Photo Credit: [Solo: A Star Wars Story]Lucasfilm
Solo: A Star Wars Story includes Easter eggs and themes that enhance the viewing experience of Star Wars: The Last Jedi…
Solo: A Star Wars Story and Star Wars: The Last Jedi could not be any different from what a galaxy far, far away has to offer. The former tore the Star Wars fanbase in two, as dramatically as Anakin Skywalker’s lightsaber was ripped apart in the film.
Meanwhile, Solo: A Star Wars Story is an uplifting tale and two-plus hours of non-stop fun. Each style is needed to keep a proper balance within in the Force, and both sides can even work together in furthering the Star Wars canon lore.
For the first time since viewing Solo: A Star Wars Story, I sat down with my cold beverage and Junior Mints, watching Star Wars: The Last Jedi. For me, this particular film is The Empire Strikes Back of the new generation and one of the better made Star Wars films — keep in mind; I enjoy them all.
However, this time around, I was hit with them nostalgic feels differently, following my latest viewing of Star Wars: The Last Jedi and couldn’t quite put my finger on it — thinking to myself, “meditate on this, I will.”
After time contemplating and thinking it over, the Force provided me with the answer I was seeking. Solo: A Star Wars Story. That’s right; the scruffy looking nerf herder’s origins story connects deeply to the story of his son, Ben Solo/Kylo Ren.
Photo Credit: [Star Wars: The Last Jedi] Lucasfilm
The dice of Han Solo in Solo: A Star Wars Story
Rian Johnson made it a point to focus on a particular set of dice throughout Star Wars: The Last Jedi but didn’t quite tell the (fly) casual fan who they belonged to. The diehards knew they belonged to Han Solo himself — may he Rest in Peace — with that pair of dice first seen (briefly) hanging on the Falcon’s cockpit dashboard in Star Wars: A New Hope.
Han’s lucky charm is also seen prominently in Solo: A Star Wars Story, a symbol of good luck and fortune for the young man. Of camera and revealed in the Visual Guide for Solo: A Star Wars Story, Han used his dice to change their luck during his epic game of Sabacc with Lando Calrissian.
In the Correlian Spike variation of the card game, a player can mix up the deck and cards in all the player’s hands, if they roll doubles. Evidently, that’s what happened during this particular fated Sabacc contest.
While watching Star Wars: The Last Jedi, seeing Han’s dice hit me right in the gut with them feels, that only Star Wars dishes out — especially with Han now one with the Force.
So, when Leia and Luke honor Han at the end of Star Wars: The Last Jedi, it means even more once Kylo Ren picks up the keepsake for himself. A token once symbolizing good fortune and hope, now portrays Kylo Ren’s lack of such things.
Or, could there be hope just yet for the young (Ben) Solo? Will he embrace his father’s heart that is deep inside of him, once again?
“You have too much of your father’s heart in you, young Solo.”
Any scene in Snoke’s throne room in Star Wars: The Last Jedi is epic, but there’s one particular moment that hits home even more, especially after watching Solo: A Star Wars Story.
When the Supreme Leader tells Kylo Ren, “you have too much of your father’s heart in you, young Solo,” the connection between the two films is not lost on me one bit.
Solo: A Star Wars Story, more so than A New Hope or any of the Star Wars original trilogy films, shows the pure heart of Han Solo. One of hope, courage, and determination. So, hearing Snoke reference those same traits within Han’s son, Ben Solo; makes his fall to the Dark Side even more tragic.
Picture a young Han Solo turning to the Dark Side of the Force and becoming an agent of evil. Even though he goes down a scoundrel-like path, Han never loses his goodness or heart of gold. Kylo Ren does, however. Watching Ben Solo abandon his father’s heart and knowing what he could have become, as a good guy, is quite tragic.
Initially, I was onboard for Kylo Ren staying on a Dark path and not being a redeemed soul. However, after watching Solo: A Star Wars Story, I am now rooting for Kylo Ren to embrace his father’s heart. To embrace the pull to the light that was haunting him in The Force Awakens.
Maybe the memory of Han Solo and the dice will guide Kylo Ren back towards a noble path and one of true greatness, like his father before him.
The Kessel run compliments the Crait mines run
I get choked up every time Chewie takes his seat as Han’s co-pilot in Solo: A Star Wars Story, during the epic Kessel run. Isn’t it funny how Han keeps fibbing about how many parsecs he flies the Falcon during the legendary run?
“Not if you round down, buddy.”
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By the time we meet Han in A New Hope, he’s telling Obi-Wan and Luke he did the Kessel run in “less than 12 parsecs.” Oh, Han.
Anyways, the Kessel run on screen is an incredible Star Wars moment and Star Wars: The Last Jedi has a scene which pays homage to it — perhaps accidentally, but I think not.
When Chewie pilots the Falcon through the mines of Crait, it reminds me of the Kessel run scene from Solo: A Star Wars Story.
The danger, the fun, and the cinematography are nearly identical with both Crait and Kessell — with a “Solo” exception.
While Chewie then flying the Falcon through the mines of Crait, without his co-pilot, makes me think of better days. Days of hope. Promise. Friendship.
Next: Solo Easter eggs bind the galaxy together
That’s what Kylo Ren accomplished when killing his father. Riding us of these memories and leaving the ghost of Han Solo haunting him and us all throughout Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
Solo: A Star Wars Story is currently playing in theaters, worldwide.