Qi'ra

Qi'ra
Star Wars character
First appearance Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Last appearance 'Star Wars Forces of Destiny - Triplecross (2018)
Created by Jonathan Kasdan
Lawrence Kasdan
Portrayed by Emilia Clarke
Voiced by Olivia Hack (Forces of Destiny)
Information
Species Human
Gender Female
Occupation Lieutenant and Right-hand of Crimson Dawn
Affiliation White Worms
Crimson Dawn
Title Lieutenant
Significant other(s) Han Solo
Homeworld Corellia

Qi'ra is a fictional character in the Star Wars franchise, introduced in the 2018 film Solo: A Star Wars Story and portrayed by Emilia Clarke. She is Han Solo's childhood best friend and first love from the planet Corellia. The pair live on the streets before he flees the planet. Qi'ra subsequently becomes a lieutenant in the Crimson Dawn crime syndicate.

Character

Description

Qi'ra is introduced as an earnest thief in love with Han and dreaming of escape from the slums of the planet Corellia. They are separated by circumstance, and when they reunite years later, they have both been through life-changing experiences. [1][2][3][4] Clarke called Qi'ra a "badass" who "kind of follows a femme fatale arc",[5] and said, "She has a couple of guises, but essentially she is just fighting to stay alive. If you've got a really glamorous lady in a really sordid environment, you kind of know the glamour is hiding a few rough roads."[6] Solo director Ron Howard described Qi'ra as secretive, slippery, and morally questionable—"a much different sort of a character" from Daenerys Targaryen, Clarke's character from the HBO series Game of Thrones.[7] Clarke noted that her Solo character "isn't like the women that you've seen in Star Wars yet", and said that "Qi'ra is different from the other women I've played, but the similarity is her strength, and her survival instincts. She just has a bit more grit."[5] She said, "We're going to hit you with a character that could very easily well be a dude, because you question her motives. That's really ... exciting in the Star Wars universe, because that has never happened."[7] Clarke said, "Qi'ra's journey is definitely one of survival and strength. The way that I felt about her was yeah this girl has got a core of steel."[6] Calling Qi'ra a "galactic femme fatale", Entertainment Weekly's Anthony Breznican wrote:

This is a character who doesn't want her full resume out there. She's a woman of shadows, of secrecy. She's a woman of many identities, the truest ones hidden away and only visible to those she trusts, which may be no one ... She's also one of the primary forces that shape [Han] the young smuggler.[6]

Clarke said, "Every single part of her as a character reflects on the Han Solo that we know and love."[5] She explained:

The beautiful thing about this Han Solo story is it's highlighting all of the most brilliant aspects of Han Solo the character and characterizing those aspects in characters that he meets on his journey to becoming who he is...You are seeing all of these different elements that make up who he is through the people and the interactions and the relationships just as we all do as human beings. We are simply the embodiment of our experiences...You see the beginnings of him, this loveable rogue. You get it fine-tuned throughout these relationships, and Qi'ra is one of those relationships that has an impact on him as a character...The goal is that the shadow of Qi'ra is there in Han as a character that we know. This girl is another texture that makes up who he is when we first meet him.[6]

According to Solo co-writer Jonathan Kasdan, Qi'ra is Han's "formative experience with romance, and that experience very directly influences the relationships he has later on with people like Leia."[5] Describing Qi'ra's relationship with Han, Clarke explained that "They grew up as comrades, essentially. They grew up as pals, as partners in crime. There is obviously the romantic side of things. But they grew up together. So they were kids together."[6] She said that later, "within that relationship, the thing that you see with Qi'ra is that she is an enigma."[6] Clarke also noted, "There is this underlying joy in an origin story because you know where they end up. And Qi'ra is nowhere to be seen, so...something has happened!...Something must have happened to affect him as a person, but for us fans not to know about her."[6]

Portrayal

In October 2016, Tessa Thompson, Naomi Scott, Zoë Kravitz, Emilia Clarke, Kiersey Clemons, Jessica Henwick, and Adria Arjona were being considered for the female lead in Solo: A Star Wars Story.[8][9] Clarke, known for her role as Daenerys Targaryen in the HBO fantasy television series Game of Thrones, was cast the following month.[9][10] Clarke told Vanity Fair that she struggled with the character under Solo's original co-directors, Phil Lord and Chris Miller, and sought advice from the film's father-and-son screenwriters, Lawrence and Jonathan Kasdan.[7] She said of the role, "She'll be the sort of character that will keep you on your toes, and I think that was one of the biggest things that drew me to her as a character, and got me really excited."[5]

