Hidden Empire confirms the true purpose of Crimson Dawn

Ever since Crimson Dawn was introduced in Solo: A Star Wars Story, fans have been eager to learn more about the criminal syndicate. It was particularly intriguing to learn at the end of the movie that Crimson Dawn was led by Darth Maul and to see Qi’ra rising through the ranks of the organization.

Thanks to the trilogy of Qi’ra comics written by Charles Soule, fans are learning about what happened after Maul was dethroned and Qi’ra assumed control of Crimson Dawn.

The second issue of Hidden Empire (the third and final story in Soule’s trilogy) even confirms that the true purpose of Crimson Dawn was never to build a lasting empire, but to be a means to an end to destroy the Sith.

When asked why she isn’t upset about Crimson Dawn falling apart in Hidden Empire #2, Qi’ra says, “Crimson Dawn was always a means to an end, even before I took control. It’s served its purpose. I can let it die.”

With Maul being in charge of Crimson Dawn before Qi’ra, this confirms that Crimson Dawn was always just a way to amass power and resources to become strong enough to destroy the Sith. Maul wanted to defeat the Sith after Darth Sidious cast him aside and killed Maul’s brother Savage Oppress and engineered the death of Mother Talzin.

A change in leadership did not change the overarching purpose of Crimson Dawn as everything Qi’ra has done in her trilogy of comics has been about destroying the Sith. Now that Darth Sidious and Darth Vader know she is behind many of the attacks against them  and know her intentions, Crimson Dawn is inevitably crumbling. For Qi’ra, this does not matter as she always knew this day would come if she stayed true to her plan.

What makes Crimson Dawn more interesting than any of the other crime syndicates is that it always had a larger (and arguably more noble) purpose than money or power. Whether for revenge or for justice, Crimson Dawn was always about vanquishing the Sith, even going back to when Maul was still pulling the strings.

Crimson Dawn will die and fans know what becomes of the Sith. What fans do not know is if Qi’ra will survive her war against the Sith.