Qi'ra

Biography

Early life

Born in 31 BBY, Qi'ra originated from Corellia, a planet existing during the Galactic Empire's reign, prior to the start of the Galactic Civil War. Her upbringing occurred in Coronet City's Bottoms. She tried to steal a dog biscuit from Moloch, who caught her and took her to Proxima. Subsequently, she was forced to become a scrumrat in the White Worms. Later, she became friends with Han. She once witnessed Han defending a bullied scrumrat, even though he was beaten up for it. Later, while sitting outside at night, Qi'ra asked him about it, and Han admitted that the White Worms' culture didn't encourage helping each other, but he believed he could make a difference by being selfless. Over the years, she watched Han compete in swoop races, earning credits to save up for a starship that would allow them to escape the White Worms.

By the age of eighteen [years](/article/standard_year], Qi'ra was chosen by Lady Proxima to be the Head Girl after Han told Proxima that Qi'ra had declined a chance to travel the galaxy and instead chose to work for the White Worms.

Qi'ra and Han, who was now her lover, tried to escape Corellia after he stole a vial of coaxium during a botched delivery for Proxima. After a confrontation with Proxima, where Solo created a distraction by breaking a window to let in light, exploiting her skin's sensitivity, he and Qi'ra attempted to pass through the Imperial control zone by bribing Falthina Sharest, an Imperial Emigration Officer, with the coaxium. Sharest agreed to let them pass, but only if they handed over the coaxium before going through the security gate. Solo reluctantly agreed, instructing Qi'ra to give it to her. However, only Solo made it through; Qi'ra was captured by Rebolt and Syke of the White Worms, and the gate closed when Sharest triggered a security alert. Solo promised Qi'ra he would return for her as soon as possible before fleeing the gate.

Road to Dryden Vos

After being recaptured by Proxima's gang, Qi'ra's life became even more challenging. Proxima, scarred and displeased with her actions, decided to sell Qi'ra. She was sold to Sarkin Enneb, a slave dealer, and later to Dryden Vos, the leader of Crimson Dawn. After a year of failed escape attempts, she tried again, killing the guard outside her cell and reaching the escape pods, only to find Vos waiting. He offered her a position in Crimson Dawn, seeing her potential, but demanded her lifelong loyalty. Vos branded Qi'ra's forearm and the back of her neck with the Crimson Dawn symbol. Qi'ra also hunted down and killed Enneb.

Life with Crimson Dawn

With Crimson Dawn, Qi'ra enjoyed a more luxurious life, becoming an enforcer and Vos's top lieutenant. Vos trained her in the martial art of Teräs Käsi.

During her time with Crimson Dawn, Qi'ra was pursued by IG-88, a bounty hunter droid, on Ord Mantell. Qi'ra was caught in a trap set by IG-88 and his temporary partner, Hondo Ohnaka, a Weequay pirate. They planned to turn Qi'ra in for a bounty, but she managed to turn them against each other, allowing her to break free and capture them both, intending to collect their bounties.

Following the Razzi warehouse raid, Qi'ra recorded details of the stolen cargo in the Smuggler's Guide. The cargo included crates with fake Kitel Phard vases, an HK8 Sawtooth, Weequay spherical objects containing 50 kilograms of low-grade andris spice, disassembled HK-model gladiator droids with medallions of Grakkus Jahibakti Tingi, and a crate with exotic animal parts, including rancor fangs, aiwha sacs, shaved mynock silicate, sando tooth cuttings, dried octopod ink, two mummified tuk'ata specimens, and components of Corellian hounds. The Smuggler's Guide eventually fell into the hands of Val, who found it in a crate stolen from the freight platform in Zarra on Cato Neimoidia, and then passed to Tobias Beckett. Later, Han Solo and Chelli Lona Aphra annotated the pages with their own comments when the book came into their possession.

Reuniting with Han

Events on Vandor

Qi'ra's involvement with Crimson Dawn led her back to Solo, who was working with Vos's associate Tobias Beckett to acquire a large amount of refined coaxium. Qi'ra attended the meeting between Vos, Beckett, and Solo on Vos' yacht. Vos scolded Beckett and Solo for failing to secure the coaxium shipment on Vandor and considered killing them until Solo suggested retrieving unrefined coaxium from the spice mines of Kessel. Qi'ra advised Vos that the plan could work, and he agreed to let Beckett try, with death as the penalty for failure. Vos sent Qi'ra with Beckett's crew to ensure the plan's success.

Knowing they needed a fast ship to transport the unrefined coaxium before it degraded and exploded, Qi'ra sought out Captain Lando Calrissian of the Millennium Falcon. Qi'ra watched as Solo failed to win the Falcon at sabacc. However, Calrissian agreed to fly the Falcon for Qi'ra, Beckett, and Solo in exchange for a share of the profits. On the way to Kessel, Qi'ra and Solo rekindled their romance, kissing in the back of the Falcon.

Kessel heist

Upon arriving at Kessel, Qi'ra posed as Oksana Floren, an enslaver from the Federation of Trade Route Allocation and Monetization, selling Han and Chewbacca to Quay Tolsite of the Pyke Syndicate to infiltrate the mines. Qi'ra, Beckett, and L3-37 secured the control room, allowing Solo to steal the coaxium. Qi'ra initially served as Solo's co-pilot during the escape from Kessel, but Chewbacca replaced her as they fled from Imperial forces into the Akkadese Maelstrom. After using some of their stolen coaxium to escape a summa-verminoth, the crew flew the damaged ship and arrived on Savareen.

Savareen and the Sith

On Savareen, the Falcon crew refined the coaxium and waited for Vos's arrival. Calrissian soon left, angry with Solo for damaging his ship. They were confronted by Enfys Nest, leader of the Cloud-Riders, who revealed they were freedom fighters resisting Crimson Dawn's atrocities, not pirates. Solo devised a plan to give Vos fake coaxium and give the real coaxium to the Cloud-Riders to fund their resistance. Qi'ra, Solo, and Chewbacca presented the coaxium to Vos aboard his yacht, but he saw through their plan, having been warned by Beckett, who was Vos's double agent. Vos expressed his disappointment in Qi'ra's betrayal and realized that Solo was her weakness.

