Qi'ra

Born in 31 BBY, before the Galactic Civil War's outbreak, Qi'ra originated from Corellia during the Galactic Empire's reign. She was raised in the Bottoms of Coronet City. She attempted to steal a dog biscuit from Moloch, who apprehended her and delivered her to Proxima. Subsequently, she was compelled to join the White Worms as a scrumrat. She later befriended Han, another scrumrat. On one occasion, she witnessed Han defending a bullied scrumrat, even though it resulted in him being beaten. Later, while sitting outside at night, Qi'ra questioned him about his actions. Han confessed that the White Worms' culture discouraged helping each other, and he believed he could make a positive impact by being selfless. Over the years, she observed Han competing in swoop races, earning credits to accumulate funds for a starship that would enable them to escape the White Worms.

By the time Qi'ra reached the age of eighteen years, Lady Proxima selected her as the Head Girl. This decision came after Han disclosed to Proxima that Qi'ra had declined an opportunity to explore the galaxy, opting instead to work for the White Worms.

Qi'ra, by now Han's lover, attempted to flee Corellia with him. Han had stolen a vial of coaxium during a delivery for Proxima that went awry. Following a confrontation with Proxima, during which Solo created a diversion by shattering a window to exploit her skin's sensitivity to light, he and Qi'ra attempted to escape through the Imperial control zone. They intended to bribe Falthina Sharest, an Imperial Emigration Officer, with the coaxium. Sharest agreed to let them pass, provided they handed over the coaxium before entering the security gate. Solo reluctantly agreed and instructed 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.

After being recaptured by Proxima's gang, Qi'ra endured an even more challenging existence. The scarred Proxima, displeased with her actions, chose to sell Qi'ra. She was sold to Sarkin Enneb, a slave dealer, and subsequently to Dryden Vos, the leader of Crimson Dawn. After a year of unsuccessful 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 within Crimson Dawn, recognizing her potential, but demanded her lifelong loyalty in return. Vos later branded Qi'ra's forearm and the back of her neck with the Crimson Dawn symbol. Qi'ra also hunted down and killed Enneb.

Qi'ra experienced a more luxurious lifestyle with Crimson Dawn, becoming an enforcer and Vos' top lieutenant. Vos trained her in the martial art of Teräs Käsi.

During her time with Crimson Dawn, Qi'ra was pursued by bounty hunter droid IG-88 on Ord Mantell. Qi'ra fell into 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, giving her the opportunity to remove her restraints and capture them both, intending to collect the bounties on their heads.

Following the Razzi warehouse raid, Qi'ra documented the stolen cargo's details in the logbook known as the Smuggler's Guide, which was also acquired during the raid. The cargo included crates containing fake Kitel Phard vases, HK8 Sawtooth, Weequay spherical objects with 50 kilogram of low-grade andris spice inside, disassembled HK-model gladiator droids adorned with medallions of Grakkus Jahibakti Tingi, and a crate filled with exotic animal parts, including rancor fangs, aiwha sacs, shaved mynock silicate, sando tooth cuttings, dried octopod ink, two mummified tuk'ata specimens, and various components of Corellian hound. The Smuggler's Guide eventually came into the possession of Val, who discovered it in the crate they stole from the freight platform in Zarra on Cato Neimoidia. It was then passed to Tobias Beckett, with the smuggler Han Solo and the archaeologist Chelli Lona Aphra adding their own comments when the book later fell into their hands.

Qi'ra's involvement with Crimson Dawn led to a reunion with Solo, who was collaborating with Vos' associate, Tobias Beckett, to acquire a significant amount of refined coaxium. Qi'ra attended the meeting between Vos, Beckett, and Solo on Vos' yacht. Vos reprimanded Beckett and Solo for failing to secure the coaxium shipment on Vandor and considered executing them until Solo proposed retrieving unrefined coaxium from the spice mines of Kessel. Qi'ra assured Vos that the plan was viable, and he agreed to let Beckett attempt it, with death as the consequence for failure. Vos dispatched Qi'ra to accompany Beckett's crew to ensure the plan's success.

Realizing they needed an exceptionally fast ship to transport the unrefined coaxium before it degraded and detonated, Qi'ra sought out her old acquaintance, Captain Lando Calrissian of the Millennium Falcon. Qi'ra watched as Solo failed to win the Falcon at sabacc. However, Calrissian agreed to pilot the Falcon for Qi'ra, Beckett, and Solo in exchange for a share of the profits. On their way to Kessel, Qi'ra and Solo rekindled their romance, sharing a kiss in the back of the Falcon.

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 was replaced by Chewbacca 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.

On Savareen, the Falcon crew refined the coaxium and awaited Vos' arrival. Calrissian soon departed, upset with Solo for the damage to his ship. They were confronted by Enfys Nest, leader of the Cloud-Riders, who revealed that they were freedom fighters resisting Crimson Dawn's atrocities, not pirates. Solo devised a plan to give Vos fake coaxium and provide the Cloud-Riders with the real coaxium 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 informed in advance by Beckett, who had been Vos' double agent all along. 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 recover it. The coaxium they brought along was, in fact, genuine. Beckett captured Chewbacca and left with the coaxium. Vos and Solo fought, but Qi'ra intervened, holding Solo at sword point. Ultimately, Qi'ra sided with Solo, dueling and killing Vos.

