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"I mean, he was brave, sure, but always in the service of saving his own hide or profit. But I had also detected that deep down, behind all that smooth talking and those well-ironed capes, there was a whole human being with a conscience and a desperate need to do something worthwhile with his life."
Kaasha Bateen, on Lando Calrissian[src]

Lando Calrissian was a human male smuggler, gambler, and card player who became Baron Administrator of Cloud City and, later, a general in the Rebel Alliance. He was the owner of the Millennium Falcon before losing it to Han Solo in a game of sabacc on Numidian Prime. After losing the Falcon, Calrissian put an end to his days as a smuggler and became an entrepreneur, setting up a small mining operation on the planet Lothal before eventually becoming the leader of Cloud City in the skies of the planet Bespin.

During the Galactic Civil War, Darth Vader arrived on Cloud City in order to lay a trap for his son, Luke Skywalker. As part of the trap, the Dark Lord of the Sith forced Calrissian into tricking a group of Rebels, including Solo and Princess Leia Organa, leading them to Vader himself. Though Vader promised to leave Cloud City without an Imperial presence, Calrissian felt the deal had been altered to the point where he could no longer tolerate it. Calrissian alerted his citizens to the Galactic Empire's presence and impending occupation, and he ordered an evacuation. He helped the Rebels try to rescue Solo, who had been frozen in carbonite, from Boba Fett, but the bounty hunter escaped.

Calrissian joined the Rebel Alliance and set out to find Solo. After locating him in the palace of Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine, Calrissian aided in his rescue. The Rebels returned to the fleet and Calrissian became a general, volunteering to lead the assault on the Death Star II during the Battle of Endor. During the battle, he piloted the Millennium Falcon into the battle station's core, firing the shot which destroyed it.

Biography

Early life and career

"What have you done to my ship?"
"Your ship? Hey, remember, you lost her to me fair and square."
―Lando Calrissian and Han Solo, regarding the Millennium Falcon[src]
File:Img-swsolo-char1.png

Young Lando Calrissian

Lando Calrissian was born on the planet Socorro[1] approximately thirty years before the Battle of Yavin.[2] During his youth, he became a smuggler and a gambler, playing a card game known as sabacc. He traveled throughout the galaxy and piloted a freighter called the Millennium Falcon,[12] which saved his life on numerous occasions.[3] Sometime before 10 BBY, Lando won a subtropical moon in the Oseon Belt during a game of sabacc.[6]

Age of the Empire

"Holojournal Entr—[sic]…take the walkers…in the Halthor sector. Just my luck, the buyer was under Imperial surveillance."
―Lando Calrissian in a holojournal entry[src]

Sometime prior to the Battle of Yavin, Lando and his droid companion L3-37 were ambushed in the Halthor sector when an Imperial interdictor dropped out from hyperspace. As a result of the ambush, Calrissian lost a majority of his shipment of walkers that he acquired from an Er'Kit arms dealer in the Noonian sector.[13] Lando also had dealings with Crimson Dawn on Felucia. He completed his debt to Crimson Dawn and its leader, Dryden Vos.[6]

Delivering an artifact

"Bad luck? No such thing,"
―Lando Calrissian, said laughing[src]
Frozen Kova

Lando meets with Queen Forsythia Jin.

Calrissian at some point was arrested for smuggling and needed to get off the planet Hynestia alive, he and L3 had to deliver an artifact to the Empire for Queen Forsythia Jin, making up for a gherlian fur delivery, though it failed.[14]

Princess Rinetta Gan knew about the real purpose of the artifact from her teacher Zel Gris. It was supposed to function as an energy source and make up for the lack of sunlight on the planet Livno III. Without it, Livno III would fall to ruin. Rinetta tried to force Calrissian and L3 to comply with her new orders after sneaking onto the Millennium Falcon as a stowaway.[14]

Her plan initially failed as Calrissian took her blaster and traveled to Neral's moon to settle a debt with Ne'eda Frip. When the exchange went wrong he escaped just to be captured by Forsythia again. Rinetta freed Calrissian and L3 once again and made him promise to help her returning the artifact to Livno III.[14]

Being able to escape from Hynestia, the four had to defeat Ne'eda's starships before making the jump to hyperspace, reaching Livno III two days later and returning the artifact. Indeed, the artifact was the last of three Globes missing, and sunlight returned to Livno III. Returning the princess back to Hynestia, Calrissian and L3 were pardoned by the queen and went off to new adventures.[14]

Freeing slaves

"So, are you Lando Calrissian? Depends. Are you a fan, or a bounty hunter?"
―Kristiss and Lando Calrissian[src]
Kristiss and Lando

Lando meeting with Kristiss

Calrissian later smuggled weapons to Petrusia after the Empire seized control of it. Following that operation, Calrissian considered turning the Falcon into a casino, despite L3's reservations about it. He also started to write the Calrissian Chronicles to show the galaxy his prodigiousness. Calrissian and L3 took the Falcon to Batuv where he tried to by a new cape from Borkus until he met the bartender Kristiss. She told Calrissian of her people's plight and status as slaves at the Imperial outpost on Kullgroon. Kristiss asked for his help in arming her people for 1,000 credits up front. Despite his reservations, Calrissian decided to speak with her and have a drink with her.[5]

Calrissian was confronted by Brushaun, who believed that he cheated him out of 2,000 credits in a card game on Canto Bight. Calrissian was saved by Kristiss, who offered him the credits to pay off Brushaun and more if Calrissian helped her people. Calrissian spoke with L3 about this mission and knowing he would be a dead man, Calrissian excepted Kristiss' mission. Enroute to Kulgroon, the Falcon came under attack by several TIE fighters. Calrissian and L3 were able to lead the TIEs to a moon, where he was able to pick them off before they arrived at Kullgroon.[5]

File:KullgroonWastelands.jpeg

Lando arrives at Wastelands Of Kullgroon abord the Millennium Falcon

Calrissian powered the Falcon down in order to appear as space junk in order sneak past the Empire. As the Falcon descended into Kullgroon's atmosphere, he and L3 were able to pilot the ship in to the wastelands. Calrissian, Kristiss, and L3 made their way towards the camp. After Kristiss got herself captured by a pair of stormtroopers, Calrissian considered abandoning the mission but L3 convinced him to stay. He came under attack by some outlaws and starfighters. Calrissian was able to find a abandoned star fighter and attempted to evade them but he was shot down and taken prisoner by the outlaws.[15]

File:Lando fighting in arena.JPG

Lando about to fight Murkel Kev, Canto Zain, Kawal Trane, and Siswan in a arena battle.

The outlaws' leader, Batalla, remembered Calrissian from Calladus Festival, where he took the bulk of the Zakku Rain Cartel's credits. Calrissian said it was actually Batalla's prize Sharropon. He tried to convince Batalla that he was on vacation and was visiting a friend. Batalla considered handing Calrissian over to one of his enemies for a king's ransom and had Calrissian taken to a jail cell. When a droid came with food, Calrissian was able to trick the droid and disable it. As he made his escape, Calrissian contacted L3 for a pick up. However, L3 was busy looking for Kristiss. He ran into Batalla's outlaws who threw into a arena where he fought against several members of the Zakku Rain Cartel, Murkel Kev, Cantor Zain, Kawal Tane and Siswan, until L3 and the Falcon arrived. However, L3 wanted to pick up Kristiss despite Calrissian's protests. The Falcon came under attack by an indigenous creature, but Calrissian and L3 was able to steer past them. He contacted Kristiss to arrange the weapons drop off before L3 picked up several TIEs closing in on the Falcon.[16]

File:Lando leads Petrusians.JPG

Lando leads Petrusian slaves against stormtroopers

Calrissian flew the Falcon low into the wastelands' canyon, hoping to fool the TIEs into believing that the Falcon had crashed. Calrissian was able to cause a explosion that sealed off the canyon from the TIEs. He took the Falcon to a sewage expulsion port. As he made his way through the port, Calrissian was confronted by several creatures and shot at them. He was later confronted by the creatures mother, but was able to kill it. Calrissian was able to reach a control station and told L3 to hack into the mainframe to find Kristiss and disable Level 7 to 9's security monitors. Calrissan met up with Kristiss and her father. After rallying the other Petrusians to take arms against the Empire, despite their resistance to warfare, Calrissian and the slave made their escape to the sewage port and met up with the Falcon. After the slaves armed themselves, Calrissian and Kristiss led them against the stormtroopers.[17]