However, Solo anticipated Beckett's treachery and double-crossed him: the coaxium containers left with the Cloud-Riders were empty, and Enfys Nest dispatched the Crimson Dawn agents sent to retrieve it. The coaxium they brought was genuine. Beckett captured Chewbacca and left with the coaxium. Vos and Solo fought, but Qi'ra intervened, holding Solo at sword point. However, Qi'ra sided with Solo, dueling and killing Vos.

Solo left to rescue Chewbacca and retrieve the coaxium for the Cloud-Riders. Qi'ra told Solo she would follow, but instead, she took Vos's ring and used it to contact Maul, the true leader of Crimson Dawn, informing him that Vos had failed to obtain the coaxium. After falsely claiming that Beckett had killed Vos, Qi'ra was ordered to bring the yacht to Dathomir, Maul's homeworld, and to work more closely with Maul, leaving Solo behind. Qi'ra then took over Vos's role as the public figurehead of Crimson Dawn and inherited control of the First Light. Maul also taught her about the Sith Order, revealing that Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine was the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious, and Darth Vader was his Sith apprentice. He explained the Rule of Two, and that he had been Sidious's apprentice, "Darth Maul," until he was no longer useful after his presumed death. Maul also trained her to fight the Sith. At one point, Maul tried to locate an artifact known as the Fermata Cage, which was said to hold the spirit of an ancient Sith Lord. He planned to open the cage and allow the spirit inside to destroy his former Sith master Darth Sidious, who was secretly Emperor Sheev Palpatine of the Galactic Empire. However, he was ultimately unable to release the spirit or destroy Sidious.

Leader of Crimson Dawn

Separated from Solo

In the years that followed, Qi'ra survived, but Maul was separated from the galaxy after being stranded on Malachor, an Outer Rim Sith planet. Later, Maul was killed on Tatooine, another Outer Rim world, and Crimson Dawn was thought to be destroyed by its rivals.

Even as the Dawn faded into memory, Solo still thought about his time with Qi'ra. While on Hubin, Solo told his current lover, Princess Leia Organa, about his love for Qi'ra.

Preparing for war

Despite Crimson Dawn's apparent fall, Qi'ra, now known as Lady Qi'ra, took control of the organization's remnants, planning to use it to protect herself. Having learned much about the Sith from Maul, she began to prepare for a secret campaign, including a Syndicate War, to assassinate Vader and Palpatine and free the galaxy from their rule. As head of Crimson Dawn, she used the wealth from her criminal activities to achieve this goal, even building a secret force called the Dawn Fleet composed of numerous starships. She made contacts on Nar Shaddaa and began to funnel shipments of blasters, detonators, and exotic weaponry from Devono Vix, an arms dealer. Using artifacts, weapons, resources, and knowledge inherited from Maul, Qi'ra prepared the Dawn for a resurgence.

Qi'ra recruited many operatives, including Ochi of Bestoon, a Master Assassin, and Deathstick, a Dathomirian Zabrak, leveraging Ochi's fear and Deathstick's desire for revenge against those who destroyed her people to convince them to join the Dawn. She also traveled to a distant world to visit Madelin Sun, a former Sava from the University of Bar'leth who studied Force-related relics. After saving Sun from a patrol of stormtroopers, Qi'ra asked why she was forbidden from studying the Force. Sun explained that it was part of the Empire's effort to erase the Jedi. Qi'ra blamed Palpatine and revealed that he was the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Stunned that she had never suspected this and realizing that Sidious had taken her happiness, Sun agreed to work with her. Qi'ra brought her to Crimson Dawn's flagship, the Vermillion, which housed dozens of dark side artifacts acquired from her former master. Qi'ra revealed her plan to end the Sith's control of the galaxy and told Sun she needed her expertise. In exchange, Qi'ra offered Sun her artifacts and a chance to continue studying the Force. Accepting Qi'ra's offer, Sun was tasked with locating Yoda, the surviving Jedi Master, whom Qi'ra believed would be a valuable asset. Sometime later, Sun returned to the Vermillion and reported that Yoda was dead. Though disappointed, Qi'ra kept Sun for her knowledge and conceded that Crimson Dawn would accomplish their plan alone.

Recruiting the Knights of Ren

Having failed to recruit Yoda, Qi'ra sought new Force-sensitive allies. Sun told her about the Knights of Ren, a group of dark-side Force users. After explaining their history and current status, Sun traveled with Qi'ra to Varnak to meet them. Finding them in a cantina, Qi'ra approached their leader, Ren, and offered them glory and safety from the Sith if they completed a job for her. Ren initially dismissed her but eventually asked about the job. She explained that it was to steal the Screaming Key from Fortress Vader on Mustafar. Despite his fellow knights' dismay, Ren accepted the offer.

Return of the Dawn

The War of the Bounty Hunters

In 3 ABY, Qi'ra learned that Han Solo had been frozen in carbonite after becoming important to the Alliance to Restore the Republic, the Empire, the Hutt Clan, and other major galactic powers. She had her agents, led by Margo, search for Boba Fett, the bounty hunter who had captured Solo and brought him to Doctor Ragon on Nar Shaddaa. As Ragon stabilized the carbonite, Deva Lompop, a marauder hired by Jabba to locate Fett but secretly working for Qi'ra, found them on Nar Shaddaa. She informed Crimson Dawn, and Qi'ra's operatives killed Ragon and claimed Solo. With the carbonite matrix repaired, Solo remained alive as the agents transferred him to the Vermillion, where Qi'ra, wearing a hood, greeted her aides Margo and Trinia, who confirmed Solo would likely survive. Understanding that their operation could begin, Qi'ra ordered pre-recorded invitations to be sent out and tried to allay Margo's concerns about Fett pursuing them.

