Han Solo | A History Of The Galaxy's Famous Smuggler

"Never Tell Me The Odds!"

By Culture SlatePublished 2 years ago • 3 min read

If Star Wars fans thought they were similar to Luke Skywalker, they wanted to be Han Solo. Selfish yet lovable, brave but a bit of a coward, Solo has won the hearts of the many fans, aided by a truly charismatic performance from Harrison Ford, at the height of his career. How did Han Solo become the smuggler we all know and love? This was a question not a lot of us asked, to be honest, but that didn’t stop people from trying to answer it. So, here we have a brief history of the Galaxy’s most famous smuggler.

Han was born on the planet Corellia during the waning years of the Galactic Republic in 32 BBY. His father, Ovan, worked as a ship builder until he was laid off. Han’s exact relationship with his father is unknown, but the two weren’t that close, and Ovan ultimately abandoned him. After meeting the Ithorian Pjolan, Han became a Scumrat for the White Worms, a criminal gang led by Lady Proxima. He met fellow Scumrat Qi’ra. Though initially rivals, the two became close over the years, and even began a romantic relationship. As you can guess, it was not meant to be.

Han would try to escape the White Worms after an argument with Proxima, but got separated from Qi’ra at an imperial recruitment station. Hoping to become a skilled pilot and reunite with Qi’ra, the newly christened Han Solo would become a cadet in the Navy until the Mimban Campaign, where after encountering some thieves, he was reported for insubordination. Meeting Chewbacca as a fellow prisoner, the two would work together to escape, as Han had learned Shyriiwook, the native language of the Wookies, enabling them to communicate. After doing so, Chewbacca would proclaim a life debt, and Solo found a new friend.

The two would find work with a crew of space pirates led by Tobias Beckett. Soon, they would be hired by the Crimson Dawn to steal a train car of refined coaxium, the same material that resulted in Han leaving the White Worms. They were unable to acquire the material thanks to a group called the Cloud-Riders, but Solo promised to get an equivalent but unrefined shipment by making the notorious Kessel Run. Dryden Vos, the public face of the Crimson Dawn, sent his lieutenant to ensure everything went well; Qi’ra, who had made it out of the White Worms, albeit not entirely by escaping.

Qi’ra would introduce Han to another friend, Lando Calrissian, entrepreneur and gambler. Solo would try to win the Millenium Falcon from him through a game of "Corellian Spike" sabacc, however, Lando won by cheating. Still, he agreed to fly them to Kessel for a cut of the profits. Han’s crew stole the unrefined coaxium, however, one thing led to another, and Solo had to make the Kessel Run in only 12 parsecs, which he did. With the coaxium in tow, he was free to get his pay.

Meeting the Cloud-Riders convinced Han to betray the Crimson Dawn, but Beckett was not willing to go through with it. Once again, one thing led to another, Han killed Beckett, and Qi’ra killed Vos. Han and Chewie would work some jobs before heading to Numidian Prime, and re-encountering Lando. Taking away his advantage, Solo won the game and with it, the Millenium Falcon. With that, the two would begin their smuggling careers in earnest, eventually getting in debt and meeting an old man and some kid on Tatooine. The rest, as they say, is history.

Written By: Ian Smith

Source(s): Wookiepedia

Syndicated from: Culture Slate

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