L3 and Lando

Lando fighting alongside L3 on Kullgroon

Calrissian and the Petrusians fought the outpost's stormtroopers. When L3 told him that several TIEs were returning to the outpost, Calrissian believed it was time for him to retreat when the Petrusians were losing their battle. However, Kristis reactivated hundreds of derelict droids to help them win the battle. Calrissian and Rythus charged the stormtroopers and saved Kristiss from them. He and Kristiss used a cord to swing over the stormtroopers. He met up with L3 and saw the stormtroopers taking the Falcon. After the battle, Calrissian and L3 met up with Kristiss and the slaves as they boarded an Imperial shuttle. He accepted a ride from Kristiss and her father, who gave him his payment. Calrissian learned from L3 that the Falcon was taken and impounded on Vandor. A week later, Calrissian and L3 found the Falcon on Vandor. There, he decided to go into early retirement and play sabaac at the Lodge. [18]

Coaxium heist

"Captain Lando Calrissian."
"Han Solo."
―Lando Calrissian and Han Solo introducing themselves to each other[src]
File:Lando sabacc game with Solo.jpg

Lando about to play Sabacc with Han Solo

During Lando's retirement on Vandor,[18] Tobias Beckett, Han Solo, and Chewbacca and Qi'ra, who was an old acquaintance of Lando needed a fast ship in order to steal unrefined coaxium from the Pykes on Kessel for Vos. They found him hustling several bar patrons at sabacc by hiding a card up his sleeve. Solo joined in the game, and the stakes soon became the Falcon against a VCX-100 light freighter by Solo. Solo produced an impressive hand that caused the other bar patrons to erupt in applause, but Calrissian produced a superior hand by cheating. Calrissian inquired where Solo's ship was, but Qi'ra intervened, explaining the situation. Calrissian agreed to pilot the Falcon for the heist, in exchange for a 25% cut, negotiated down to 20% by Beckett.[6]

File:Lando & L3-37.JPG

Lando and L3-37 about to jump to lightspeed

Calrissian and L3-37 navigated the Falcon to Kessel, Calrissian remained on the ship during the heist to update his autobiography. When Solo, Qi'Ra, Chewbacca, Beckett, and L3 returned with the coaxium, Calrissian helped lay down covering fire against the Pykes until L3 was shot. Calrissian attempted to save L3, but was shot in the arm, and it took the efforts of Solo and Chewbacca to save him and L3. Aboard the Falcon, L3 died in a distraught Calrissian's arms. Due to his injury, Calrissian allowed Solo to pilot the Falcon off Kessel.[6]

The crew encountered an Imperial blockade when departing Kessel, causing Solo to divert his course into the dangerous maelstrom. Calrissian retrieved L3's central processor and plugged it into the Falcon's navicomputer in order to plot a course out of the maelstrom, in which navigation was otherwise impossible. The Falcon crew encountered a massive space creature, and the Maw, a powerful gravity well. Solo launched the Falcon's escape pod into the gravity well, causing the creature to follow it and become trapped. The Falcon became trapped in the gravity well, only escaping when Beckett used a drop of coaxium in order to give the Falcon the power to escape.[6]

Savareen and Departure

"She is a hell of a ship."
"I hate you."
"I know."
"I'm going to be on my ship, in my quarters, waiting for you to bring me my share. And then I don't ever wanna see you again."
"Never?"
―Han Solo and Lando Calrissian on Savareen[src]
File:Lando & Han on Savareen.JPG

Lando on Savareen.

When the crew arrived at the refinery on Savareen in order to refine the coaxium, Calrissian abandoned the others in the Falcon when Enfys Nest and her Cloud-Riders arrived on Savareen to confront Beckett.[6]

Losing the Falcon

"You really have it bad for the Falcon, don't you?"
"It's mutual, trust me. She belongs with me."
―Lando Calrissian and Han Solo[src]
File:Lando on Numidian Prime.JPG

Lando on Numidian Prime.

Solo and Chewbacca later tracked Calrissian to Numidian Prime, where he was once again hustling others at sabacc. Solo swiped Calrissian's spare card when he greeted him, and won the Falcon in a rematch, leaving with it.[6]

After losing the Falcon, Calrissian put an end to his days as a smuggler. He fancied himself a respectable businessman,[12] and referred to himself as a "galactic entrepreneur." When he was 26,[2] Calrissian met a criminal known as Azmorigan, who introduced him to Cikatro Vizago, a Devaronian crime lord who operated on the Outer Rim planet of Lothal. Calrissian purchased a plot of land from Vizago on Lothal, on which the former smuggler intended to begin mining precious minerals. In order to do so discreetly, without attracting the attention of the Empire due to Imperial mining regulations, Calrissian planned to acquire a puffer pig from Azmorigan; puffer pigs had a nose for minerals and could do the same job as twelve mining scanners. He required a ship that could evade the Imperial blockade set up around the planet; Calrissian attempted to smuggle mining equipment onto Lothal but was stopped by the Empire.[19]

Hiring the Spectres

" Name's Calrissian. Lando Calrissian. Now please, introduce me to my new droid."
―Lando Calrissian[src]

Calrissian found such a ship after playing a game of sabacc in Jhothal, a settlement on Lothal. He played the game in Old Jho's Pit Stop, competing against Tsoklo and Garazeb Orrelios, the latter of whom was a Lasat crew member aboard the Ghost, a ship operated by a band of rebels on Lothal. Orrelios believed he had the upper hand and bet his crew's astromech droid, C1-10P, but Calrissian beat his hand by using an Idiot's Array. The droid, nicknamed Chopper, therefore belonged to Calrissian, but he agreed to give the droid back and pay the rebels much-needed credits if they assisted him on an operation—which, unknown to them, was the acquisition of the puffer pig. The crew was reluctant to trust Calrissian, but they needed the credits and wanted Chopper returned to them, so they agreed; Calrissian spent much of the time using a divide and conquer strategy, trying to play the rebels against each other so he could accomplish his goals. During the trip to rendezvous with Azmorigan, Chopper gave Calrissian a tour of the ship, where he admired the artwork of Sabine Wren, a Mandalorian artist and member of the crew. Calrissian used this as part of his strategy, flattering the Mandalorian's work in order to make himself look good.[19]

Lando on the Ghost

Lando Calrissian aboard the Ghost

Once the Ghost arrived at the rendezvous, the ship docked with Azmorigan's vessel, Merchant One. Calrissian and the crew's leaders, Hera Syndulla and Kanan Jarrus, boarded Merchant One, and Calrissian told them to follow his lead. Calrissian also hinted that the ship had escape pods—a coded message to Syndulla, whom he intended to hand over to Azmorigan as payment for the puffer pig, and he knew that she would need a way to escape the vessel. Despite Jarrus' protests, Syndulla played along once Calrissian offered her to the crime lord, and Azmorigan gave Calrissian the puffer pig, which was locked in a crate. Calrissian and Jarrus returned to the Ghost, where Calrissian explained that he expected Syndulla to use an escape pod to leave Merchant One—which she did, returning to the Ghost and attracting the ire of the crime lord. Once Syndulla was aboard, and had given Calrissian a piece of her mind over the betrayal via a knee to the groin, the Ghost jumped back into hyperspace, leaving Azmorigan behind them.[19]

Calrissian showed the crew the puffer pig and warned them not to let it out of its cage, as it would expand into a larger creature if it was startled. Orrelios and fellow crew member Ezra Bridger ended up letting it out, and the pig ran throughout the Ghost before being so startled that its size increased and it became stuck in one of the ship's hallways. This proved potentially problematic once the Ghost returned to Lothal, where they needed to slip through the Imperial blockade; Syndulla, the ship's pilot, was stuck on the other side of the pig, so Jarrus would need to pilot the vessel himself. Calrissian asked Chopper, who only responded to Calrissian's commands, to fix the mechanism that would allow the Ghost to mask its signature and slip past the blockade. Chopper was able to do so and the ship nearly made it through the blockade, but the pig expanded again, knocking Orrelios into the controls that allowed the ship's signature to remain masked. The Empire detected the Ghost as a rebel vessel and sent a group of TIE fighters in pursuit, which the Ghost was able to destroy.[19]

Lando bids farewell

Calrissian bids farewell to the Ghost.