With her face obscured by her hood to maintain secrecy, Qi'ra disseminated her hologram message to various recipients. Among them were the notorious crime boss Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine and the collective members of the Grand Hutt Council. In her communication to Jabba, she heralded the resurgence of Crimson Dawn. She assured him, however, that they intended to avoid conflict with the galaxy's major powers. She extended an invitation to him to visit Jekara, a frigid planet situated in the Mid Rim. As a token of goodwill, she offered Solo. While Jabba journeyed to Jekara aboard his Shad'ruu war barge, Fett—who had a bounty placed on him after Jabba erroneously assumed he had sold Solo to Crimson Dawn—also commenced his voyage to the planet after intercepting the message intended for Jabba. Sana Starros and Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra were also among those who received her transmission.

Additionally, she ensured that a rebel operative named Amilyn Holdo received the message, tasking her with disseminating it to the wider Rebellion. Although Qi'ra harbored genuine hopes for Solo's reunion with his loved ones, she refrained from simply returning him to the Rebels. She considered her broader objectives to be of greater significance than individual happiness. Consequently, she believed she had taken all possible measures to utilize Solo as bait while simultaneously paving the way for the Rebels to reclaim him. Meanwhile, the Vermillion made its descent onto Jekara after the messages were sent out. Upon landing, Qi'ra elucidated to Margo the significance of Solo to galactic powers. Anticipating the imminent arrival of their guests, Qi'ra, finally removing her hood, mused that Solo would at last have an opportunity to rescue her. As she exited the room, she instructed Margo to finalize their preparations.

Despite her genuine desire for the Rebellion to recover Solo, Qi'ra dispatched Deathstick to pursue the bounty hunters Beilert Valance and Dengar, who were independently tracking Boba Fett. They located Devono Vix on Nar Shaddaa in their pursuit of information, eventually coercing the arms dealer into admitting the return of Crimson Dawn. Vix also disclosed that Crimson Dawn had already taken Solo from Fett. The two hunters expressed disbelief in Vix's account, but Vix was subsequently assassinated by Deathstick, who persisted in her pursuit of Valance and Dengar. Later, during her assignment, Deathstick contacted Qi'ra, questioning why she couldn't simply eliminate them. However, Qi'ra clarified that guiding them in the right direction was a crucial component of her strategy. She then reassured Deathstick that she would have the opportunity to kill them soon enough.

Auction for Han Solo

As the various syndicates began to converge at the Vermillion, Qi'ra surveyed the assembled crowd with Margo at her side. Margo observed that she appeared pleased, which Qi'ra confirmed, expressing her fondness for a well-attended gathering. Once all the bidders had arrived, Qi'ra extended her gratitude to the syndicates for their presence as she introduced herself and formally announced the return of Crimson Dawn. She then unveiled Solo to the crowd and initiated the bidding process with an opening offer of one hundred thousand credits. Following numerous bids from various parties, the present members of the Hutt Clan engaged in competitive bidding, escalating their offers. However, this competition ceased when Jabba the Hutt submitted a bid of one million credits. With no further bids forthcoming, Qi'ra congratulated Jabba and informed him that the smuggler was his. Nevertheless, the auction was then disrupted by the arrival of Darth Vader. Protected by two death troopers from his personal guard, Vader proclaimed that Solo belonged to him, prompting a smile from Qi'ra.

As Vader and Jabba disputed over Solo's ownership, Margo inquired of Qi'ra how the Sith had learned of the auction. Qir'a, however, dismissed the question as irrelevant and asserted her ability to manage a Sith Lord. After Jabba consented to relinquish Solo to the Empire, Qi'ra informed Vader that she would not interfere but still demanded the one million credits promised to her. When Vader declared that she was owed nothing, Qi'ra questioned whether the Empire was too impoverished or miserly to fulfill its obligations. This provoked Vader into activating his lightsaber, to which Qi'ra responded by brandishing her own pair of blades, intending to divert Vader's attention so that Rebel agents present at the auction could have an opportunity to reclaim Solo. However, those agents instead became embroiled in a conflict with Fett, who had also arrived to reclaim Solo. During the subsequent duel, Vader recognized Qi'ra's fighting style and inquired about her trainer, to which Qi'ra simply replied that it was someone with extensive knowledge of both Vader and his master.

Acknowledging that she lacked the Force and that her training would not ensure her survival, Vader employed the Force to repel Qi'ra after the brief skirmish, causing her to collide with Solo. With his opponent subdued, Vader prepared to eliminate Qi'ra before he was interrupted by the arrival of his son, Jedi Padawan and Rebel Commander Luke Skywalker. As Qi'ra retreated with Margo, she conceded that she may have overestimated her capabilities in confronting the Sith. She then acknowledged that Vader would seize Solo and reminded Margo of her assigned task. Amidst the chaos on the ship, Qi'ra returned to one of her personal art galleries and examined a necklace confiscated from one of the intruders at the auction, remarking that the data it contained would be invaluable. She then instructed Margo to ensure its security in her absence. Upon returning to the gallery shortly thereafter, Qi'ra explained to Margo that the outcome was both expected and unexpected. While Vader's arrival had not been anticipated, Qi'ra's personal confrontation with him demonstrated to the galaxy that Crimson Dawn would not yield to the Empire. Qi'ra then excused Margo, stating that she still had numerous messages to send and machinations to orchestrate.

