How Shadow of the Sith can connect to the Lando series

Warning: This article contains spoilers from Shadow of the Sith. 

One of the most emotional aspects of Adam Christopher’s Shadow of the Sith is reading about Kadara Calrissian, Lando Calrissian’s daughter who was kidnapped six years before the events of the novel. A flashback showing Lando laughing and playing with his daughter is particularly emotional and shows how much Lando cherished his daughter, with Lando not even being upset and just laughing alongside his daughter when she accidentally spills ice cream on his beloved collection of capes.

Unfortunately, Lando does not make any headway in the search for Kadara in Shadow of the Sith, and he still hasn’t found her by The Rise of Skywalker, which takes place about 14 years after Shadow of the Sith, and about 20 years since she was first kidnapped. Of course, the tragedy of losing his daughter makes Lando’s stake in the mission to prevent young Rey from being kidnapped by Ochi of Bestoon much more personal.

Despite being a dark story that ends in tragedy for Rey’s parents, Shadow of the Sith‘s ending is also filled with hope for Lando in the search for his daughter. With this story making fans more invested in Lando’s missing daughter than ever before, it is time to fulfill the promise of that hope and tell the story of Lando finally reuniting with Kadara.

The Lando television series that was announced at Disney Investor Day in 2020 is the perfect opportunity to tell that story. Even though the show was announced a year and a half ago, fans still don’t know anything about this story other than that it will focus on Lando and that the story is being developed by Dear White People creator Justin Simien. Fans don’t even know if Lando will be played by Donald Glover, Billy Dee Williams, or by both of them in the series.

In addition to the unresolved story of Kadara Calrissian, Shadow of the Sith emphasizes another element of Lando’s story that can be used in his television series: the Calrissian Chronicles. Fans may remember the Calrissian Chronicles as Lando’s self-narrated, exaggerated memoirs that were introduced in Solo: A Star Wars Story. Lando rediscovers his younger self’s Calrissian Chronicle recordings in Shadow of the Sith, and by the end of the book, he begins a new chapter of the Calrissian Chronicles that tells the story of him and Luke hunting Ochi of Bestoon.

The Lando series should use the format of the Calrissian Chronicles to tell stories through various chapters of Lando’s life. This would allow both Donald Glover and Billy Dee Williams to play Lando, depending on when each chapter of the Calrissian Chronicles take place.

Some or all of the Billy Dee Williams chapters of Lando’s story can pick up after The Rise of Skywalker. Both the movie and the novelization make it clear that Lando is going to go on adventures to help Jannah learn more about herself and where she comes from. The novelization also emphasizes that Lando and Jannah will help reunite others with their families after the First Order tore them apart, and Lando even considers the possibility of finding his daughter:

"“Lando and the Lady Luck would help these special kids. Find their families, if that’s what they wanted. Help them discover their new place in the galaxy. Heck, maybe he’d find his daughter. Probably not; he knew the odds. But that would be a pretty good way to spend his twilight years, right?”"

With Jannah at his side–someone who was kidnapped by the First Order as a child and who became a First Order stormtrooper before defecting–Lando may finally find his daughter. Given his loss and his story in Shadow of the Sith, helping families reunite also feels like a fitting continuation of Lando’s story.

Another great thing to incorporate from Shadow of the Sith in this story is for Lando to realize that Rey was the child he tried to save from Ochi all those years ago. Lando never learns the identity of the child or her parents in Shadow of the Sith. He and Rey meet each other on Pasaana in The Rise of Skywalker, but neither of them know about their shared history.

It would be great to see them connect the dots and it could be a healing moment for both of them. Rey could even join Lando and Jannah in the search for Kadara. This is a great way to have Daisy Ridley reprise her role as Rey and to have her story continue in live-action as well.

While none of this may happen in the Lando series, the unresolved story of Kadara Calrissian, the return of the Calrissian Chronicles, and the history between Lando and Rey are all elements from Shadow of the Sith that could make for an excellent story on Disney+.

Star Wars: Shadow of the Sith is available now from Del Rey.