The crew made their way to the farm that Calrissian purchased from Vizago, where Calrissian explained that his plan was to use the puffer pig for mining. They were confronted by Azmorigan, however, who had anticipated that Calrissian would return to the land. This led to a shootout between the rebels and Azmorigan's forces, one that ended when Azmorigan threatened to kill Orrelios if they did not hand Calrissian over to him. Syndulla refused, and Chopper—who stole a crate of fuel for the Ghost and returned to the ship—fired the cannons on the Ghost at Azmorigan, giving Orrelios a chance to gain an upper hand and hold Azmorigan at gunpoint. Syndulla demanded that the crime lord leave, a demand that he acquiesced to. With Azmorigan gone, Calrissian claimed that he did not have the credits that he owed the rebels, but he did return Chopper to them. Nonetheless, Syndulla held Calrissian in her debt, though what he did not reveal was that he knew Chopper had stolen the fuel, which was why he did not give them any credits. He did, however, believe that he would one day meet the rebels again.[19]

Dealing with the Varluk Organization

"I have some bad news for you sir. Your puffer pig has been stolen."
―W1-LE to Lando Calrissian[src]
File:Lando and W1-LE.JPG

Lando finds out his Puffer pig has been stolen by the Varluk Organization.

Calrissian and Rikarda were traveling to the planet Klonoid, aboard the Stellar Sun. During the jounrey, his droid W1-LE, who he had left to watch over his puffer pig and the farm, said that the farm was attacked by raiders who stole Calrissian's pig. Calrissian found out it was the Varluk Organization and asked Rikarda to set course to their headquarters which was located on Zyzar.[20]

After arriving, Calrissian tried to enter the headquarters through a window but was seen by to patrol men. Calrissian paralyzed and shot the patrol men and changed into one their uniforms. After entering the complex, he discovered all the rooms were empty but eventually found his pig in a cage. When trying to free her, he was captured by more patrol men and was sent to the companies leader, Ango Croom.[20]

Rescue of Landos puffer pig

Lando rescuing his puffer pig

Croom explained to Calrissian that he was tired of waiting for him to return his debt, and decided to do it for him, by stealing his pig. Later Calrissian began to pull his pig out of the hands of the patrol men and the pig increased size, throwing the patrol men to the ground. As he was escaping, Calrissian threw a hologram of locations of raw materials in a room so which the Varluk Organization could find it, which meant Calrissian could pay his debt to the organization. Later beyond the complex, Rikarda picked him up on the Stellar Sun and they escaped.[20]

Returning a favor

Calrissian later came into contact with the rebels again some time later. After the rebels destroyed the Sovereign, the personal Star Destroyer of Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin, the Imperials tightened security on Lothal. The rebels returned to Lothal after having been away from the planet, where they were pursued by numerous Imperial agents: including Darth Vader, the Dark Lord of the Sith. Vader ordered that no ship could leave Lothal, leading the rebels to contact Calrissian to ask for his assistance in smuggling them off-planet. He spoke to them via hologram, as he was not on Lothal, but nonetheless agreed to help them in exchange for three military-grade shield generators. With the deal having been made, Calrissian ordered his personal droid, W1-LE, to assist the rebels with the masking transponders that would trick the Empire into pursuing false signals from their stolen Imperial shuttle. The rebels successfully escaped Lothal.[21]

Trouble on Tyegin

File:Lando Calrissian & D'Lina.JPG

Calrissian and D'Lina aboard the Exas Jewell.

Calrissian later traveled to the planet Tyegin where he was part of a high-stake sabacc game taking place in the lead car of the Exas Jewell, a luxury train on its maiden voyage. During the game, Calrissian was posing as the train's designer, Shen Kanton. The other players of the game were D'Lina, a bird-like female, Prince Baj, a young human royal, and Rakan, a large reptilian humanoid.[22]

After scoring a big win at the game table, Calrissian planned to leave the Exas Jewel before anyone figured out who he really was. However, the other players start to see through his scheme, because Kenton, as the designer of the train, was supposed to ride to the end of the line and host a grand reception. Calrissian attempted to smooth-talk his way out of the situation, but the conversation was interrupted by a sudden explosion at the front of the train.[22]

File:Lando aboard the Exas Jewell.JPG

Calrissian hears the pirates explosion aboard the Exas Jewell.

Coming through a blasted doorway is Zira, a female Feeorin pirate, and her human partner Grillo, who had come to rob the wealthy passengers. A third pirate, the human Shelvy, brought the train's Tarsunt engineer into the train car at gunpoint. Zira had Grillo destroy the Exas Jewel's controls so it would accelerate and eventually off the rails, while she and her pirates escape the speeding vehicle with their jetpacks and stolen riches. Although Zira offered Calrissian to come with them, he refused.[22]

Once the pirates were gone, the cards players and the engineer turned to Calrissian for leadership, still believing he designed the train. At the engineer's suggestion, they decided to try and unhook the engine to buy some time. On the small platform that covered the coupling joint between the engine and the first car, Rakan managed to pull out the connector pin. The engine pulled away from the other train cars, leaving them behind, but the trailing train cars were still going fast.[22]

Back inside the players' train car, Calrissian taking charge, ordered the others to grab whatever furniture or ornaments they could carry and take it all toward the train car's open front end in order to disrupt its magnetic field. Baj attempted to dump the train car's dealer droid out, until Calrissian told him otherwise. The considerable amount of junk clogging up underneath the front of the train car ended up creating enough drag to slow it down as Calrissian, Rakan, and Baj were standing in the blasted out doorway, looking down at the rail. Although the lead car slowed considerably, the big dining train car was still coming up fast, and it slammed into the back of it. The impact sent the prince flying forward and out of the train car, but Calrissian grabbed his arm just in time, saving his life.[22]

Some time later, the Exas Jewel finally stopped, and Tyegin's law enforcement landed close by. Emergency medical technicians there took care of the passengers. Although Calrissian was elated to have survived, D'Lina looked sour. She revealed that Kanton was in fact her son, and so she knew that Calrissian was an impostor all along. Nevertheless, because he had shown courage and saved everyone, she chose not to report him to the authorities. As D'Lina took her leave, she gave Calrissian one last piece of advice: start making better choices with his life.[22]

Galactic Civil War

Working with Sana Starros

"Heh. Been a long time. I knew you'd come back sooner or later. Finally got sick of Han, didn't—"
"This isn't a social call. Can you help me or not?"
―Lando Calrissian and Sana Starros[src]
File:Lando and Sana.JPG

Lando meeting with Sana Starros

Sana Starros and Calrissian traveled to Coruscant to help Starros to crank a scam with thirteen crates of Imperial weapons. Calrissian arranged for them to meet with an Imperial officer, where Sana told them that Krawg pirates had the crates. For more information, she took 20,000 credits, in addition to 5,000 that she received from the pirates for selling them one box.[23]

After leaving Coruscant, they went to the planet Tatooine, to the palace of Jabba the Hutt. There, Starros disowned from the common past with Calrissian and also reported for 20 thousand credits, who had the thirteenth box of weapons. She herself had stolen it from Jabba, but she stated that the Krawg had done it and successfully completion of their transaction.[23]

When leaving Tatooine, the smugglers were attacked by a ship of Krawg who found out that she had deceived them. Eventually the Empire arrested the pirates and Calrissian and Starros managed to escape. They later traveled to Nar Shaddaa where they had dinner before Calrissian left.[23]

Deal of a lifetime

"...I also know who they say you are. The Fiend of Castell. The Burning Moff. The Imperial Governor of this sector, brutal in your response to even the slightest challenge to the Empire's authority."
―Lando Calrissian to Moff Ssaria[src]
Orbital shipyard cc-24

Lando lead an audacious heist to steal the Emperor's yacht Imperialis

Prior to becoming the administrator of Cloud City, Calrissian was a self-described opportunist trying to "make his way" through an uncaring universe. Calrissian was able to make a living by illegally acquiring and redistributing rare or valuable goods. However, due to Calrissian's penchant for gambling, he and his business partner Lobot were in deep with the wrong people. After convincing Moff Ssaria, also known as the "fiend of Castell", into parting with a valuable and expensive trinket, Calrissian rendezvoused with Lobot at a cantina. After having had a few drinks, Calrissian was informed that Papa Toren, the individual who had loaned him money, was ready to see him. Calrissian sought to square away his debt by handing over the trinket to Toren, but the loan shark rejected to honor their prior arrangement. Instead of clearing the smuggler's debt, Toren offered to lower Calrissian's debt by ten percent.[24]