Shortly thereafter, she observed from the Vermillion as the final vestiges of the battle between the Hutt Council and the Empire concluded. As Vukorah was escorted into the room by Margo, Qi'ra remarked on the significance of the demonstration of the Hutts' exposure of the Empire's vulnerabilities. As their conversation progressed, Qi'ra explained that Crimson Dawn would need to crush the syndicates that stood in their path. Qi'ra then emphasized her desire for Vukorah to lead alongside Crimson Dawn as the leader of the Unbroken Clan. Qi'ra then instructed Margo to open a box containing the Unbroken Blade, which would aid Vukorah in her ascension within the clan. Vukorah then pledged her allegiance to Crimson Dawn's cause. Later, after Vukorah had slain the Unbroken Clan's leader and claimed the throne, she contacted Qi'ra to inform her that the Unbroken Clan was prepared to serve.

Subsequently, Qi'ra welcomed the criminals Just Lucky and Ariole Yu, members of the Sixth Kin and former proteges of Gallin Crae, who had arrived to serve Qi'ra. Offering them starlight brandy from Alderaan that she had inherited from Dryden Vos, she expressed her deep sympathy for the treatment they had received from the Sixth Kin and its leader, Wen Delphis. Elaborating on her own experiences as a young person who had been exploited and manipulated by a criminal organization, she extended them an offer to join Crimson Dawn, reiterating that their objective was to eliminate tyrants like Delphis. She granted them the opportunity to consider her offer before permitting them to depart the Vermillion.

After Fett had recovered Solo and returned him to Jabba, Qi'ra explained to her followers that the dawn had arrived and the real work would now commence, as they had successfully heightened tensions between the Empire and the Hutts. She then instructed them to "Await the reign" as she convened with more of her associates, including Ren and his knights.

Crimson Reign

Prelude

Subsequently, Qi'ra was apparently apprehended by three members of the Assassin's Guild and transported to the planet Saki. Acting under the instructions of Darth Vader, Ochi of Bestoon traveled to the planet to deliver Vader's message that the Guild would now be under his command. The three assassins then revealed Qi'ra, presenting her as a gift to Vader. Qi'ra briefly greeted Ochi, conveying her regards to him and his master. After the assassins assured Ochi that no one outside of those present in the room knew of Qi'ra's imprisonment, he proceeded to kill them all before liberating Qi'ra and reaffirming his allegiance to Crimson Dawn.

Qi'ra also sought to recapture Solo following the auction. Her operative Deva Lompop worked to achieve this, dispatching the droid engineer RB-919 to a junkyard to locate and reconstruct the bounty hunter IG-88. Upon the droid's reactivation, Lompop provided IG-88 with the location of Boba Fett, who was in possession of Solo, as well as specifications of Fett's ship, Slave I. However, IG-88 was unsuccessful, and Solo was ultimately delivered to Jabba by Fett.

Meeting Leia Organa

Shortly thereafter, Qi'ra utilized the Vermillion to intercept the Millennium Falcon. She then contacted the ship's crew and requested to speak with Organa, who was among the Rebels who had attempted to reclaim him at the auction. After expressing her condolences to L3-37, Qi'ra was searched for weapons by Calrissian before he, Chewbacca, and C-3PO exited the room. Qi'ra apologized to Organa for the events surrounding Solo, to which Organa reprimanded her for auctioning Solo off and failing to save him, believing that he had been killed. Qi'ra conceded that the outcome was not her intention but that she had done everything within her power. She then explained that she had intended for Organa to rescue Solo after the auction, although it did not transpire as planned. Organa countered that Qi'ra had the opportunity to simply give Solo to her, to which Qi'ra responded that she would have gained nothing from doing so. She continued by stating that, unlike Organa, she manipulated people to achieve her objectives, although she would prefer to do things Organa's way if possible.

She also asserted that being a rebel hero was the fate Solo deserved and that he would have followed a darker path had he remained with her. To illustrate this, Qi'ra recounted a story from her childhood on Corellia about how Solo had defended a child from a group of bullies. Following this incident, Qi'ra questioned Solo why he had acted as he did despite receiving nothing in return. Solo responded that while that may be the way the galaxy operates, it did not necessarily have to be that way. With her story concluded, Qi'ra then revealed to Organa that Solo was, in fact, still alive and being held in Jabba's Palace. Chewbacca expressed his joy at the news, while Qi'ra inquired of Organa whether they would rescue Solo together. Organa declined, however, conceding that the Rebel Alliance needed her more than Solo did at that moment. Qi'ra offered future assistance to the Alliance before departing the Falcon in the Vermillion.

The Syndicate War

Preparing to instigate chaos among her adversaries, Qi'ra had Margo hire Boushh and his crew to eliminate the eight leaders of the Tagge Corporation, a powerful company of great importance to the Empire. Specifically targeting Domina Tagge, the crew engaged the Tagges in battle until Domina offered them a deal, promising to reverse their exile from their homeworld Uba IV in exchange for working for her. Unbeknownst to Qi'ra, Boushh and his crew betrayed Crimson Dawn.

Shortly thereafter, Qi'ra reunited with Ochi and several of her other new allies, including Sun, Chanath Cha, and the Orphans. With all of her followers assembled, Qi'ra unveiled her ultimate objective of assassinating Sidious and Darth Vader to create a more equitable environment for those seeking power, as well as fulfilling Maul's ambition to avenge himself on the Emperor by preventing him and the Sith from maintaining their controlling influence over the galaxy. After dispatching her associates on their individual assignments, Qi'ra met with Lord Gyuti of the Black Sun. As they sat down for a drink, Qi'ra explained that Crimson Dawn wished to neutrally offer services to the larger syndicates. For if everyone needed them, then no one would destroy them. After informing the Falleen of the Empire's strained relations with the Hutts, Qi'ra suggested that the Black Sun make a play for power in case the Empire wanted a new partner in the criminal underworld.

Soon, the Orphans began attacking multiple criminal strongholds, creating tension and conflict between the many syndicates, except for the Hutts. After being informed of this by Margo, Qi'ra told Trinia to have the Orphans lie low for the time being until their services were needed again. Qi'ra then said the assassins would be the next to act and that in the meantime, she would meet with Organa once more in order to recruit the Rebel Alliance.

