History Film / Solo

* ArmorPiercingResponse: When Qi'ra tells han that "You're the good guy", it clearly shakes him. He doesn't think of himself that way, and wants to join her in her criminal life.

** The campfire scene has Beckett deconstruct his DL-44 rifle into Han's signature DL-44 heavy blaster pistol.

** Coronet Spaceport, a major spaceport on Corellia, returns from VideoGame/StarWarsTheOldRepublic. Jon Kasdan admitted that the writers searched [[TheWikiRule Wookieepedia]] for spaceports on Corellia and decided to use the name.

''Solo: A Star Wars Story'', marketed as ''Star Wars: Solo'' or simply ''Solo'', is a 2018 SpaceWestern film directed by Creator/RonHoward[[note]]who replaced Creator/PhilLordAndChrisMiller mid-production; the latter two receiving "executive producer" credits.[[/note]] and written by Creator/{{Lawrence|Kasdan}} & Jonathan Kasdan. It is the second entry in the ''Star Wars Anthology'' series after ''Film/RogueOne'', the tenth ''Franchise/StarWars'' live action film and the fourth to be produced by Disney.

!!''Solo: A Star Wars Story'' contains examples of:

[[header:[[center:[-'''''Franchise/StarWars'' Films'''\\
'''''Skywalker Saga:''''' '''[[Film/ThePhantomMenace I]]''' | ''[[Film/AttackOfTheClones II]]'' | ''[[Film/RevengeOfTheSith III]]'' | ''[[Film/ANewHope IV]]'' | ''[[Film/TheEmpireStrikesBack V]]'' | ''[[Film/ReturnOfTheJedi VI]]'' | ''[[Film/TheForceAwakens VII]]'' | ''[[Film/TheLastJedi VIII]]'' | ''[[Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker IX]]''\\
'''''A Star Wars Story:''''' '''''Film/RogueOne''''' | '''''Solo'''''-]]]]]

** The way Beckett deconstructs his DL-44 from rifle to pistol before giving it to Han is similar how Kyle Katarn's father saw down his Bryar rifle into Katarn's Bryar pistol.

** The campfire scene has Beckett desconsturct his DL-44 rifle into Han's signature DL-44 heavy blaster pistol.

* WhamShot: At the very end of the movie, it's revealed who Qi'ra is really working for: Maul. This changes perceptions of the actions and words of ''multiple'' characters immediately.

* CheatersNeverProsper: Lando won the initial card game by cheating. He loses the next one. And his beloved ship.

*** Other artifacts of the Old Republic present in Dryden Vos's office include a slab of obsidian taken from the Tomb of the Sith Lord [[ComicBook/TalesOfTheJedi Exar Kun]], a near complete suit of [[VideoGame/KnightsOfTheOldRepublic Mandalorian Rally Master]] armor, and the aformentioned Sith holocron.

* PassingtheTorch: Beckett intentally does this to Han when he passes his DL-44 blaster pistol (Beckett had it in rifle configuration) to Han. Han later uses his blaster for the rest of his life.

* WretchedHive: The Control Zone on Correllia is essentially space Detroit.

* JoinTheArmyTheySaid: The Empire has some nice recruiting advertisements. [[SurprisinglyRealisticOutcome Cut to three years later]], with [[WarIsHell troopers unglamorously dying in the mud]] on Mimban and Han trying to survive in this hell.

Three years of harrowing frontline service later, Han finally gets his chance, deserting to join a CaperCrew led by smuggler Tobias Beckett (Creator/WoodyHarrelson) in service to the crime lord Dryden Vos (Creator/PaulBettany). At his side is the Wookiee outlaw Chewbacca (Creator/JoonasSuotamo) and legendary gambler Lando Calrissian (Creator/DonaldGlover), and soon they become embroiled in a [[TheCaper risky, high-stakes heist]]. But Han quickly learns that the life of a scoundrel isn't all it's cracked up to be -- and his beloved Qi'ra [[FemmeFatale is no longer the innocent girl he remembers]]...

* ShooOutTheClowns: PluckyComicRelief guy Rio is killed during the conveyex heist. The story gets noticeably darker from there on.

* NoPronunciationGuide: Lampshaded twice in the same scene where Han meets Lando for the first time. First, it's over the pronunciation of the card game, Sabacc, where Lando corrects Han's pronunciation. Then, Lando pronounces Han's name the way Creator/BillyDeeWilliams pronounced it in the original trilogy, only for Han to correct him on it--then say it's okay.

The film also stars Creator/PhoebeWallerBridge, Creator/ThandieNewton, Creator/ErinKellyman, Ian Kenny and Creator/ClintHoward in supporting roles.

* FascistButInefficient: The opening crawl makes it clear that, far from being a totalitarian well-oiled machine of "safe and secure society," the Galactic Empire has caused lawlessness and chaos across the galaxy which allowed criminal syndicates to flourish and become the true powers in this time period.

--->'''Tobias:''' No, you can't wipe them off. They're holograms.

* SavedByCanon: Similar to ''Film/RogueOne'', characters from the Original Trilogy (Han, Chewie and Lando) are in zero danger during this movie. There relationships and personal histories are up for grabs, though.

** The unrefined coaxium gets stored under the same panel that the heroes hid under in ''A New Hope''.

* RunningGag: The ''Millennium Falcon'' loses its radar dish again, this time during the escape from Kessel.

The film opens on a young StreetUrchin (Creator/AldenEhrenreich) attempting to flee his [[WretchedHive miserable, crime-ridden homeworld]] alongside his [[ChildhoodFriendRomance long-time girlfriend]] Qi'ra (Creator/EmiliaClarke), only for her to be kidnapped by gangsters. Desperate and with few options, the boy takes up the alias "[[Characters/StarWarsHanSoloCharacterSheet Han Solo]]" and joins the Imperial military to gain the skills he needs to rescue his lover and fulfill his dream of becoming a starship pilot.

Three years of harrowing front-lines service later, he finally gets his chance, deserting to join a CaperCrew led by smuggler Tobias Beckett (Creator/WoodyHarrelson) in service to the crime lord Dryden Vos (Creator/PaulBettany). At his side is the Wookiee outlaw Chewbacca (Creator/JoonasSuotamo) and legendary gambler Lando Calrissian ([[Music/ChildishGambino Donald Glover]]), and soon they become embroiled in a [[TheCaper risky, high-stakes heist]]. But Han quickly learns that the life of a scoundrel isn't all it's cracked up to be -- and his beloved Qi'ra [[FemmeFatale is no longer the innocent girl he remembers]]...

Its story is followed by ''[[WesternAnimation/StarWarsRebels Rebels]]'', ''Film/RogueOne'' and ''Film/ANewHope'', while the film is followed by ''Film/TheRiseOfSkywalker'' in production order. The next spinoff film is ''Rogue Squadron'', though that film has not been placed under the ''A Star Wars Story'' banner.

* TheBigBadShuffle: At first, Enfys Nest is the most prominent physical threat to Han and his companions. Then Vos is introduced as a major potential problem for Han. Ultimately, Han betrays Vos to side with Enfys, leaving Vos to take the BigBad status. After he's dealt with, Beckett, who has double-crossed everyone, becomes the new villian until Han kills him.