The Kessel Run, a perilous 20-parsec hyperspace route situated within the treacherous Akkadese Maelstrom, served as a crucial pathway for smugglers and morally flexible freighter captains. These individuals transported spice originating from the spice mines of Kessel under the direction of the Pyke Syndicate, who depended on the risky Kessel Runs to distribute the contraband to their clientele. Famously, Han Solo, while piloting the Millennium Falcon, completed this notorious route in a mere 12 parsecs. He bragged about his ship's capacity to navigate shorter, yet far more dangerous, paths through hyperspace, thereby shattering a longstanding record.
Astrid Fenris posited that Solo had navigated the freighter between a pair of black holes located within the Maw Cluster. Consequently, she argued that the recognition for this feat should be attributed to Lando Calrissian, the gambler who owned the vessel at the time. Calrissian, as the owner, would have been responsible for any modifications that enabled the ship to withstand the gravitational forces of the black holes. Peko-Peko Munzati, along with several other pilots, speculated that Solo's chosen path was an ancient migratory route used by purrgil.
During a commentary included with the Blu-ray edition of Star Wars, George Lucas explained that interstellar vessels in the Star Wars universe are unable to maintain a direct course through hyperspace due to the risk of colliding with celestial bodies. Therefore, the distance traveled becomes a critical determinant of the speed at which a ship can journey from one location to another. The Millennium Falcon's advanced navigational system gave it the ability to traverse shorter distances between points, resulting in faster arrival times.
Canon materials present contradictory accounts regarding the accuracy of Solo's claim that the Millennium Falcon accomplished the Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs. A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy characterizes the assertion as a "lie" that impresses the naive Luke Skywalker, but is recognized by the experienced Obi-Wan Kenobi as a mere boast. Conversely, Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side! asserts in its narration that "not all ships are created equal, and the rebels possess the vessel that completed the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs." Solo: A Star Wars Story depicts Han's Kessel Run as slightly exceeding twelve parsecs, while other ships typically require at least twenty.