Solo departed to rescue Chewbacca and retrieve the coaxium for the Cloud-Riders. Qi'ra told Solo she would be right behind him, but as Solo left, she instead took Vos' 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 that she would be working more closely with Maul, leaving Solo behind. Qi'ra then assumed Vos' role as the public figurehead of Crimson Dawn and inherited control of the First Light. Maul also educated her about the Sith Order, revealing that Galactic Emperor Sheev Palpatine was the Dark Lord of the Sith Darth Sidious, and that the Imperial enforcer Darth Vader was his Sith apprentice. He explained the Rule of Two, and that he had been Sidious' apprentice, "Darth Maul", until he was no longer useful after his presumed death. Maul also instructed her on how to combat the Sith. At one point, Maul attempted to locate an artifact known as the Fermata Cage, which was said to contain the spirit of an ancient Sith Lord. He intended 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.

In the years that followed, Qi'ra managed to survive, but Maul was separated from the galaxy after being stranded on Malachor, a Sith planet in the Outer Rim. Later, Maul was killed on Tatooine, another Outer Rim world, and Crimson Dawn was believed to have been destroyed by its rivals.

Even after the Dawn faded into obscurity, Solo still reflected on his time with Qi'ra. While on Hubin, Solo confided in his current lover, Princess Leia Organa, about his love for Qi'ra.

Despite Crimson Dawn's apparent demise, Qi'ra, who had earned the title of lady, gained control of the organization's remnants, plotting to use them to protect herself. Having learned much about the Sith from Maul, she began to lay the groundwork for a secret campaign, which was to include a Syndicate War, that she could use to assassinate Vader and Palpatine and liberate the galaxy from their rule. As the leader of Crimson Dawn, she directed the wealth generated by her criminal activities toward this goal, even establishing a secret force known as the Dawn Fleet, composed of numerous starships. She established contacts on the moon of Nar Shaddaa and began to channel large shipments of blasters, detonators, and exotic weaponry from Devono Vix, an arms dealer. Utilizing artifacts, weapons, resources, and knowledge inherited from Maul, Qi'ra prepared the Dawn for a resurgence.

Qi'ra recruited many operatives to her cause, 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 annihilated her people to persuade them to join the Dawn. She also journeyed to a distant world to visit Madelin Sun, a former Sava from the University of Bar'leth who studied Force-related relics and devices. After rescuing Sun from a patrol of stormtroopers, Qi'ra inquired why she was forbidden from studying the Force. Sun explained that it was part of the Empire's effort to erase the Jedi from existence. Qi'ra placed the blame squarely on Palpatine, revealing that he was the Sith Lord Darth Sidious. Shocked that she had never suspected his Sith allegiance and realizing that Sidious was responsible for her lost happiness, Sun agreed to collaborate with her. Qi'ra brought her to Crimson Dawn's flagship, the Vermillion, which housed numerous dark side artifacts. Qi'ra explained that she had acquired many of them from her former master and would soon use them in her upcoming plan. She revealed her plan to end the Sith's control over the galaxy and told Sun she would need her expertise to do so. In exchange for her service, Qi'ra offered Sun her artifacts and the opportunity to continue studying the Force, a practice she had been forced to abandon. Accepting Qi'ra's offer, Sun was tasked with locating Yoda, the surviving Jedi Master, whom Qi'ra believed would be a valuable asset to her plan. Sometime later, Sun returned to the Vermillion and informed Qi'ra that Yoda was dead. Although Qi'ra was disappointed, she retained Sun for her knowledge and conceded that Crimson Dawn would accomplish their plan independently.

Having failed to recruit Yoda, Qi'ra sought new Force-sensitive allies. Sun informed her of a group of dark-side Force users who could aid her in her plan; the Knights of Ren. After telling Qi'ra about the knights' history and current status, Sun traveled with her to Varnak to meet with them. Finding them in a local cantina, Qi'ra approached their leader, Ren, and offered them glory and safety from the Sith if they completed a job for her in the near future. Ren initially did not take Qi'ra seriously but eventually asked her what the job was. She explained that it was to steal a device called the Screaming Key from Fortress Vader on Mustafar. Much to his fellow knights' dismay, Ren accepted the offer.

In 3 ABY, Qi'ra discovered that her former love 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 tasked several of her agents, led by Margo, with locating the notorious bounty hunter Boba Fett, who had captured Solo and brought him to Doctor Ragon on Nar Shaddaa. As Ragon had stabilized the carbonite, the marauder Deva Lompop, who had been hired by Jabba to locate Fett but was secretly under Qi'ra's employ, located them on Nar Shaddaa. She ultimately 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 that concealed her face, greeted her aides Margo and Trinia, who told her that Solo would likely remain alive. Understanding that their operation could therefore begin, Qi'ra ordered that pre-recorded invitations be sent out and tried to quell Margo's concerns about Fett coming after them.