Outraged by the offer, Calrissian claimed this was not the deal they had agreed upon. Toren argued that if Calrissian had any qualms about the deal, he should take it up with the Imperials, who had taken his property from him in the first place. Toren argued that had Calrissian used the time he had been given to pay off the debt, Calrissian would not be in his current predicament of owing a vast sum of credits, with little-to-no time to pay it off. The loan shark suggested that if the smuggler was sincere and adamant about clearing his debt, he would do so, provided Calrissian agreed to do a job for him. After leaving the cantina, Calrissian and Lobot got into a heated exchange. Angry at the fact that Calrissian had accepted the deal, as well as Toren's gall, Lobot argued that Calrissian should have stood up to Toren. Calrissian countered by explaining that only people with no imagination use blasters. If they tried to harm Toren, a bounty would be placed on their heads, adding to their current troubles.[24]

Instead of using violence to accept the deal, Calrissian insisted that the job would be quick. It would not only clear their debt but would also put them ahead. Although Lobot was concerned about their chosen dangerous lifestyle, Calrissian promised his friend that they would no longer accept high stakes work after completing the job. Having acquired the services of Aleksin and Pavol, in case the plan required the use of force, Calrissian and Lobot went to speak to Sava Korin Pers, a former antiques dealer and professor. Calrissian attempted to make good on a promise to Korin, to pay her back for the loss of the woman's eye. Korin argued that she could not think of a reason why she would ever work with Calrissian again, until she saw Toren's plan and what they were going to steal. According to the plan, Calrissian and company were to steal a pleasure craft being refitted at Sienar Fleet Systems Orbital Shipyard CC-24.[24]

Adhering to Toren's plan, Calrissian and his crew donned stealth suits and infiltrated the shipyard. They managed to overpower the stormtrooper sentries and escape in the stolen ship. After taking off, Calrissian and Lobot discussed the fact that the ship that they had stolen seemed to be fairly advanced, specially modified. Lobot asked whether his friend could activate the hyperdrive. Calrissian, however, assured Lobot that he could do so only after the ship escaped the planet's gravity well. Unknown to Calrissian and his crew, they had stolen the Emperor Palpatine's personal luxury yacht, Imperialis.[24]

Imperial entanglements

Lando and Lobot escape Castell

Lando and Lobot aboard the Imperialis

Before they could jump into hyperspace, Calrissian and Lobot found their path blocked by three Imperial Star Destroyers. Calrissian was surprised that the Empire would dispatch such resources and realized that the ship was worth a lot. After the Imperial commander Commodore Idel destroyed Shipyard CC-24 for failing to respect the Emperor's property, he deployed a pair of gravity mines to disable the yacht. However, the Imperialis's advanced automated defenses incinerated the bombs. An amazed Calrissian then instructed Lobot to power up the hyperdrive.[25]

Korin then confronted Calrissian and asked what he had gotten them into. Based on the fact that the Imperials had deployed gravity mines, Calrissian deduced that the Empire wanted to capture them because there was something irreplaceable and priceless aboard the ship. When two of the Star Destroyers trapped the Imperialis in their tractor beams, Calrissian devised a trick escape maneuver. He got Lobot to feed the coordinates of the tractor beams into his piloting computer. Lobot and Aleksin were skeptical about Calrissian's plan to fly into the beams but Korin convinced the others to trust him. Flying the Imperialis, Calrissian locked Captain Conro's Star Destroyer's tractor beam onto Captain Shan's ship. This collision damaged the two Star Destroyers, allowing Calrissian and his crew to flee into deep space.[25]

After escaping the Star Destroyers, Lobot thanked Calrissian for his dangerous maneuver. Calrissian then proposed to Korin that they divide the Imperialis's treasures among themselves and give the ship to Toren. When Calrissian asked Korin what they stole, she replied that the ship was full of treasure. After touring the ship's hallways, they reached the Imperialis's central chamber. Lobot managed to access the chamber with his cybernetic headset but was impaled in the gut by a pair of Imperial Royal Guards.[25]

As Lobot succumbed to his injuries, his implants began to take over his mind. With Korin's help, Calrissian brought the wounded Lobot to the ship's medical bay while Aleksin and Pavol fought the Royal Guards with knives.[26] Meanwhile, the Emperor dispatched the bounty hunter Chanath Cha to recover his ship.[25] He supplied her with the modified Star Courier Scimitar, which was capable of tracking the hyperspace signature of starships. While Lobot recuperated inside a bacta tank, Korin told Calrissian that they had encountered Imperial Royal Guards. Based on the ship's opulent treasures and the Royal Guard's presence, Korin deduced that the stolen ship belonged to the Emperor himself.[26]

Calrissian was unwilling to listen to Korin's admonition and told him they were going to help the twins. Calrissian and Korin found an armory and helped themselves to some blasters. When they returned to the central chamber, they discovered that Aleksin and Pavol had killed the Royal Guards. While Calrissian complimented the twins, Korin discovered that the guards had mysteriously been corrupted by something in the valuable chamber. Calrissian and his companions discovered that the central chamber stored several Sith artifacts including the ancient mask of Lord Momin. Not realizing the danger, Calrissian quipped that the treasures they found could make up for Korin's lost eye.[26]

Pall of the Sith

Chanath Cha face

Chanath Cha, a familiar face from Lando and Lobot's past

When Calrissian asked how much the treasures in the central chamber were worth, Korin recognized that these artifacts belonged to the ancient Sith Lord Momin, a Sith sculptor whose works were believed to be lost. While Calrissian and Korin discussed their plans to sell the merchandise, Aleksin gazed into the Sith helmet. He grabbed a double-bladed lightsaber and sliced off his twin Pavol's lower right arm. Taken by surprise, Calrissian and Korin managed to exit the central chamber and seal the door. However, Pavol was left inside with the corrupted Aleksin.[27]

Ignorant of the Sith and their history, Calrissian believed that Aleksin had double-crossed them. However, Korin speculated that Aleksin had been corrupted by the Sith artifacts, based on her research into Sith lore at the University of Bar'leth. She deduced that the Royal Guards had been corrupted by their proximity to the Sith objects in the central chamber. Calrissian complimented Korin for being a "fascinating" lady but dismissed the Jedi and Sith as superstition. All that he was concerned about was that one of his team members had gone nuts and chopped off the arm of his companion. Calrissian also wanted to get back into the chamber and help Pavol.[27]

Korin replied that she was leaving the ship in an escape pod and marveled that Calrissian cared for others for a change. Unknown to Calrissian and his companions, Cha had infiltrated the ship. She was a former romantic interest of Lobot. When Calrissian objected to leaving Pavol behind, Korin warned him not to underestimate the powers of the Sith. Calrissian refused to leave his friend Lobot behind. Before the argument could escalate, the two heard over the intercom that the Imperialis's escape pods had been disabled.[27]

Despite Calrissian's objections, Korin headed to the bridge to reactivate the escape pods. However, she was held at gunpoint by Cha, who had disabled the escape pods. Calrissian went to confront the intruder only to discover that it was Cha. After embracing, Cha chastised Calrissian for stealing the Emperor's yacht. She recounted that the Emperor had sent her to kill whoever took his ship. If she was unable to do that, he had instructed her to destroy the ship. Cha warned Calrissian that the only cargo that the Imperialis carried was death.[27]

Escaping the Imperialis

Lobot Lando and Chanath

Lando, Lobot, and Chanath aboard the Imperialis

Recalling the Emperor's orders to kill the intruders or to destroy the ship, Cha opted to follow the second option since she was unwilling to hurt her former friend. Calrissian tried to reason with her but she pulled out her blaster and warned him that plans get people killed. Calrissian then tried to enlist Cha's help in dealing with Aleksin. He also suggested letting Korin and him escape in a few escape pods with some choice items while she destroyed the ship. Cha rejected that offer on the grounds that Palpatine would notice any choice items turning up on the black market. Unwilling to risk trouble with the Empire, Cha insisted on proceeding with her plan. However, she agree to ferry Calrissian and Korin to anywhere they wanted with her ship.[28]

Calrissian then mentioned that he could not risk bringing his friend Lobot out of the bacta tank to avoid the danger of the implants taking over his mind. He reminded Cha that she once had a relationship with Lobot. Cha reluctantly agreed to help. However, they were then cornered by the corrupted Aleksin and Pavol, who were under the influence of Sith objects. Aleksin demanded that they leave "his" ship or he would kill them. Calrissian objected on the grounds that the heist had been his idea. Aleksin then appealed to Korin and offered to share their treasures with her. Korin stared into the Sith helmet and was corrupted. She volunteered to join forces with Aleksin and Pavol. However, Aleksin killed her with his double-bladed lightsaber.[28]