Aiding the Rebellion

Shortly after, Qi'ra arrived at Home One and met with Leia again. Qi'ra told her that Commander Ellian Zahra had wiped out most of the Rebel Alliance's fleet divisions and that she would give Leia the location of the last surviving one. When Leia asked Qi'ra why she was telling her this, Qi'ra said she preferred to make friends instead of enemies. Once Leia accepted Qi'ra's aid, Qi'ra asked her where Chewbacca was. Leia then took Qi'ra to a room where Chewbacca was using training remotes to prepare himself for breaking Solo out of Jabba's Palace. Qi'ra recommended that Leia take him with her to help them rescue the last division. She then offered Leia another gift; Zahra and her entire hunter squad. Qi'ra explained that she had an operative who would make sure Zahra and her group were exactly where Leia wanted them. Qi'ra went on to offer Leia one final gift; handling the Rebel Alliance's supply chain. Leia accepted Qi'ra's gifts and told her to coordinate the specifics with Holdo. Qi'ra then wished Leia luck in finding the last division before departing in the Vermillion.

Capturing Cadeliah

Moving onto the next phase of her plan, Qi'ra met with her assassins aboard the Vermillion. Qi'ra first sent Ochi to Coruscant on a mission to assassinate the Emperor's Royal Guard. Next, she sent Deathstick after the child Cadeliah, who was the heir to two major crime organizations, the Mourner's Wail Syndicate and the Unbroken Clan. Ochi's mission was successful, using poisons to cause the Royal Guard to simultaneously collapse dead in front of Palpatine, causing him great anger. Deathstick eventually located Cadeliah on the planet Panisia.

Sometime later, Deathstick returned to the Vermillion with Cadeliah in tow. Qi'ra then told Deathstick that the child's fate belonged to her. Upon awakening from stasis, Cadeliah asked where she was and who Qi'ra was, to which Qi'ra introduced herself and told the girl that they were going to be good friends. Later, Qi'ra had a full dinner prepared for her, Cadeliah and her own subjects. When Cadeliah hesitated to eat, Qi'ra told her that life was too short. Cadeliah then agreed before attacking Qi'ra with a knife. However, she was intercepted and held back by Vicrul, while Qi'ra reprimanded her and reminded her that her death would be just as convenient as her cooperation. Qi'ra then told Vicrul to release Cadeliah and insisted that she try the Caamasi cheese pies, to which Cadeliah begrudgingly complied.

Preparing for the end

Shortly after the Heist on Vader's Castle, the Vermillion was infiltrated by T'onga and her crew aboard the Edgehawk while her wife Losha Tarkon stayed behind on their ship. Upon returning to the Vermillion, the Knights of Ren briefly fought T'onga's crew before they retreated. However, T'onga stayed on the Vermillion and tried to locate Cadeliah. In turn, Qi'ra had Margo bring T'onga before Cadeliah. T'onga attempted to bring Cadeliah with her, but Cadeliah refused, having lost trust in her after she turned on Nakano Lash. Qi'ra then entered the room alongside the Knights of Ren. T'onga ordered Qi'ra to release Cadeliah, though Qi'ra simply lowered her weapon and welcomed her aboard the Vermillion.

As Qi'ra and her followers watched on, T'onga tried and failed to convince Cadeliah, who believed she couldn't trust anybody, to leave with her. With Cadeliah believing that at least on the Vermillion she would be safe from those trying to capture her, T'onga fell to the floor in defeat, realizing the mission had all been for nothing. Qi'ra then assured T'onga that she and her crew could make the galaxy better by working for Crimson Dawn. Giving her a communicator, Qi'ra told T'onga to think about her offer, though not for too long since she was on a tight schedule. T'onga then returned to her wife and crew on the Edgehawk before they departed from the Vermillion.

Later, Qi'ra was informed by Margo that the Emperor was on the verge of discovering Crimson Dawn's involvement with the Syndicate War. In response, Qi'ra told Margo to begin preparations for the next phase, inform Trinia and move their people to various staging points. She then thanked Margo for her service and hugged her before letting her go. She went on to ask Sun if she was ready. Sun said she was ready as she could be since she was relying on myths. Qi'ra told her to find the truth and had the Knights of Ren accompany her on her assignment. While the Archivist left, Qi'ra warned Cadeliah that things were going to happen very quickly and that they should talk since they might not get a later chance.

Moving to another room, Qi'ra told Cadeliah that the crime syndicates she was the heir to had potential if they came together. When Cadeliah asked her what her point was, Qi'ra said that while they were both born into the underworld, Qi'ra did not grow up with an inheritance. She began with nothing as a child working with the White Worms and had to be better than the rest to work her way up to where she was now. She went on to explain that she couldn't trust anyone and had to make sure they would do what she wanted by either offering them something or taking something away. When Cadeliah asked if she was like that with Margo was well, Qi'ra revealed that Margo had previously tried to kill her, but started working for her when Qi'ra saw that she had value.

Just then, she was interrupted by a transmission from her agents, informing her that the Imperial fleet had received an alert designating the Vermillion a high priority target. Qi'ra told Cadeliah to go with Trinia, saying she would do whatever she would have to. After returning to her throne, Qi'ra was contacted by Sun, who informed her that the Fermata Cage was still there. Qi'ra thanked Sun and said she would hear from her soon before crushing her communicator. Qi'ra explained to her followers that the Emperor would be coming for them, but she had people across the galaxy and had ordered them to cause chaos for the Empire. While the Empire was distracted, she would prepare her masterstroke and bring an end to the Sith with her "hidden empire."

