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Why Fans Hate Solo: A Star Wars Story

Solo: A Star Wars Story is coming to theaters this week, and it’s safe to say that not that many people want to see it. Expectations for the next Star Wars movie are at an all time low. But what is the reason for this? There are quite a few reasons, but there is one that seems to get a lot of attention. It’s a question that seems to pop up a lot on the internet; are fans upset with this film because they don’t want to know Han’s origin?

Well, you might be surprised by the answer…It’s quite the opposite really! Most hard-core fans have low expectations for this film because they already have what they consider to be a perfectly good origin story for Han Solo. Some people think this film is cheapening their childhood memories by not only wiping 40 years of Solo continuity from existence, but also replacing it with something that they expect to be inferior. These fans are perfectly justified for having those feelings, but that doesn’t mean that they will come true! So, let’s find this out, shall we?

We’re going to cover the fan-accepted origin story of Han Solo as established in the original Extended Universe, so that when you go see Solo: A Star Wars Story, you can judge for yourself which version is better! That way, the decision of who is right is up to you! Ready? Let’s begin!

The Surprising Origin of Han Solo

The abbreviated story, which was once canon under the Star Wars Expanded Universe, goes something like this…

Han Solo was born on a highly civilized and well-respected planet called Corellia, seven years before the Clone Wars began. The specifics of his birth and early years of life are unknown, due to him suffering memory loss. However, it was known that he was orphaned at a very early age. Living on the streets, Han Solo was soon discovered by ex-bounty hunter Garris Shrike. Shrike immediately put Han Solo to work as a pickpocket and thief, discovering that the boy had great skill. Han’s natural wit and charm allowed him to pull of heists that many others couldn’t. During that time, Han Solo met the Wookiee Dewlanna who was serving under Shrike as ship’s cook. She took the boy under her wing and practically raised him; teaching him to be a good person and various life skills; including her language, Shyriiwook.

Due to several scams executed under Shrike’s leadership, Han also quickly learned how to fend for himself, and even discovered that he had an uncanny ability for piloting.

Not too long after joining Shrike, Han surprisingly learned that he was descended from Corellian royalty! His ancestor was a benevolent king who had introduced democracy to the planet. Ecstatic for the possibility of meeting his family, Solo ran away from Shrike to track down his surviving relatives. Unfortunately, this went horribly wrong when Han learned that his aunt and cousin were sadistic and mad. They quickly betrayed Solo back to Shrike.

Solo’s remaining career under Shrike was quite legendary; his first indirect encounter with Boba Fett was probably the standout of these formative years, as it hinted a famous rivalry lasting their entire lives. But eventually, tiring of Shrike’s villainy, Solo once more tried to leave him. Sadly, Shrike attempted kill Solo instead of letting him leave in peace, and it was only the sacrifice of Dewlanna that allowed Solo to escape. As a result, Han Solo swore that he would always show kindness to Wookiees, no matter the cost.

A few years, and a couple of shady undertakings later, Han Solo entered to most interesting and surprising part of his life: service in the Imperial Navy! Believe it or not, Han had always dreamed of becoming an Imperial pilot, and thanks to some connections he made earlier (which take place in ‘The Paradise Snare’ by A.C. Crispin if you want to learn about them), Han Solo was accepted into the highly prestigious Imperial Academy. Solo quickly gained a reputation as the best pilot in the Navy; pulling off maneuvers that others thought impossible. He graduated the academy with top honors and immediately became a Lieutenant in the Imperial Navy. As an Imperial Officer, something would happen to him that would change his life forever.

Han Solo was assigned to a duty related to slaving. It was here that he saw the atrocity and evil of the Empire by witnessing the slavery of Wookiee children. He watched in horror as Wookiee adults and children were forced to build monuments to Imperial dictators. When one of the slaves, named Chewbacca, revolted against his captors, Han Solo could not stand idly by and let the Wookiee be killed. So, Solo turned on his commanding officer and fled with Chewbacca into space. The Wookiee swore a life-debt to Han, serving him forever in return for his life.

After that, Han became involved with many crime-lords (including his fateful employment under Jabba The Hutt) and various schemes as he ran from the empire. He gained infamy wherever he went, and bad luck seemed to follow him everywhere. It seemed as if everyone wanted to kill him! During these years of living in danger, Han met a gambler named Lando Calrissian and won two very important things; a valuable friendship with the charismatic Lando and a gambling victory against him which gained Solo the legendary Millennium Falcon. Unfortunately, Solo’s friendship with Lando turned sour when Solo was tricked into losing money that he owed Lando during a job they pulled together. It would be years before the legendary scoundrels forgave each other.

The rest is history, as the remainder of Solo’s unlucky smuggling career, and his ill-luck with Jabba, is already summed-up in A New Hope! No matter which origin you prefer, Han Solo will still always be regarded as ‘the best pilot in the galaxy’, and one of the greatest anti-heroes in cinema history.