Cha manged to shoot the door panel shut and initiate the self-destruct countdown. She then instructed Calrissian to retrieve Lobot from the medical bay while she docked her ship. Calrissian managed to helped Lobot out of the bacta tank. Before they could head to the airlock, they were cornered by a lightsaber-wielding Aleksin. Using his smooth talk, Calrissian managed to trick Aleksin into deactivating his lightsaber before shooting him dead. They then joined Cha at the airlock. Despite killing Pavol, the three encountered a new predicament. The Scimitar's droid steward O-66 had abandoned Cha after learning that she had activated the Imperialis's self-destruct mechanism.[28]

When all seemed lost, Lobot volunteered to connect his cyborg unit to an interface. Despite struggling in his fight against the implants, Lobot managed to override the control codes. Calrissian and Lobot left in one escape pod while Cha left in the other. After escaping the Imperialis, Calrissian listened as Lobot advised Calrissian to use his charm and skills to find something bigger to believe in other than himself. He also counselled Calrissian to use his talents for good.[28]

Business success

"A mining colony?"
"Yeah, a tibanna gas mine. Lando conned somebody out of it."
―Leia Organa and Han Solo[src]

Some time later, Calrissian scored a major victory in a card game and won control of Cloud City,[1] a tibanna gas mining operation within the atmosphere of the planet Bespin.[12] The "legitimate pilot and businessman" Gev Hessan smuggled goods to Calrissian to help him build the city.[8] Calrissian became the Baron Administrator of Cloud City and turned to more reputable enterprises. As leader of the mining operation, he was able to keep the operation small enough to avoid being noticed by the Empire and the Mining Guild, which he considered advantageous as his customers did not want to attract attention.[3]

Return to legitimate business

"Nothing is glamorous when you have a blaster pointed at your face."
―Lando Calrissian[src]

Calrissian met up with Tonee to have a toast about his new honest life. He was approached by an old friend, Clariah who asked him to help find and teach her son Jiandy, how to be a legitimate business man. As payment, Clariah offered to return one of Calrissian's beloved capes. However, Calrissian refused and wanted to run his business. However, Calrissian agreed to take Jiany under his wing. Calrissian took Jiandy to see Askroh but were caught by his men.[29]

File:Lando and Clariah escaping Askroh.JPG

Lando and Clariah escaping Askroh.

The two of them made their escape on a speeder. When their speeder gave out, Calrissian spoke with Askroh about returning his brooch. Askroh decided to toss them over them, and realized that Jiandy had a secret compartment on his belt. He sold Jiandy out, but Calrissian was able to convince Askroh not to throw Jiandy over. As Jiandy ran, he told Calrissian that he never wanted to see him again. Calrissian returned to the bar and was thanked by Clariah for setting her son on a better path.[30]

Deal with the Empire

"This deal's getting worse all the time."
―Lando Calrissian[src]

In 3 ABY,[31] Darth Vader and the Imperial Navy tracked Solo and the Millennium Falcon after they escaped from the Battle of Hoth. Vader intended to use Solo—as well as fellow Rebel Alliance members Princess Leia Organa and Chewbacca, who were also aboard the Millennium Falcon—to lure Vader's son, Luke Skywalker, into a trap. Vader knew that if Skywalker thought his friends were in trouble, he would attempt to rescue them and fall into Vader's trap. In an effort to hide from the Empire, Solo suggested that they make their way to Cloud City and seek help from Calrissian. While en route to Bespin, the Falcon was tracked by bounty hunter Boba Fett, who had been employed by Vader to find the Falcon.[3] Vader and Fett arrived on Cloud City before the Falcon, and the Dark Lord of the Sith told Calrissian to help trap the Rebels or Cloud City would face the wrath of the Empire. Calrissian agreed to Vader's demands and awaited the Rebels' arrival.[12]

Lando13

Calrissian arrives to greet Solo.

The Millennium Falcon arrived at Cloud City and was granted permission from the city authorities to land. Once it landed, Calrissian personally greeted Solo and the others on the landing platform with Lobot and a full complement of the Bespin Wing Guard in tow. When Calrissian first approached, he feigned anger for actions Solo committed in their previous encounters. He quickly dropped the facade, however, and greeted his old friend with affection, telling Solo it was very good to see him again. Calrissian asked what brought Solo to Cloud City and the smuggler told him that they needed to repair the Falcon. Calrissian briefly referred to it as his own ship, asking what Solo did to damage it, but Solo reminded him that he won it from Calrissian fair and square. Calrissian then noticed Organa and introduced himself, using his charms to personally welcome her to Cloud City.[3]

While the Rebels settled into an apartment on Cloud City, Calrissian ordered his workers to begin fixing the hyperdrive on the Millennium Falcon. At some point, the work was completed and Calrissian was informed that the vessel was fixed, but the Empire secretly disabled the vessel's hyperdrive without Calrissian's knowledge. Once the Empire was ready to capture Solo, Organa, and Chewbacca, Calrissian greeted them in the apartment, where he admired Organa for her beauty. He also found that their protocol droid, C-3PO, had been mysteriously damaged and blown into several pieces, which piqued the suspicions of the Rebels. Nonetheless, after he asked them to join him for refreshments, they followed Calrissian throughout the facility, where he told them about the mining operations and how the Empire and the Mining Guild had no presence on Cloud City. Upon arrival at a dining room, Calrissian told them that he had made a deal to keep the Empire off of Cloud City, and he opened the door to reveal Vader and Fett; Fett intended to take Solo to Jabba to claim a bounty on the smuggler's head. As a result, the Rebels were successfully captured by the Empire.[3]

BobaVaderLando

Calrissian grows increasingly concerned about his deal with the Dark Lord.

The Rebels were taken into custody, and Solo was tortured by the Empire; the torture was seen by Skywalker in a vision, who rushed to Cloud City to save his friends. Calrissian waited outside of the torture chamber where he heard Solo's screams, and spoke with the Dark Lord once Vader emerged from the chamber. Vader told him that Organa and Chewbacca could never leave Cloud City, to which Calrissian protested, as neither that nor helping Fett were part of their arrangement. Vader threatened to leave an Imperial garrison on Cloud City if Calrissian did not cooperate, which made Calrissian realize that the deal was getting worse and that Vader would not uphold his promises. After Solo's torture ended, Calrissian spoke to his old friend, Organa, and Chewbacca, and told them that the princess and Chewbacca would have to remain on Cloud City. He also told them that Vader was not interested in them, but rather he was using them to bait Skywalker to Cloud City, for which he received a slug to the face from an enraged Solo.[3]

Later, Vader determined that he would use the Cloud City carbon-freezing chamber to freeze Skywalker in carbonite so he could be delivered to the Emperor. To ensure that Skywalker would not be damaged, Vader decided to test the carbon-freezing on Solo. Calrissian protested, believing that the carbon-freezing would kill Solo. Nonetheless, Vader moved forward with the test. When Solo and the other Rebels arrived, Calrissian informed Solo of what was about to happen to him. Calrissian monitored the freezing and, when it was completed, checked on Solo's lifesigns, where he found that Solo was alive and in perfect carbonite hibernation. Vader then ordered Calrissian to bring Organa and Chewbacca to the Dark Lord's vessel, once again altering the deal he had made with the Baron Administrator.[3]

Imperial forces led Calrissian and the Rebels towards the Dark Lord's ship. While en route, they encountered Skywalker, who exchanged fire with the Imperials before the stormtroopers led Calrissian and the Rebels away. The Imperials were soon surrounded by Cloud City security forces, led by Lobot, and disarmed. Calrissian freed the Rebels from their restraints, at which point Chewbacca attacked him, grabbing his neck and choking him for his betrayal. Struggling to stop the enraged Wookiee from crushing his windpipe, Calrissian gasped out that there was still time to save Solo from the bounty hunter, who was taking him to the East Platform. The Rebels let Calrissian go, and he followed them towards the platform. They arrived in time to watch Fett's ship, Slave I, take off. Though they attempted to fire at it with blasters, it had no impact and the bounty hunter escaped with Solo.[3]

Lando covering fire

Calrissian provides covering fire for the Rebels' escape.