Qi'ra was featured in the May 25, 2018 episode "Triplecross" of the 2D animated web series Star Wars Forces of Destiny, voiced by Olivia Hack.[11][12][13]

Appearances

Solo: A Star Wars Story

In the 2018 Star Wars Anthology film Solo: A Star Wars Story, Qi'ra is introduced as an orphaned street thief living on the shipbuilding world of Corellia. She and her lover, Han, attempt to use the valuable fuel source coaxium to bribe their way through a checkpoint to escape the planet, and the criminal gang pursuing them. Qi'ra is apprehended, but urges Han to go on without her. He does, and vows to return for her. Three years later, seeking funding to buy a ship to return to Corellia, Han participates in a coaxium heist that goes awry. He accompanies his new associate Tobias Beckett to explain their failure to Dryden Vos, a high-ranking crime boss in the Crimson Dawn syndicate. Han and Qi'ra are reunited, as she is now Vos's top lieutenant. Han suggests a risky plan to steal unrefined coaxium from the mines on the planet Kessel; Vos approves but insists that Qi'ra accompany the team. She leads them to Lando Calrissian, an accomplished smuggler and pilot who agrees to join the mission with his ship, the Millennium Falcon, in exchange for a share of the profits. The theft is a success, but Han and Qi'ra become sympathetic to the cause of the rebels who are trying to prevent the syndicates and the Galactic Empire from gaining greater domination over the galaxy. They attempt to trick Vos, but the double-crossing Beckett has already alerted the crime lord to their plan. Caught aiding Han, Qi'ra tells Vos she will prove her loyalty to him by sacrificing something she loves, and advances on Han. She kills Vos instead, and sends Han after Beckett. Once alone, Qi'ra contacts Vos's superior, Maul, to inform him of the mission's failure and claim Vos's position within the syndicate.

Star Wars Forces of Destiny

In the 2018 episode "Triplecross" of Star Wars Forces of Destiny, pirate Hondo Ohnaka and bounty hunter droid IG-88 pursue Qi'ra, who pits them against each other to collect the bounty on them.

References

  1. ↑ Asher-Perrin, Emily (May 25, 2018). "Solo: A Star Wars Story is Charming If a Bit Lazy—Just Like Han Himself". Tor.com. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  2. ↑ Scott, A. O. "Review: Solo: A Star Wars Story Answers Questions You May Not Have Asked". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ Boo, Bernard (May 15, 2018). "Against All Odds, Solo: A Star Wars Story Soars". PopMatters. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  4. ↑ Travers, Peter (May 15, 2018). "Solo Review: Origin Story of Star Wars No. 1 Rogue Plays It Way Too Safe". Rolling Stone. Retrieved May 15, 2018.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Smith, Nigel (May 23, 2018). "Emilia Clarke on Why Her Femme Fatale in Solo 'Isn't Like the Women You've Seen in Star Wars'". People. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Breznican, Anthony (February 8, 2018). "From Game of Thrones to Star Wars: Emilia Clarke on her Solo femme fatale". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved May 30, 2018.
  7. 1 2 3 Robinson, Joanna (May 23, 2018). "Cover Story: Emilia Clarke's Solo Flight". Vanity Fair. Retrieved June 18, 2018.
  8. ↑ Kroll, Justin (October 5, 2016). "Han Solo Film: Tessa Thompson and Zoe Kravitz Among Those Testing for Female Lead". Variety. Archived from the original on February 2, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  9. 1 2 Kroll, Justin (November 18, 2016). "Emilia Clarke Joins Star Wars Han Solo Spinoff". Variety. Archived from the original on January 29, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  10. ↑ "Emilia Clarke Joins The Han Solo Stand-Alone Film". StarWars.com. November 18, 2016. Archived from the original on January 29, 2017. Retrieved January 30, 2017.
  11. ↑ Macias, Johnamarie (May 29, 2018). "Qi'ra From Solo: A Star Wars Story Appears in Her Own Forces of Destiny Short". The Wookiee Gunner. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
  12. ↑ Crouse, Megan (June 4, 2018). "Star Wars Blaster Canon Podcast: Solo, Forces of Destiny, Last Shot". Den of Geek!. Retrieved July 9, 2018.
  13. ↑ Plante, Corey (May 23, 2018). "Qi'ra From Solo Will Get Her Own Forces of Destiny Animated Episode". Inverse. Retrieved May 31, 2018.
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