Dawn of the Dawn

Calling Darth Sidious

As Sun, the Knights of Ren, and Kho Phon Farrus prepared to open the Cage, Qi'ra met with Chanath Cha, Sear, Imara Vex, and Ladybright. While on their ship, the Siroto, they watched as an Interdictor-class Star Destroyer appeared overhead. When they received a comms request, Qi'ra said she could achieve more with a conversation and gave the Orphans command authority over her forces, instructing them to hit the Empire as hard as they could if she gave the order. Qi'ra then contacted Sun and ordered her to activate the Cage on her signal while she bought them as much time as she could. With that, Qi'ra hung up before contacting Sidious himself. Sidious attempted to intimidate and dissuade her, but she retorted that Maul had taught her many things and that she would do whatever it took to destroy him. Qi'ra then gave the Orphans their signal and had them remotely pilot the Vermillion into attacking the Interdictor.

title: Qi'ra

Sidious cautioned Qi'ra once again against sacrificing herself, but Qi'ra retorted that she was not subject to his commands. Upon Sidious's accusation that her ancestry was "tainted", Qi'ra stated that time would tell, issuing another signal. Subsequently, Sun and Farrus employed the Knights of Ren to initiate the Fermata Cage's activation. Sidious, detecting a disturbance in the Force, urgently demanded an explanation from her. Qi'ra revealed that she had unlocked the Fermata Cage, prompting Sidious to denounce her as a liar and commence a Force choke. However, when Qi'ra asserted that the truth would remain elusive to him, Sidious released her and instructed her to speak. She then disclosed that Maul had previously attempted to unleash the spirit within the Cage and that she was poised to succeed where he had failed. Further, she revealed that her role was already complete and that even if she perished, Sidious's demise was assured. Following this, the Vermillion and the Interdictor annihilated each other, severing all communication.

When Sear inquired whether any survivors in escape pods should be rescued, Qi'ra declined, stating that they would instead honor their sacrifice. Qi'ra attempted to contact Sun again, but Ren answered, informing her that their scheme had failed and that the Knights of Ren were no longer aligned with Crimson Dawn. When Kho questioned their next course of action, Qi'ra instructed them to gather their belongings, relocate to the next location, and apply their acquired knowledge to improve their future endeavors. Chanath, expressing concern, reminded Qi'ra that they had failed to open the Cage, suffered significant losses, and were being pursued by the Emperor himself. Qi'ra, however, reassured her with a falsehood, claiming that it was all part of her grand design.

Orchestrating her strategies

While the Empire destroyed the escape pods, Qi'ra directed the Orphans to pilot them to a clandestine location. When Cha inquired about their destination, Qi'ra disclosed the existence of safe houses throughout the galaxy. Upon entering a waterfall, they discovered the Dawnfall Base, which housed Qi'ra's hidden fleet. Cha observed that even a fleet would be insufficient to defeat the Empire, to which Qi'ra clarified that her sole objective was the destruction of the Sith. Following this, Qi'ra contacted Sun, who informed her that they could activate the Cage even without Force users. When she cautioned against alerting the Emperor to their plan, Qi'ra revealed that she had already disclosed their intentions to instill fear in him. She then instructed Sun to proceed with opening the Cage before terminating the call. Within the base, Margo informed Qi'ra that their agreements with the syndicates had dissolved, rendering their public operations impossible. In response, Qi'ra instructed Margo to relocate their personnel to safe houses.

When Cadeliah questioned whether she was distressed by the loss of her syndicate, Qi'ra stated that Crimson Dawn had always been a means to an end and had served its purpose. Cadeliah then inquired about her true purpose, to which Qi'ra declared that she was her last hope. Subsequently, Trinia informed Qi'ra that Sun was attempting to contact her again. When Qi'ra asked Sun if she and Farrus had opened the Cage, Sun replied that they couldn't because the process would likely kill them. Qi'ra then instructed them to move on and try again at yet another location. However, Sun refused, claiming doing so would destroy them and Crimson Dawn. Sun then exclaimed that the Empire had found them, to which Qi'ra told her that help was on the way before their signal was jammed. As the Orphans fought against Vader and Ladybright fled with Farrus and the Archivist aboard the Siroto, Ladybright contacted Qi'ra and requested backup. But Qi'ra denied the request and instructed them to bring her the Cage.

Qi'ra then questioned Cadeliah's understanding of her decision to withhold support. Cadeliah responded that they had fulfilled their purpose and were therefore unworthy of further investment. Qi'ra clarified that Chanath Cha had mistakenly believed herself to be the protagonist of her own narrative, when in reality, she was merely a supporting character in Qi'ra's. Sun eliminated Ladybright and dropped off Farrus, who was weary of the danger and apprehensive about the potential consequences of Qi'ra's plans. Despite her aspirations to vanquish the Sith, Qi'ra acknowledged the high probability of her own demise in the process, regardless of the Sith's fate. Consequently, Qi'ra recorded a final holographic message for Cadeliah at some point. Overcome with emotion, Qi'ra compared her life to Cadeliah and offered the girl all the credits left in her Crimson Dawn accounts, thereby granting Cadeliah the freedom she never had in addition to the first hand knowledge she had seen of how to run a criminal empire. She encoded all details needed to retrieve the money on the disc itself.

A last shot at retribution

Following the destruction of Ladybright and the departure of Farrus, Sun contacted Qi'ra and explained that the Cage would draw upon the life force in its vicinity to function. When Qi'ra inquired about a method to open it without sacrificing the operator, Sun suggested transporting it to the ancient Amaxine space station, which possessed an abundance of dark side and life energy to sustain the Cage. Sun then confessed her waning confidence in their plan due to the loss of numerous agents, to which Qi'ra assured her that she would grant her the opportunity to open the Cage.

