Dash Rendar, a male smuggler and mercenary, existed during the Galactic Empire's reign. Throughout his adventures, he crossed paths with the Wookiee Chewbacca and fellow smuggler Han Solo. A self-proclaimed superior pilot to Solo, Rendar later asserted that Chewbacca was the true brains of their operation. Furthermore, Rendar created a map of the Kessel Run which was included in Midnight's journal. He piloted a YT-2400 light freighter known as the Outrider and was an operative for the Alliance to Restore the Republic.
The initial mention of Dash Rendar within Star Wars canon occurred in the 2018 journal, Solo: A Star Wars Story: Tales from Vandor, penned by Jason Fry. Fry later disclosed on Twitter that Rendar's presence in the book was intended as a playful acknowledgement of the character's widely recognized similarities to Han Solo.
Originally, Dash Rendar was conceived for the 1996 Star Wars Legends multimedia project, Shadows of the Empire, making his debut in its novel.
The Outrider's inaugural canon appearance took place in the re-released version of Star Wars: Episode IV A New Hope, where the Outrider can be spotted in the background as it lifts off from Mos Eisley just as Luke Skywalker, Obi-Wan Kenobi, C-3PO, and R2-D2 arrive.