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When Qi’ra saw the truth in Han
Star Wars: Most Wanted
Author: Rae Carson
Qi’ra knows Han.
In one of the key moments in Solo: A Star Wars Story, our favorite scoundrel tries to convince himself that he is, in fact, the rogue scoundrel an entire fanbase thinks he is. It’s the identity he craves, so he stands up straight, puffs out his chest, and proclaims to Qi’ra that he is a bad guy. Not beholden to anyone or anything.
But again…Qi’ra knows Han.
She tells him plainly that she is the only one that knows what he really is. He’s the Good Guy. Han smirks. Nah. He’s not. He can’t be. He won’t be. This starts a personal journey and internal struggle that will dominate Han Solo for the rest of his life. Han knows what he wants to be, but he can’t escape what he is. Qi’ra is right (she often is), Han Solo is a good guy. A legendary one.
Han Solo and Harrison Ford became icons at exactly the same time. They are forever entwined (even when Harrison doesn’t want that to be the case). Indiana Jones showed up as well and a new type of big-screen hero was born. Every generation has one, yes, but for those in the late 1970s and 1980s, this was yours. The dashing rogue with a heart of gold. Stoic yet snarky. Reserved but passionate. Loyal and brave, but on the run. You love him, and he knows it. Han Solo is the man of action who is still just normal enough to make you believe you could be him as well. Throw all those descriptors against the wall and they’ll stick. Every one of them. Han Solo is a legend for a reason.
However, this great character can too easily be watered down into bad and sometimes emotionally destructive tropes. The stoic nature can start to lack empathy. The romantic assertiveness becomes a power grab. The roguishness can lack commitment to a cause bigger than himself. And this version seems fine but, as Han Solo fans, we should want more. Han would be an incomplete character if that was it.
Which is why Qi’ra telling Han the truth, he’s a good guy, is absolutely one of the best moments in Solo: A Star Wars Story. It’s as if Han has been battling those exact tropes himself from this moment to his last one. All of this is worth its own entry. However, there was something intriguing about the conviction in Qi’ra’s belief. Where she got the belief is the more impactful moment and it happens in the novel Most Wanted by Rae Carson.
In that story, Qi’ra realizes Han’s true nature and his character is revealed in a small, intimate fashion. Though still young, she is already long used to being overlooked, underestimated, sexualized, and dismissed. Qi’ra experiences a moment of respect and finds her own strength reflected back at her.
Back on Corellia, not too long before the events of Solo, Qi’ra, Han, and their Rodian pal Tsuulo are on the run, following a botched job for Lady Proxima that leaves them tied up with some larger criminal syndicates and Proxima’s own henchmen. In a moment of vulnerability, Qi’ra takes Han and Tsuulo to the safe house she had been secretly using for years. Teenage Qi’ra and Han finally have a chance to stop and talk as friends, not rivals in the White Worm gang. Han calls her the smartest, most competent person he’s ever met. Qi’ra has to wonder if Han is just flirting. But he isn’t. Qi’ra realizes that he is being very genuine.
Actually…let’s stop and highlight the words written by Rae Carson. They’re important.
“He was acknowledging her worth from a place of genuine respect.”
Let’s be clear. Qi’ra knows who she is. This isn’t a case of Han saying something that suddenly unlocks the truth and confidence inside of her. No, no, no. Though she’s still young and developing her skills as a future—well—leader of a crime syndicate, Qi’ra knows who she is. What this moment confirms is that Han is the first person to see her as she is. He has taken the time to see her. Not a concept. Not a conquest. Not a cliché. Han sees Qi’ra completely. This goes on to be a valuable and important trait for him. He sees Beckett as he really is, saving his own hide in the process. He sees beyond the muddy, growling beast to the true partner Chewbacca can be. The naive farm boy up against impossible odds becomes the brave fighter worthy of his help. And, yes, the princess in distress becomes the fiery leader that has the strength to carry the weight of the galaxy on her shoulders while constantly inspiring and challenging him to be better. This is the core of Han Solo.
This perspective is made more powerful because it comes from the mind and eyes of Qi’ra. Let’s be honest, Han’s probably not even aware of what he’s doing and even if he was, he might brush it off as he pushes himself back toward the cool parts of being a bad guy. No, this needs to come from Qi’ra, and it was wonderfully written. Lawrence and Jon Kasdan created a great character in Qi’ra, and Emilia Clarke brought her to life, but through the words of Rae Carson (and additionally Mur Lafferty in the novelization of the movie), we get an insight to Qi’ra not previously presented. And because of that insight, we get to learn that you can’t just say you’re good, you have to be good.
A classic antihero. A dashing rogue. The good smuggler. Yes, Han Solo is all of those things. He always will be, but, rest assured, Qi’ra was right, Han Solo is a good guy. A complete good guy.