Stormtroopers soon arrived on the platform, forcing Calrissian and the Rebels to fight through them and escape. They made their way to the Millennium Falcon and arrived at its landing platform, only to find a locked door. R2-D2—Skywalker's astromech droid, who had rendezvoused with the Rebels—attempted and failed to open the door. While the droid was working, Calrissian issued a city-wide broadcast warning his citizens of the Imperial presence and impending occupation of Cloud City. He advised everyone to leave Cloud City before more Imperial forces could arrive. Calrissian's announcement created a frenzy of activity, as numerous people fled throughout the city. Calrissian led the Rebels through the commotion towards another doorway, which R2-D2 was able to open while Calrissian and the Rebels fought off more stormtroopers. The group ran towards the Falcon, where Calrissian provided cover fire as the others boarded the ship. Once aboard, the Falcon lifted off from the platform, pursued by TIE fighters.[3]

As the Falcon was escaping, Skywalker—who had been injured in and escaped from a lightsaber duel with Vader—communicated to Organa through the Force, calling to her for help as he struggled to hang onto an antenna at the base of Cloud City. Organa asked Chewbacca, who piloted the Falcon, to turn the ship around so they could save their friend. Calrissian protested because of the TIE fighters, but the Rebels went back anyway to rescue their friend. They found Skywalker hanging from the city and positioned the ship underneath him. Once in position, Calrissian opened a hatch and took a lift to the top of the ship, where Skywalker fell into and Calrissian caught him. With Skywalker on board, the Falcon took off again from Cloud City, and Calrissian left Skywalker in Organa's care.[3]

Calrissian took the pilot's seat in the Falcon and prepared the ship for a jump into hyperspace. When he attempted to make the jump, however, the hyperdrive failed, much to Calrissian's frustration as he was unaware that the Empire had sabotaged the ship. The Executor, Vader's Super Star Destroyer, approached the vessel, where Vader would once again attempt to capture Skywalker. R2-D2, who learned of the sabotage while communicating with Cloud City's computer, made the necessary repairs to the hyperdrive and the ship was able to jump into hyperspace, successfully escaping from the Empire.[3]

Rescuing Han Solo

"Princess, we'll find Han. I promise."
―Lando Calrissian, to Leia Organa[src]
Galaxy1

Calrissian pilots the Falcon past a protostar, seeking to find Solo.

The Millennium Falcon returned to the Alliance Fleet,[3] Calrissian did not stay long, however, as he and Chewbacca intended to set out in the Millennium Falcon to find Solo. Before leaving the fleet, he contacted Organa and Skywalker, promising the princess that he and Chewbacca would find Solo. The group agreed to meet at a rendezvous point on Tatooine, the location of Jabba's Palace. They said their goodbyes and the Falcon departed from the fleet, blasting off past a protostar.[3]

Some time later, Calrissian and Chewbacca had located Solo's still-frozen body at Jabba's palace on Tatooine. Skywalker put together a plan in which Calrissian, Organa, Chewbacca, the droids, and Skywalker himself would rescue their friend and, if necessary, destroy Jabba the Hutt. Calrissian infiltrated the palace and disguised himself as one of the Hutt's guards. He watched as each member of the Rebel team arrived; the droids arrived first, posing as gifts from Skywalker to Jabba, followed by Organa who posed as a bounty hunter collecting the bounty on Chewbacca, who she brought as her prisoner. Organa later released Solo from carbon-freeze, but they were discovered by Jabba and his court. Solo was placed into a prison cell with Chewbacca, while Organa became the Hutt's slave. Calrissian remained in disguise throughout the arrivals.[7]

Skywalker arrived last and, while declaring himself a Jedi Knight, demanded that Solo and the others be released to him. Jabba refused, and Skywalker was forced to fight and kill Jabba's rancor beast. When the rancor failed to kill Skywalker, Jabba sentenced Skywalker, Solo, and Chewbacca to be killed; the sentence was that they would be fed to the sarlacc creature in the Great Pit of Carkoon, where they would be slowly digested over the course of a millennium. Calrissian, still disguised as a guard, traveled with Jabba and his entourage to the Great Pit of Carkoon, and was stationed aboard the skiff on which the prisoners were kept.[7]

Han rescues Lando

Solo rescues Calrissian from the sarlacc.

Before the Rebels could be executed, R2-D2 revealed he had been concealing Skywalker's lightsaber. The Jedi Knight attacked Jabba's guards and Calrissian revealed himself, helping to free the prisoners and fight off the other guards. While doing so, he was knocked from the side of the skiff and fell towards the sarlacc, clinging onto the edge of the pit. Solo, who was partially though temporarily blind as a result of the carbon freezing, was lowered towards Calrissian by Chewbacca. Solo handed him a staff and Calrissian reached for it, but one of the sarlacc's tentacles grabbed his leg. Solo aimed a blaster at the tentacle and, despite Calrissian's concerns over Solo's ability to see his target, fired upon the creature. He hit the tentacle and the sarlacc released Calrissian, allowing Solo to pull him to safety.[7]

Once they were aboard, Skywalker and Organa—who had killed Jabba aboard the Hutt's vessel—jumped from Jabba's ship to the skiff. Calrissian piloted the skiff away from Jabba's vessel as it exploded, and the group rescued the droids, who had fallen overboard earlier. With the rescue completed, the group returned to the Millennium Falcon and left Tatooine.[7]

Battle of Endor

"General Calrissian has volunteered to lead the fighter attack."
"Good luck. You're gonna need it."
―Admiral Ackbar and Han Solo[src]
General Lando

Newly appointed general, Lando Calrissian jokes with Han Solo before a rebel briefing aboard Home One.

Calrissian participated in the Battle of Taanab,[7] helping defeat a pirate fleet.[1] He then rendezvoused with the fleet to find that a battle was being prepared to strike a decisive blow against the Empire. The Empire was building a second Death Star, which orbited the forest moon of Endor, and the Emperor had personally arrived on the station to oversee the final stages of construction. Unknown to the Rebels was that the Emperor had allowed them to learn this information, as he was luring them into a trap in an attempt to destroy them. They believed that the station, which was fully operational, did not yet have use of its primary, planet-destroying weapon. As such, they put together a plan to destroy the Death Star and kill the Emperor. The plan would require a ground assault to destroy the generator that powered the shield protecting the Death Star, as well as a naval assault against the station itself. Calrissian volunteered to lead the starfighter attack and was commissioned as a general of the Rebel Alliance. He attended a Rebel briefing where the plan for the Battle of Endor was reviewed, and learned that Solo would lead the ground assault, with a team that included Organa, Chewbacca, and Skywalker. Solo congratulated Calrissian on his promotion, to which he responded it must have been because of a maneuver he pulled at Taanab. Solo told Calrissian he could fly the Millennium Falcon during the battle. Knowing how much the ship meant to his friend, Calrissian promised that he would return her without so much as a scratch.[7]

Solo and his team departed prior to the fleet, in order to give themselves time to destroy the shield. The Rebel fleet, meanwhile, prepared to leave. Once it was ready, Calrissian and his co-pilot, a Sullustan named Nien Nunb, flew the Falcon to the head of the fleet, where all fighter squadrons were accounted for. Admiral Gial Ackbar, who led the Alliance fleet, gave Calrissian the order to depart for Endor. Once they arrived at Endor, Nunb told Calrissian that the Falcon's scanners had been jammed, leading Calrissian to realize that the Empire knew they were coming and that the attack was a trap. As the squadrons approached the Death Star, Calrissian ordered his forces to break off the attack, as he knew that the shield was still operational.[7]

Lando7

Calrissian and his co-pilot, Nien Nunb, during the Battle of Endor.

A hidden Imperial fleet revealed itself, and Calrissian and his fighter squadrons were forced to contend with incoming TIE fighters. He led his fighters towards the Imperial fleet in order to draw enemy fire away from the Rebel cruisers, and the Falcon shot a number of the TIE fighters down. He soon saw Imperial Star Destroyers positioned away from the main fighting and was unsure as to why they were hanging back. Calrissian soon found an answer once the Death Star, revealed as operational, fired its primary weapon and destroyed a Rebel cruiser with a single shot. Ackbar ordered a retreat, but Calrissian convinced him to keep the fleet in place, as he had faith that Solo would complete his mission on the surface. When another Star Cruiser was atomized by the superweapon, Calrissian told Ackbar to move the rest of the cruisers and engage the Star Destroyers at point-blank range, reasoning that they stood a far better chance against them than the Death Star and that the destroyers would be caught in the blast if the superlaser dared to fire again.[7]

On the surface, Solo and his team successfully completed their mission and destroyed the shield generator. With the Death Star vulnerable, Ackbar ordered Calrissian and his forces to begin their assault on the battle station. The Falcon and the fighter squadrons entered an opening on the space station and headed for the reactor core, all while pursued by TIE fighters. While piloting towards their target, the Falcon hit a bulkhead on the interior of the Death Star, knocking its sensor dish off; Calrissian, as a result, had broken his promise to return the Falcon to Solo "without a scratch". The Rebels reached the main reactor, where the Falcon fired the shot that started a chain reaction to destroy the station. Calrissian piloted the ship back through the same route that they entered, as a ball of fire followed close behind. Despite the minor damage, the Falcon escaped the Death Star just in time and flew back towards the Rebel fleet as the Death Star exploded behind it.[7]

Celebration on Endor

Calrissian and his friends celebrate their victory on Endor.

