as phantom42 notes in comments, they've been slowly rectifying this over the years:

The novelization (which, despite having Lucas' name on the cover, was actually written by Alan Dean Foster and presumably approved by Lucas) also contradicts Lucas' statement:

However, they've been slowly rectifying this with subsequent releases:

• The initial controversy came from the 1997 Special Edition release

• In the 2004 DVD release, the timing is shortened slightly; Greedo fires first, but only just. A diligent YouTuber compares the 2004 scene to the 1977:

 
• In the 2011 Blu-Ray release, it's shortened again; Han and Greedo now shoot at basically the exact same time. The 2011 scene is also on YouTube:

• The initial controversy came from the 1997 Special Edition release

• In the 2004 DVD release, the timing is shortened slightly; Greedo fires first, but only just. A diligent YouTuber has compared the 2004 scene to the 1977

• In the 2011 Blu-Ray release, it's shortened again; Han and Greedo now shoot at basically the exact same time. The 2011 scene is also on YouTube.