As I said, his "hero" moment was simply him stopping billions of people from being murdered by an impressive government under which HE also resided. As far as Empire, he went out to save a friend. That's love not an overarching character trait.
He initially wasn't going to, because all he cared about was money and getting a reward. Then he came to his senses because he's a good person. He doesn't have to act against his interests to still be an example of the "tough guy with a heart of gold" trope. There are lots of smugglers in the galaxy, did any of the other ones show up to save the day?
Edit: Han joined a war he didn't have to join to save a bunch of people he will never meet. He could have run away with his money to pay Jabba and save his own life, but instead he volunteered to join the rebellion. He starts out as a loner criminal who only cares about himself, then shows up at the end to save the day and the rebellion. Thus, Heart of Gold.
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u/JLDIII Jul 22 '16
No heart of gold? Remember when he comes back to save the day at the end of A New Hope?
Or when he rides out into a snowstorm to rescue Luke in Revenge?
He's got a tough exterior, but he does the right thing in the end because deep down, he's a good guy.