When Cadeliah inquired about Qi'ra's intentions, Qi'ra stated that she would exhaust every available resource to ensure the Cage's activation. Initially, she contacted Deathstick, whom she believed would be invaluable in their final confrontation with the Sith. However, Deathstick asserted that she was merely an assassin and had completed her assigned tasks. Subsequently, Qi'ra contacted the Knights of Ren, who initially refused to provide further assistance. But when Qi'ra reminded them that Vader would continue to pursue them unless they aided her in destroying him, the knights reluctantly agreed to cooperate one last time. Before Qi'ra made one final call, Cadeliah asked her why she didn't just walk away now and use her riches to begin a new life, to which Qi'ra asked her who she would be if she did so. Qi'ra then gave Cadeliah the disc containing her holographic message and instructed her to play it if she did not make it out alive.

Cadeliah asked Qi'ra if she should thank her, to which Qi'ra said only if she thought that would get her something in return. As Cadeliah departed, Qi'ra contacted the Spark Eternal, who harbored a deep-seated hatred for the Sith, to present them with an offer. Later, accompanied by Margo and Trinia, Qi'ra addressed her entire Crimson Dawn fleet, delivering an impassioned speech, urging them to channel all the pain and suffering inflicted upon them by the Emperor and retaliate in kind. Qi'ra's followers then boarded their ships and set course to confront the Empire at the Amaxine station while Sun opened the Cage: Sidious and Vader had managed to track the disturbance caused by the opening and arrived aboard the Executor at the head of a fleet of Imperial-class Star Destroyers. The arrival of Qi'ra's fleet prevented the Executor from simply focusing its fire on the station, thereby taking the Cage with it, so Vader and Sidious personally ventured into the station with a group of royal guards and death troopers. Qi'ra's forces had arrived first and engaged the enemy, although the Sith and their forces advanced with little difficulty.

So near, yet so far

Overseeing her progress from the space battle, Qi'ra communicated with the Archivist via comlink and learned that the Cage was opening. As the Spark Eternal arrived on the station, Qi'ra allowed the Archivist to make her escape as her soldiers attempted to hold off the Sith, promising the Spark would succeed if they failed before entering the station herself. Nearby the Cage, Qi'ra personally greeted the Spark before leaving to rejoin her fleet, watching her plan's progress from the cockpit of a starship. After Vader quickly bested the Spark by forcing it from Aphra's body, with Sana Starros' crew racing into the battle and managing to free Aphra from its control once and for all shortly after, Vader and Sidious stood before the opening Fermata Cage as it dropped a small disc with no connection to the Force, much to the Emperor's confusion as Qi'ra and the Archivist watched on from their own ships: Qi'ra gave the order to the Archivist to activate the opened Cage, overjoying Qi'ra as both Sith were time-locked, as she had hoped, by the artifact with the press of a button. Still, Qi'ra held back from letting optimism overpower her and ordered the Archivist to fully seal the Cage once and for all, intending to throw it into a star with both Sith trapped within.

It was at that moment, however, that the Knights of Ren arrived into the battle aboard the Night Buzzard: while Ren was surprised at how successful Qi'ra's plan had been thus far, he reasoned that Sidious would find a way out of the Cage, after which he would kill Qi'ra and then, inevitably, them. Hoping to endear themselves to the Sith, the Knights fired on the Cage, collapsing its field and freeing both Sith Lords. Although the Cage survived physically, it was destroyed in the sense that its field collapsed, sending out a Force Wave that also damaged or destroyed much of the Dawn fleet. Admitting she had failed her followers and wishing them luck, Qi'ra was distraught at the sight before gathering herself, ordering her forces to retreat before turning away from the battle herself. However, most of the Dawn fleet was wiped out by either the Cage or the Imperials taking advantage of the sudden losses, with Admiral Firmus Piett ordering no survivors be left behind. Qi'ra and the Archivist both escaped aboard their own ships. To the Archivist, Qi'ra's campaign had thus ended in tragedy.

In hiding

Following the aftermath of the conflict, Sidious permitted the Knights of Ren to serve him, though he did not pardon their actions, subjecting them to Force lightning before departing with Vader. Isolated, save for an astromech droid playing the message, Cadeliah activated Qi'ra's message, which bequeathed her credits. The Force Wave also disrupted the connection between Force-sensitives and the Force for sometime after. Nevertheless, Crimson Dawn was left shattered, and Qi'ra took to living in hiding. While sitting alone in a cantina in 4 ABY, she overheard news of the Rebel Alliance's triumph in the Battle of Endor: along with many Imperials, Sidious was killed, and the Empire also lost its new DS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station. The news earned cheers and celebrations from the cantina patrons, who hoped the Empire was finally destroyed. Not uplifted by the news, Qi'ra did not join in the celebrations. In truth, however, the destruction of the Death Star had Qi'ra to thank in part: the Syndicate War she created had given the Alliance time to regroup its fleet, and two of her Crimson Dawn agents, Bevelyn and Jon Melton, had warned the rebels of the second Death Star's existence.

A year later in 5 ABY, the Empire met its final end in the Battle of Jakku. Sometime after the Empire's fall, the Archivist, although unaware of Qi'ra's fate, decided to record a holocron about her efforts against the Sith, concluding that Qi'ra's biggest failing had been her refusal to trust others. The Archivist had not seen Qi'ra since the battle at the Amaxine Station and concluded that the Empire or one of the many Imperial remnants killed her. The holocron eventually found its way into the hands of Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, who he was now training in the ways of the Force. Skywalker concluded Qi'ra had not failed, citing the domino affect her actions played in the fall of the Sith, while Organa wished Qi'ra had joined their cause. Unaware that Qi'ra had indeed lived to see Palpatine's downfall, she simply wished Qi'ra had the chance to see the galaxy she had fought for.

Personality and traits

Qi'ra, a Corellian human female with moderately short brown [hair](/article/hair] typically styled in a ponytail, possessed blue eyes and a fair complexion. Qi'ra's character was marked by complexity. In her youth, she harbored aspirations of escaping the criminal underworld and pursuing a better existence. However, as she matured, she came to the realization that her past transgressions had irrevocably bound her to a life of crime. Despite her upbringing on the streets, she demonstrated an ability to adapt to a more opulent lifestyle and integrate seamlessly into Crimson Dawn. Having known Han for so many years, she believed she may have been the one person who could see him for who he truly was, thinking he was "the good guy." She was a fighter and had been trained in combat by Vos, which helped her survive.