So, what do you think of these origins? If you see Solo, please let us know what you thought and how you think it compares to this version!

(NOTE: For a more in-depth account of Solo’s life, read ‘The Courtship of Princess Leia’ and ‘Han Solo Trilogy’)

Who Are the Knights of Ren?

Last Jedi Spoilers Ahead!

Some people were not happy with Star Wars: The Last Jedi. The film seems to have split the fans down the middle. There are those that love it and those that hate it. There are people who don’t fit into either of those two groups of course, but those two viewpoints have received the most attention. What if I told you that there’s a way that might satisfy both viewpoints in the future? What if I told you that the key to respecting both groups of people (as much as much as possible, you can never please everyone) can be found with one simple question.

This question, if answered correctly, could save the Star Wars storyline from some serious problems in the future, and it might even help them improve the plot. Well, it’s a possible solution. What’s this question, you might ask?

“Who are the Knights of Ren?”

It can’t be that simple, right? ‘The answer to a single question can’t do that much for a story’, you might think. And you’d be right, if we took the question at face value. But if we dig deeper and look at how the answer affects other points in the plot, we might find the question is deeper than it might seem.

Let me start at the beginning. What do we know for sure about the Knights of Ren so far? Practically nothing, except for the fact that Kylo Ren leads them and that they’re the origin of his ominous name. They’re supposed to be elite warriors based on what the filmmakers have said. That’s not a lot to go on, is it? Maybe there’s something more to this group than meets the eye, especially since Kylo Ren thinks they’re important enough to name himself after! Why would Ben Solo change his name to Kylo Ren instead of something like ‘Kylo, Master of Ren’ or some other fancy Dark Side title. I might be thinking too hard about it, and it could be as simple as it sounds. But, I believe that he chose to name himself after the group he led because they were crucial to what he would become.

Let’s say, for the sake of argument, that Kylo is very close to the Knights on a personal level and he’s not just their leader. What would make the Knights so special to him? What if the Knights were always with him? What if the Knights of Ren were there since Kylo’s days in Jedi training?

What if the Knights of Ren are the other Jedi apprentices…

Can we assume that Snoke would be able to manipulate more of Luke Skywalker’s students than just Kylo Ren? In both episode VII and VIII it was stated Snoke had twisted Kylo’s mind from a distance, without Luke even realizing it was happening until it was too late. I don’t think it’s too much to say Snoke could have done this with the other students as well. Snoke showed that he could read every thought of someone as powerful as Kylo and connect the minds of Rey and Kylo over vast distances, so it’s not a stretch to say that he could’ve twisted the minds of less powerful Jedi.

If that’s true, why not take it a step further? Why couldn’t Luke be manipulated by Snoke as well? What if, when Luke went to attack Kylo in his sleep in The Last Jedi, it wasn’t the Luke we know. What if his mind was being poisoned by Snoke against his will? ‘But he’s too powerful for that!’, you might think, and you’re right. Luke doesn’t follow through with what his poisoned mind tried to do, he snaps out of it at the last second. Instead of hesitation or second thoughts, I think it’s plausible that his change of heart might have been him breaking free from the Dark Side Influence and going back to his right mind.

This would also explain why Luke felt so guilty and tried to hide when Rey came looking for him. Not only did he lose most of his students to the Dark Side, with his own nephew as their leader no less, but he was also manipulated himself into doing something against his own beliefs… Something he swore he would never do, but he did and he’s afraid that he might do it again, so he hid away from the galaxy. That way Snoke could never control him again.

After that, nothing could stop Snoke from pitting his new apprentices against one another as a test for Kylo. They could’ve fought until Kylo was the only one left; a brutal way to ensure Kylo would walk down the path to the Dark Side, and an explanation for why he doubts the Dark Side in Episode VII. It certainly shows why Kylo would want to kill Snoke so badly.

And so, when Snoke finally dies Luke decides to face his nephew and leave his exile. The threat of his mind being manipulated by Snoke’s power would finally be over! This might also be why Luke ultimately sacrifices himself. Snoke’s power could have prevented Luke from manifesting as a Force Ghost. Luke would be far more powerful than Rey and Kylo as a Force Ghost, just like Obi-Wan and Yoda. So, it’s possible that when he was freed from Snoke, he could have let himself be killed to ascend to an even greater power. Maybe that last one is a bit of a stretch even for me, but it might be possible.

This solution isn’t perfect, and it won’t please everyone but it’s a start! And think about the implications this could have on the plot moving forward! Not only would it help fix some of the problems that fans had with the movie, but it would open amazing new possibilities for telling stories… maybe we can even see more of Snoke and his origins in the future…

What do you think? Do you have any other ideas to help the story of Star Wars in the future? We’d love to hear them!

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The Original Story of Han Solo!

This Question Can Fix Star Wars: Who Are the Knights of Ren?

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