Qi'ra

If you’ve just watched Solo: A Star Wars Story, and you’re wondering who this Qi'ra character is and what she’s been up to outside the events of the movie, then you’re in luck. Lady Qi'ra, as she’s known to her subordinates in the crime syndicate Crimson Dawn, has a vast and wide story arc outside her debut movie—including putting the pieces together for several important events that take place in the Original Trilogy. And among those important events is the introduction of Han to quite possibly the most legendary ship in all of Star Wars, the Millennium Falcon. 

Through the course of their rivalry, friendship, and eventual relationship, Qi'ra and Han Solo both betrayed and rescued each other multiple times, even during Han’s relationship with Leia. When Han was frozen in carbonite and delivered to Jabba’s Palace on Tatooine, it was Qi'ra who tipped Leia and Chewie off on where to find their friend. So, even through it all, you might say that Qi'ra and Han looked out for each other in the end.

Earlier in her life, however, following a failed heist with Han, Qi'ra was sold into slavery and eventually sold again to the man who would start her on the perilous journey away from the world of petty crime that she and Han had grown up in and toward something much, much darker. Under the teachings of this man, Dryden Vos, Qi'ra learned the martial arts forms of Teräs Käsi, which would eventually become integral to her reign of power over several foes—among them, even Darth Vader.

But how could even the greatest skill in martial arts stand a chance against a Force-wielding, saber-swinging Sith Lord? Well, Qi'ra not only mastered the techniques of her chosen martial art, she also fought with a pair of electroswords, which allowed her to hold her own in battle even against a lightsaber. Much like Mandalorian armor made from beskar, her electroswords had no problem withstanding a lightsaber’s strike. Qi'ra was so capable and dynamic in her duel against Vader that he even noticed similarities between her fighting style and that of Darth Sidious.

Following her apprenticeship under Dryden Vos, Qi'ra gained enough strength and power to overthrow and kill her master, which led her to the true leader of Crimson Dawn, the Sith Lord known as Darth Maul. Under his guidance, Qi'ra trained in Sith dueling practices so that she would be better prepared if she ever faced a Sith Lord in battle—which, obviously turned out to be a very wise training tactic.

Following Qi'ra’s story will take you all across the galaxy far, far away, and you’ll see plenty of familiar faces along your journey. Her character represents the strength and awe of what even those who cannot wield the Force can be capable of. You might even think of her as a darker version of Padmé or Mon Mothma, a woman inherently capable of both pulling strings behind the scenes and maintaining the impact of her power on center stage.

These Star Wars books and comics will pull you into the inner world of Lady Qi'ra, and there, you are in for an adventure even greater than the Kessel heist.