Calrissian and his fellow Rebels made their way to the surface of Endor and regrouped in Bright Tree Village, the home of the Ewoks who helped Solo and his team destroy the shield generator, where they all celebrated the destruction of the Death Star and the death of the Emperor; during the battle, Skywalker redeemed Vader, who in turn killed the Emperor before succumbing to his own injuries. Calrissian reunited with Solo, Chewbacca, and the rest of his friends for the festivities.[7]

Serving the New Republic

Operation: Cinder

"We just got word that Operation: Cinder is headed to Naboo."
―General Lando Calrissian, to Commander Iden Versio and Del Meeko[src]
File:Lando meets Iden Versio.JPG

Lando discusses matters with Iden Versio.

Though they had won the Battle of Endor, the Rebels would still face many challenges as they sought to restore the Galactic Republic. Shortly after Inferno Squad's surrender, Calrissian discussed matters with the squad leader Iden Versio. He offered to let them leave free on two X-Wing fighters as well as providing them the option of helping stop the Empire from implementing Operation: Cinder. Iden and Del Meeko took the second option, leading Lando to assign them to join his friend Shriv Suurgav in Danger Squadron.[9]

Calrissian commanded an Alliance Fleet including the cruiser Restoration, the Mellcrawler II and a small fleet of starfighters, including Danger Squadron and defected members of Inferno Squad during the Battle of Theed, aiding Queen Sosha Soruna, Organa and Lieutenant Shara Bey as they disrupted the Imperial operation to render Naboo inhospitable.[32][9]

The rebels then reengaged the Imperial forces and destroyed the last satellites and engaged the Torment, however, before going down, the ship deployed its ground invasion force in an attempt to capture Theed and salvage the battle, after the ground battle ended, the New Republic began to form.[9]

Liberation of Bespin

"Lobot, we're home. Guess the Empire didn't keep up with housekeeping."
―Lando Calrissian, remained good-humored in the midst of hardship and conflict[src]

Following the events at Endor, Governor Ubrik Adelhard imposed the Iron Blockade on the Anoat sector. Adelhard also claimed that the Empire had won the Battle of Endor and that rumors of the Emperor's death were rebel propaganda. In response, a resistance movement known as the Uprising emerged in the sector. Calrissian kept in touch with his old friend Lobot, who relayed messages through the blockade and served as a liaison between Calrissian and members of the Uprising. Unable to intervene directly in the uprising on Cloud City, Calrissian instead transferred credits to the rebels through the auspices of Lobot. He was privy to a joint operation by Lobot and the pirate Kars Tal-Korla to breach Adelhard's personal quarters and capture him.[8] Though Adelhard evaded capture, the Uprising managed to liberate Bespin as the Galactic Civil War drew to a close.[10]

Calrissian managed to starve Adelhard's Imperial remnant into submission. Around the time of the Battle of Jakku, he returned to Cloud City at the head of a ragtag force of Wing Guards and New Republic soldiers. With Lobot at his side, Calrissian led a mopping-up operation against an Imperial hold-out in the Casino Level's Bolo Tanga room. As they made their way there, Lobot reminded Calrissian to get Organa and Solo a nuptial gift for their expectant child. Calrissian joked about gifting the boy a little cape and mustache so that he could resemble Uncle Lando.[33]

Upon arriving at the Bolo Tanga room, Calrissian met with the Wing Guard Captain Gladstone, who informed him that the Imperials were holed up inside. While they had broken through to the beam outtake shaft, they were trapped by poisonous fumes. Calrissian then addressed the Imperials and offered to spare their lives if they surrendered. As a further incentive, he promised to give them a hot meal, a warm bed, and to send them away without fear of New Republic prosecution. After ending his address, Calrissian ordered his engineers to unseal the door.[33]

A dozen Imperials accepted Calrissian's offer and they were taken into custody by the Wing Guard. However, Gladstone then informed the Baron Administrator that an Imperial sergeant was refusing to surrender. Calrissian tried to reason with the sergeant but the man tried to shoot him. Calrissian was forced to kill the sergeant with his Vitiator blaster.[33]

After subduing the Imperials, Calrissian chatted with Lobot about the matter of purchasing a nuptial gift. When Calrissian suggested a lamp and a blaster, Lobot opposed the ideas. Calrissian then proposed leaving his Vitiator in a save lock until Organa's son came of age. When Lobot vetoed that, Calrissian then proposed gifting the family a Vantillian catamaran. Lobot accepted that idea. When Calrissian toyed with the idea of starting his own family, Lobot vetoed that as well. Calrissian then invited Lobot out for a drink but Lobot responded that he did not drink. Calrissian then promised to find a win-win situation for both of them.[33]

Encountering Embo

"Look at this place. I can see Han living like this, but Chewbacca?"
―Lando Calrissian[src]
File:Embo and Lando.JPG

Lando encounters Embo.

Calrissian and Nunb at some point stopped at a space station to refuel the Falcon, but were unable to take off. The ship was boarded by the bounty hunter Embo, who was attempting to claim a bounty on Calrissian for the destruction of the second Death Star. Calrissian incapacitated Embo, and he and Nunb left him on the station when they departed.[34]

Rise of the First Order

After the Galactic Concordance many Imperials then retreated to the Unknown Regions where they reestablished themselves as the First Order.[35] In 28 ABY,[36] Calrissian sent a message of support to his old friend Senator Organa following a political scandal arising from revelations about Darth Vader being her true father.[37]

Personality and traits

"He's a card player, gambler, scoundrel. You'd like him."
―Han Solo, to Leia Organa — (audio) Listen (file info)[src]

Lando Calrissian was a human male with black hair, brown eyes, and dark skin. He often wore ornate clothing that included a cape.[3] In his youth, Calrissian enjoyed playing sabacc,[12] and Solo described him as having been a scoundrel.[3] Calrissian was also willing to undertaking dangerous risks. On one occasion, he, Lobot, and some companions stole the Emperor's luxury yacht Imperialis.[24] Calrissian hoped to profit from selling the ship's treasures.[25] The heist undertook a dangerous turn when the Sith objects aboard corrupted his companions Aleksin, Pavol,[27] and Korin Pers.[28] Calrissian had little appreciation for the Sith and Jedi, regarding them as "con-jobs."[27]

Landos Millennium Falcon Fathead

The Millennium Falcon under Calrissian's ownership.

He was also familiar with the bounty Cha, which led her to spare his life.[27] Calrissian cared deeply for his friend Lobot and was unwilling to abandon him. The two were close friends. Lobot recognized Calrissian's charm and ability to motivate people and counseled him to find a greater cause than himself and to do good for others.[28]

After losing the Millennium Falcon however, Calrissian sought to turn into a respectable businessman, and he turned Cloud City into a mostly-legitimate enterprise.[12] He was protective of his people to the point that he betrayed Solo and the Rebels to save Cloud City from the wrath of the Empire, for whom Calrissian had no love. He turned against the Empire, however, in order to give his citizens a chance to escape and to save Solo. Although Solo had felt betrayed by Calrissian's actions,[3] the two reconciled after Solo was rescued from Tatooine, and shared a warm embrace during the victory celebration on Endor.[7] When speaking or referring to Solo by his first name, Calrissian invariably pronounced the name the same way one would pronounce the word "hand," rather than rhyming with "on" as it was normally pronounced.[6]

Calrissian was known for his jocular and witty personality. Despite the wartime damage to Cloud City, Calrissian was undaunted and preferred to look on the bright side of things by hiring refugees to staff his facilities. Calrissian was also a smooth-talking negotiator who managed to convince several Imperial holdouts to surrender in return for being well-treated and allowed to leave Cloud City. Calrissian was also a man of honor who kept his promises. The only person that could exert an influence on Calrissian was his friend and employee Lobot. Calrissian welcomed the news that his friends Solo and Organa were expecting a child and looked forward to being an uncle.[33]

Skills and abilities

X-8 Night Sniper EaW

An X-8 Night Sniper was Calrissian's favored blaster.

