There was so much visual content tucked into every scene of Solo: A Star Wars Story that it was impossible to take it all in. Even with repeated viewings. For the fan looking to dive deeper, Solo A Star Wars Story The Official Guide is a must read!
Star Wars films are among the most stunning and visually fulfilling film series out there and have been for over forty years now. From the sets, to the costumes to the visual effects; these movies are breathtaking. So much love and effort is put into the used, lived-in universe that most of it is not even noticed. It’s the small details. The blink-and-you’ll-miss-it easter eggs, cameos, details on costumes…It may not have been easily seen but massive amounts of thought and effort were put into it. That is where reference books like Solo A Star Wars Story The Official Guide come in handy.
Publilshed by DK Publishing and written by one of the most knowledgeable Lucasfilm representatives out there, Pablo Hidalgo, Solo A Star Wars Story The Official Guide gives readers an in-depth overview on several of the key locations from the film. From background lore to all the details on set pieces and background characters. This book enhances the scope of the movie and gives you more to be on the lookout for in future viewings.
In the midst of all the mind-blowing facts and details featured in this beautiful, full color coffee-table sized book are several that really stand out.
Corellia
What would a film about the origins of legendary smuggler Han Solo be without a good look at the home that shaped him into what he became; Corellia.
While already known to be his homeworld this is the first time the planet has appeared on film. As Pablo details, Corellia is a Core world and one with a vast history of exploration and stellar expansion. Their distant past of wandering the oceans evolved over the millennia to exploring and colonizing the stars and were among some of the earliest civilizations to assist in the growing sprawl of the Republic.
The capital, Coronet, is a coastal city made up of several islands connected by bridges that link together; from the slums to Coronet Spaceport and everything in-between. This is where the audience first meet Han and Qi’ra who work for a criminal organization that remains unnamed in the film but the book elaborates on their background and hierarchy.
The White Worms are a part of Coronet’s black market and are headed up by the foul Lady Proxima as the gang is described as being matriarchal in nature. Using an army of orphaned children, lovingly referred to as “scrumrats” the White Worms are able to steal and resell all manner of products from their vast system of tubes and tunnels beneath the surface. The species Lady Proxima belongs to is also revealed to be Grindalid and as seen in the movie they are extremely sensitive to sunlight, hence the underground dwelling. Proxima’s right-hand man, or alien, is Moloch who while not made immediately clear on-screen is also a Grindalid. He has learned to walk upright in more humanoid fashion.
Solo A Star Wars Story The Official Guide also gives readers a closer look at Coronet Spaceport’s architecture and all the wild costumed travelers that are so often missed in scenes like these.
Imperial Might
Although having a relatively small presence in the film as a whole the strength and technological terror of the Empire are still on display early in the movie. Solo A Star Wars Story The Official Guide presents a good look at the new equipment and troopers introduced for this film.
The main attraction is the introduction of a new TIE Fighter. The TIE/rb Heavy Starfighter, nicknamed the TIE Brute, boasts heavier armor and firepower than that of a standard TIE. They definitely give the Millennium Falcon a run for its credits during the Kessel Run.
Han Solo’s attempt to be the best fighter pilot in the galaxy did not pan out so well for him and thus he found himself as a front line grunt for his Emperors ground forces during the siege of Mimban. Ordered by Moff Bin Essada of the Circarpous sector to strip the planet bare, the Empire is faced with resistance from the Mimbanese. They are one of several intelligent species on Mimban and desperately fight for the survival of themselves and their world. Naturally a subterranean species they are able to disappear into the mud making them a deadly enemy. Only briefly seen in Solo, the book gives them a closer look into the detail of their design and backstory.
Enfys Nest And The Cloud Riders
Before the film hit theaters on May 24th there was very little known about rival “gang” the Cloud-Riders and their mysterious leader; Enfys Nest. Now that the dust has settled on Savareen there is so much more to these rebellious upstarts than previously assumed.
Solo A Star Wars Story The Official Guide is the perfect place to showcase this very unique and secretly noble group in all their visual glory. A closer look at some of their wepons and swoops reveals some interesting tidbits about these marauders. Their look is very much inspired by tribal design and reflect the many cultures and worlds that its members hail from. Details on Enfys Nest’s costume are pointed out here such as Bantha-fur worn as an insulating wrap, Beskar, or more commonly known as Mandalorian Iron, guantlets and a mask that also incorporates transmission antennas. The mask also includes an inscription in Aurebesh, the traditional alphabet in the Star Wars universe, that translates to:
Until we reach the last edge, the last opening, the last star, and can go no higher
The Cloud-Riders fly the galaxy in their ship, the Aerie, but do not need to land often as their swoops can launch from higher altitudes. And among the variety of characters that make up their group there are two in particular that are especially interesting. Weazel was played by Warwick Davis who is no stranger to Star Wars as he has appeared in some capacity in every film since 1983’s Return of the Jedi. It is also a reprisal since this was the same character he played in The Phantom Menace where he was seen gambling on Podraces with Watto. The second is Tubes who canonically will go on to join up with Saw Gerrera and his Partisans as seen in Rogue One.
And Much, Much More
This is quite literally only a fraction of what is contained in Pablo Hidalgo’s amazingly crafted Solo A Star Wars Story The Official Guide.
From a rundown on all the trinkets and treasures in Dryden Vos’ study to Lando Calrissians fine taste in couture this book has everything you wanted to know about all the fun details from Solo: A Star Wars Story. And the pages on Lando’s Millennium Falcon are definitely worth spending extra time on. Pick up this book, you will not be disappointed.
Solo A Star Wars Story The Official Guide is available on Amazon and all major book retailers.
Mike Harris hails from the suburbs of Chicago and has been a fan for most of his life. Working as an industrial radiographer and raising a family with his wife take up most of his time, but there’s always room for Star Wars books and podcasts! Just looking to give back to Star Wars and the fan community, it’s been a source of fun and learning for him for so long.