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We know from Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back (1980) that Darth Vader, after arriving on Hoth just before the Millennium Falcon escaped from Echo Base, decided to capture Han Solo and use him as a bait to trap Luke Skywalker. I don't remember but I did read somewhere that Vader took the idea from Boba Fett by remembering a conversation he had with the bounty hunter on Ord Mantell. I have been looking -without success- for a canon source of that aforementioned conversation in order to determine who really came up with the idea of using Solo as a bait to catch Luke.

I only found in Boba Fett Legends that...

Fett discussed using Solo to capture Skywalker on several occasions and, after one such meeting on Ord Mantell, Fett received word that bounty hunters in his own employ had managed to capture Solo over Hoth and were holding him at a remote location. By the time Fett arrived, however, Solo had escaped.

Still image from Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back

The only mention of Ord Mantell in the movie is made by Solo:

INT. HOTH - REBEL BASE - ICE CORRIDOR

LEIA: Han!

Han stops in the corridor and turns to face Leia.

HAN: Yes, Your Highnessness?
LEIA: I thought you decided to stay.
HAN: Well, the bounty hunter we ran into on Ord Mantell changed my mind.
LEIA: Han, we need you!

Update:

I found the meeting on Ord Mantell between Vader and Fett where the Bounty Hunter developed in the Dark Lord of the Sith's mind the idea of using Solo to lure Luke. The source is the Graphic novel Classic Star Wars, Vol. 3: Escape To Hoth (1996) by Archie Goodwin with art by Al Williamson.

Even though the aforementioned belongs to Legends, it could help to find a potential canonical response.

Images from Classic Star Wars, Vol. 3: Escape To Hoth (1996)

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  • it's a very recent comic - but here's some official canon stuff that addresses Vader / Solo prior to Cloud City and Vader's decision to go after Solo - starwarsnewsnet.com/2021/05/…
    – NKCampbell
    Commented Jun 4, 2021 at 16:18

1 Answer 1

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+100

Looking into timeline, we see, that Vader himself devised the plan: https://starwars.fandom.com/wiki/Duel_on_Cloud_City

[Vader] arrived in the hangar where the Falcon had been docked just in time to see the ship leave and, recognizing it, he concocted a plan to capture it and its crew. Vader hoped that if he could capture and torture Skywalker's friends, the young Jedi would feel their pain through the Force and attempt to rescue them.

Vader saw, that Luke and Han went different way, and so he may now try to capture Han and use him as a bait. In case of Ord Mantell I think that was just a trap to capture Solo for the bounty.

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    Your quote appears to be from the fan-written wiki. Can you offer anything more solid?
    – Valorum
    Commented Dec 3, 2021 at 6:50
  • @Valorum It is about timeline of what we know from movie - Vader saw that Solo and Luke went different ways and then devised a plan. Commented Dec 3, 2021 at 8:32
  • 2
    Yes, but he was also evidently in touch with bounty hunters and possibly the Emperor during the same time period. How do you know it wasn't them that came up with the idea?
    – Valorum
    Commented Dec 3, 2021 at 10:11
  • @Valorum I am referring to the movie timeline (Vader orders to capture Millennium Falcon and after that talks to emperor and bounty hunters) Commented Dec 3, 2021 at 11:14

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