"Someone must've told them about my little maneuver at the Battle of Taanab."
―Lando Calrissian[src]

Calrissian was a skilled pilot. During the Battle of Taanab, Calrissian performed a piloting maneuver that impressed even himself. He later attributed that maneuver as being one of the reasons why the Rebel Alliance commissioned him as a general and placed him in a command position for the Battle of Endor.[7] Calrissian was also skilled with a blaster, wielding an X-8 Night Sniper as his weapon of choice which he used against Azmorigan's thugs with enough proficiency to earn him a compliment from Wren, herself an accomplished markswoman.[19]

Calrissian once undertook a dangerous maneuver which involved latching onto a Star Destroyer's tractor beam and causing it to collide with another Star Destroyer. Calrissian boasted of doing this maneuver a thousand times.[25] Calrissian was also a cunning combatant and once tricked the lightsaber-wielding Aleksin into deactivating his blade so that he could kill him.[28] Calrissian also owned a Rossmoyne Vitiator pistol, which he won in a game of Six-Card Gizka Limit from a spice-drunk Aybarian diplomat. Calrissian used this pistol to kill an Imperial sergeant who refused to surrender.[33]

Behind the scenes

"The audience was so enamored with Lando, they could forgive Lando for anything. If you're able to play a character that can be sort of a bad guy but has redeeming qualities, those are the best characters to play. That was a great challenge to me, to make him palatable, and it worked."
―Billy Dee Williams, commenting on his work as Lando Calrissian[src]

Lando Calrissian was portrayed by Billy Dee Williams in Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi.[3][7] Williams reprised the role in "Idiot's Array," the ninth episode of the first season of the animated television series Star Wars Rebels,[19] and returned in the first episode of the second season, "The Siege of Lothal".[21] Williams also reprised the role for the game Star Wars Battlefront II.[9]

Lawrence Kasdan, who co-wrote The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi and The Force Awakens, told Vanity Fair that Calrissian is not in The Force Awakens, but added that he believes that there is a future for the character and that Calrissian is not "finished in any way, shape, or form."[38] The Last Jedi director Rian Johnson briefly considered to bring back Lando in the film as the codebreaker that Finn and Rose Tico needed to find at Canto Bight, but Calrissian was ultimately written out from the film's script and replaced by DJ in the role.[39]

A young Lando Calrissian was portrayed by Donald Glover in the 2018 film Solo: A Star Wars Story.[40] Since the production's beginning, Calrissian was always included in the script as he was necessary to the story.[41] When asked about the character's depiction in the film, screenwriter Jon Kasdan confirmed that Lando is meant to be pansexual. "There's a fluidity to Donald and Billy Dee's [portrayal of Lando's] sexuality," he said. "I mean, I would have loved to have gotten a more explicitly LGBT character into this movie. I think it’s time, certainly, for that, and I love the fluidity ― sort of the spectrum of sexuality that Donald appeals to and that droids are a part of." Kasdan's father and co-writer was more ambiguous about his thoughts on the character's sexuality, saying "Maybe [Lando's allegedly flirty attitude toward Han] means something, maybe it doesn’t.”[42] Kasdan also revealed on Twitter that they had recorded a line that stated Lando's full name was "Landonis Balthazar Calrissian III", but it did not make the final cut of the movie. [43]

Billy Dee Williams will reprise the role of Lando Calrissian for 2019's Star Wars: Episode IX, the final installment of the Skywalker saga.[44]

Appearances

Non-canon appearances

Sources

Notes and references

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Ultimate Star Wars
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 Star Wars Rebels: Visual Guide: Epic Battles
  3. 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 Star Wars: Episode V The Empire Strikes Back
  4. 4.0 4.1 Star Wars: The Rebel Files
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Lando: Double or Nothing, Part I
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 6.7 6.8 6.9 Solo: A Star Wars Story
  7. 7.00 7.01 7.02 7.03 7.04 7.05 7.06 7.07 7.08 7.09 7.10 7.11 7.12 7.13 Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi
  8. 8.0 8.1 8.2 Aftermath
  9. 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 Star Wars Battlefront II
  10. 10.0 10.1 Star Wars: Uprising
  11. Last Shot
  12. 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 12.5 StarWars-DatabankII Lando Calrissian in the Databank (backup link)
  13. Star Wars: Commander
  14. 14.0 14.1 14.2 14.3 Lando's Luck
  15. Lando: Double or Nothing, Part II
  16. Lando: Double or Nothing, Part III
  17. Lando: Double or Nothing, Part IV
  18. 18.0 18.1 Lando: Double or Nothing, Part V
  19. 19.0 19.1 19.2 19.3 19.4 19.5 19.6 Rebels-mini-logo Star Wars Rebels — "Idiot's Array"
  20. 20.0 20.1 20.2 SWRM "Puffer Problems" — Star Wars Rebels Magazine 21
  21. 21.0 21.1 Star Wars Rebels: The Siege of Lothal
  22. 22.0 22.1 22.2 22.3 22.4 22.5 SWRM "Off the Rails" — Star Wars Rebels Magazine
  23. 23.0 23.1 23.2 Star Wars 34: The Thirteen Crates
  24. 24.0 24.1 24.2 24.3 24.4 Lando, Part I
  25. 25.0 25.1 25.2 25.3 25.4 25.5 Lando, Part II
  26. 26.0 26.1 26.2 Lando, Part III
  27. 27.0 27.1 27.2 27.3 27.4 27.5 27.6 Lando, Part IV
  28. 28.0 28.1 28.2 28.3 28.4 28.5 28.6 Lando, Part V
  29. IDWStarWarsAdventuresLogoSmaller "[[Tales from Wild Space: Family Affair, Part 1]]" — Star Wars Adventures (2017) 10
  30. IDWStarWarsAdventuresLogoSmaller "[[Tales from Wild Space: Family Affair, Part 2]]" — Star Wars Adventures (2017) 10
  31. Star Wars: Galactic Atlas
  32. Shattered Empire, Part III
  33. 33.0 33.1 33.2 33.3 33.4 33.5 Aftermath: Empire's End
  34. IDWStarWarsAdventuresLogoSmaller "[[Flight of the Falcon, Part 3: Home Again]]" — Star Wars Adventures (2017) 16
  35. Star Wars: The Force Awakens: The Visual Dictionary
  36. TwitterLogo Del Rey (@DelReyStarWars) on Twitter: "So excited to have @claudiagray writing a #StarWars novel with us. SW: New Republic: Bloodline coming 2016. Set 6 years before TFA." (backup link (DelReyStarWars/status/652893780236988420) not verified!) The tweet in question states that the events of Bloodline take place six years before the events of the film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens. Star Wars: Galactic Atlas establishes that the events of The Force Awakens take place in the year 34 ABY and so using simple math it can be concluded that the events of Bloodline take place in 28 ABY.
  37. Bloodline
  38. Lawrence Kasdan Says There's a Future for Lando Calrissian in Star Wars on Vanity Fair (May 18, 2015) (archived from the original on March 28, 2024)
  39. 'Star Wars: The Last Jedi' cast demand JJ Abrams brings back Lando for 'Episode 9' (exclusive) on Yahoo! Movies (December 14, 2017) (archived from the original on March 28, 2024)
  40. StarWars Donald Glover Cast as Young Lando Calrissian in Upcoming Han Solo Star Wars Stand-Alone Film on StarWars.com (backup link)
  41. StarWars A Portrait Of The Scoundrel As A Young Man: Writers Lawrence And Jonathan Kasdan On Solo: A Star Wars Story on StarWars.com (backup link)
  42. 'Star Wars' Writer Confirms Lando's Sexual Fluidity In 'Solo' on The Huffington Post (May 17, 2018) (archived from the original on March 28, 2024)
  43. TwitterLogo Jon Kasdan (@jonkasdan) on Twitter: "It's actually Landonis Balthazar Calrissian III and we recorded Pheobe saying that but to put in his full name would've meant reediting like two weeks before we had to lock picture and I was told we couldn't. Another regret." (backup link (jonkasdan/status/1044823791405289473) not verified!)
  44. StarWars Star Wars: Episode IX Cast Announced on StarWars.com (backup link)

External links

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