A survivor at heart, she left Solo and continued to work for Crimson Dawn under Maul, later coming to lead the organization. While leader, she developed a selfless goal in wanting to wipe out the Sith, whether or not she died in the effort, in the name of freeing the galaxy. For her goal, she was willing to use Solo as bait to draw in various galactic powers, all while claiming Crimson Dawn would do no harm to the rest of the galaxy. Jabba the Hutt underestimated Qi'ra, claiming to the Grand Hutt Council he was certain they were ready to face the new leader of Crimson Dawn. As leader of the Dawn, Qi'ra refused to truly trust others and always kept herself alone, no matter how many followers she had at any given time. The Archivist concluded that failing was the ultimate weakness of Qi'ra that cost them their war against the Sith.

Upon first seeing her old lover encased in carbonite, she questioned his consciousness, disagreeing with Margo's assessment that such a state would be like Hell; to Qi'ra, if Solo was living in a fond memory or nice dream, it could be preferable to some aspects of life in the galaxy, yet she considered these musings to be unimportant when compared to her plans. She was also confident in Crimson Dawn's abilities, proclaiming that Boba Fett stood no chance against them alone. Unlike Margo, she could see how Solo united the galaxy due to his interactions with its factions, which she saw as something she could exploit. Even so, she hoped Solo would be regained by the Rebel Alliance, but she did not let that desire hold back her plans to use him.

Qi'ra exhibited a degree of overconfidence in her capabilities, which occasionally led her into perilous situations. Due to her training, Qi'ra thought she could handle Sith Lord Darth Vader when he barged into the auction and demanded that Solo be turned over to him. Although Qi'ra's ability impressed Vader, she was defeated when Vader used the Force against her and nearly killed her, which made her admit that she was overconfident in facing the Sith Lord. After Qi'ra's leadership over the Dawn ended in failure and her efforts collapsed, it was the Rebel Alliance that ultimately struck down the Empire. Upon learning the news, she refused to join in the celebrations and had a visibly sad feeling.

Skills and abilities

Qi'ra received training in Teräs Käsi from both Vos and Maul. Furthermore, she possessed proficiency in the use of blasters. Qi'ra skill as a swordsman has evolved so much over time that during the auction of smuggler and rebel Han Solo, the Sith Lord Darth Vader was impressed by Qi'ra's skill when he faced her, while her skills allowed her to hold her own in a duel for a couple of minutes, her lack of Force-sensitivity ultimately meant that she stood no chance against the Dark Lord.

In addition to Teräs Käsi, Maul instructed Qi'ra in the principles of Sith combat to enable her to effectively counter them in encounters with Sith Lords. Her proficiency in this area was such that her fighting style reminded Vader of Darth Sidious. Qi'ra also learned from Maul how to cloud her mind.

Equipment

As a member of Crimson Dawn, Qi'ra was equipped with a chrome-plated S-195 blaster pistol. Following Vos's demise, she assumed command of his starship, the First Light. During her tenure as the leader of Crimson Dawn, Qi'ra donned a white cloak with a concealing hood. In her leadership role, she also had access to Crimson Dawn's extensive resources, operating from the starship Vermillion.

In combat Qi'ra wielded two electro-sword weapons which were capable of emitting electrical charges which, upon contact, allowed them to effectively repel and clashing with a lightsaber without being damaged. The electro-swords could also unite the end of their hilts to create a larger double-bladed melee weapon or when separated release a series of small grenades from the hilt.

Behind the scenes

Qi'ra was conceived for the 2018 Star Wars Anthology film Solo: A Star Wars Story, penned by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan and helmed by Ron Howard, with Emilia Clarke assuming the role. Her casting was announced on November 18, 2016. In Star Wars Forces of Destiny, Qi'ra was voiced by Olivia Hack. The name Qi'ra is phonetically similar to "Kira," a name that stems from George Lucas' early outline for the Star Wars sequel trilogy and was the original name for the character Rey during the development of the 2015 film Star Wars: Episode VII The Force Awakens.

Clarke stated that the filmmakers characterized the character as "film noir"; the character of Kathie Moffat of the 1947 seminal film noir Out of the Past was writer Lawrence Kasdan's early inspiration for Qi'ra. He conceptualized the character early in the development of the film, envisioning a Dickensian childhood for Han Solo and a young girl before other main creative talents joined the project, including his son, Jon. In this stage, the character's name was "Kura," and early concept art depicted her as an alien. This design was later used as the character of Margo and her species.

Qi'ra would resurface as a major character in the "Crimson Dawn" trilogy of comic crossover stories, Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters, Star Wars: Crimson Reign, and Star Wars: Hidden Empire, all of which were written by Charles Soule, who later expressed gratitude at being able to use Qi'ra after initially being unsure if he would get the permission needed. Soule described Qi'ra as someone who was trying to do the right thing but lived in an unfair galaxy. More of Qi'ra's backstory would be revealed in the novel Crimson Climb by E. K. Johnston, who noted writing Qi'ra was different from her usual, nicer main characters.

Qi'ra also appears in the 2024 open world video game Star Wars Outlaws where she was voiced by Tamaryn Payne.

In a series of Twitter posts featuring behind the scenes details from the production of Solo, Jon Kasdan stated that Han Solo eventually told Leia Organa how he and Qi'ra escaped from the Den of the White Worms, which led Leia to get the idea of using a thermal detonator when disguised as the bounty hunter Boushh to negotiate with Jabba Desilijic Tiure in the 1983 film Star Wars: Episode VI Return of the Jedi. However, this has not yet been stated in any canon source.