Val

"I can take out the guards at the perimeter. Signalman, pilot, hell I'll just take them all out."

- Val, to Tobias Beckett

Val was a female human criminal who worked with fellow outlaw Tobias Beckett during the reign of the Galactic Empire. Val was a no-nonsense and occasionally prickly woman who was a crack shot with a blaster rifle.

Biography
Val was highly secretive about her past, including her full name. All that was known about her past was that she grew up on Solarine and her father was a musician, and she was named after the valachord musical instrument.

By the reign of the Galactic Empire, Val was already working with the scoundrel Tobias Beckett and the Ardennian pilot Rio Durant. They formed a crew which carried out risky though profitable heists. She and Beckett, in addition, shared a romantic relationship.

Meeting with Han Solo
Ten years before the Battle of Yavin, during a war on Mimban, Val infiltrated the Mimban Stormtrooper troops along Beckett and Durant. There, they met the young Han Solo, who wanted to join them as part of their crew. Val didn't agree in letting Solo join them, but Beckett decided to give the boy an opportunity by leading him to be locked for insubordination. Solo was ultimately able to escape with the Wookiee Chewbacca, who was initially intended to devour them, so Beckett decided to let them join his crew.

Once they arrived at Vandor, Beckett's crew spied the 20-T Railcrawler conveyex transport that they had been planning to steal in order to acquire its Coaxium cargo to pay Beckett's debt with the crime lord Dryden Vos, leader of Crimson Dawn. As the crew spied, they wished for the absence of Enfys Nest and the Cloud-Riders the next day. That night, before sleeping with the campfire they had made, Val kissed Beckett while they told about what they planned to do with their share from the heist.

The Conveyex heist and death
The next morning, while Beckett along Solo and Chewbacca managed to take possession of the cargo wagon by getting rid of the range troopers and having Chewbacca separating it with his strength, Val prepared to detonate the bridge to avoid the Conveyex to cross the tunnel while Solo and Beckett hooked the wagon to their ship.

Unfortunately, Nest and the Cloud-Riders appeared on scene with the intentions to steal the Coaxium from Beckett's hands, even managing to fatally wound Rio. Though Val managed to take out some of Nest's marauders, she realized that the Conveyex was getting too close to her and that there would be no time to abandon her position without letting the crew to steal the Conveyex. Communicating with Beckett about the change of plans, she told Beckett that she loved him and subsequently detonated the bomb, blowing up herself and destroying the bridge.

Legacy
Ultimately, Val's sacrifice was in vain because Solo was forced to let go the cargo in order to save Beckett and Chewie from a certain death. Once all had finished, Beckett punched Solo in the face because of Val's death and their failure in acquiring the Coaxium. Later on, while visiting Dryden Vos with the empty hands, Vos expressed his condolences to Beckett for Val's death.

Behind the scenes
Val is portrayed by Thandie Newton in the 2018 Star Wars Anthology film Solo: A Star Wars Story, released in 2018. Newton's casting in the film was first announced on February 21, 2017. . Her name was revealed with a set of promotional images sent out to various news websites alongside the teaser trailer.

The look of Val was inspired by pictures of female members of the Viet Cong and Black Panther Party, along with civil rights activist Angela Davis. In retrospect to Val's death, screenwriter Jon Kasdan regrets a little having Val killed off earlier in the film, saying that Thandie Newton's acting was quite good and it would have been interesting having her playing a larger role in the film.

Appearances

 * Star Wars: Beckett 1
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story: Expanded Edition
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story Read-Along Storybook and CD
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story: Meet the Crew
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story: Train Heist
 * Solo: A Star Wars Story: Tales from Vandor