With her face obscured by her hood to protect her identity, Qi'ra dispatched her hologram message to various recipients. These included the notorious crime boss Jabba the Hutt on Tatooine, as well as the other members of the Grand Hutt Council. In her communication to Jabba, she declared that Crimson Dawn was back, but stated that they would not interfere with the established galactic powers. She extended an invitation to him to come to the icy Mid Rim planet of Jekara, offering Solo as a token of goodwill. As Jabba journeyed to Jekara aboard his Shad'ruu war barge, Fett—who had a bounty placed on his head because Jabba mistakenly thought he had sold Solo to Crimson Dawn—also set out for the planet after seeing the message that Jabba received. Sana Starros and Doctor Chelli Lona Aphra also received her message.

She also ensured that a rebel agent named Amilyn Holdo got the message, who would then pass it on to the wider Rebellion. Qi'ra sincerely hoped that Solo would be reunited with his loved ones, but she was not willing to simply hand him back to the Rebels, as she believed her larger plans were more important than individual happiness. Therefore, she felt she did everything she could to use Solo as bait while also setting the stage for the Rebels to take him back. Meanwhile, after the Vermillion landed on Jekara, Qi'ra explained to Margo why Solo was important to the galactic powers. Realizing that their guests would soon be arriving, Qi'ra finally lowered her hood and thought that Solo would finally have a chance to save her. Before leaving the room, she instructed Margo to finalize their preparations.

Despite genuinely hoping the Rebellion would be able to retrieve Solo, Qi'ra sent Deathstick after the bounty hunters Beilert Valance and Dengar, who were also hunting Boba Fett. They tracked down Devono Vix on Nar Shaddaa to get information, and they eventually forced the arms dealer to admit that Crimson Dawn had returned. Vix also revealed that Crimson Dawn had already taken Solo from Fett. The two hunters didn't believe Vix's story, but Deathstick then assassinated Vix and continued to pursue Valance and Dengar. Later, during her mission, Deathstick contacted Qi'ra and asked why she couldn't just kill them. However, Qi'ra told her that guiding them in the right direction was an important part of her plan. She then assured Deathstick that she would get to kill them soon enough.

As the various syndicates began to arrive at the Vermillion, Qi'ra and Margo observed the crowd. Margo remarked that Qi'ra seemed pleased, which Qi'ra confirmed, saying that she loved a good party. Once all of the bidders had arrived, Qi'ra thanked the syndicates for coming and introduced herself, officially announcing the return of Crimson Dawn. She then revealed Solo to the crowd and started the bidding at one hundred thousand credits. After several bids from different parties, the Hutt Clan members present began to outbid each other with increasingly higher offers. However, this soon ended when Jabba the Hutt bid one million credits. With no other bids, Qi'ra congratulated Jabba and told him that the smuggler was his. However, the arrival of Darth Vader then interrupted the auction. Vader, protected by two death troopers from his personal guard, declared that Solo belonged to him, which made Qi'ra smile.

While Vader and Jabba argued over Solo, Margo inquired how the Sith had learned about the auction. Qir'a dismissed the question, stating that it was irrelevant and that she knew how to handle a Sith Lord. After Jabba agreed 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 claimed she was owed nothing, Qi'ra questioned whether the Empire was too poor or cheap to honor its debts. This provoked Vader to ignite his lightsaber, prompting Qi'ra to reveal her own pair of blades, intending to create a diversion so that Rebel agents at the auction could reclaim Solo. However, those agents were caught in a battle with Fett, who had also arrived to reclaim Solo. During the ensuing duel, Vader recognized Qi'ra's fighting style and asked who had trained her, to which Qi'ra simply replied that it was someone who knew a great deal about both Vader and his master.

Vader, noticing that she did not possess the Force and that her training would not save her, used the Force to push Qi'ra back after the brief struggle, causing her to collide with Solo. With his opponent subdued, Vader prepared to kill Qi'ra before his son, Jedi Padawan and Rebel Commander Luke Skywalker, arrived and distracted him. As Qi'ra retreated with Margo, she admitted that she might have been a bit overconfident in confronting the Sith. She then acknowledged that Vader was going to take 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 interlopers at the auction, noting that the amount of data it contained would be invaluable. She then instructed Margo to ensure its security in her absence. Shortly after, Qi'ra returned to the gallery and explained to Margo that what had happened was both what she expected and not what she expected. Although Vader's arrival was unplanned, the fact that Qi'ra fought him herself demonstrated to the galaxy that Crimson Dawn would not back down or disobey the Empire. Qi'ra then told Margo to leave her, as she still had many messages to send and strings to pull.

Soon after, she watched from the Vermillion as the last remnants of the battle between the Hutt Council and the Empire concluded. As Margo brought Vukorah into the room, Qi'ra noted the beauty in how the Hutts had exposed the Empire's vulnerability. As their conversation continued, Qi'ra explained that Crimson Dawn would have to crush the syndicates that stood in their way. Qi'ra then emphasized that she wanted Vukorah to lead the Unbroken Clan alongside Crimson Dawn. Qi'ra then had Margo open a box containing the Unbroken Blade, which would help Vukorah ascend within the clan. Vukorah then pledged her allegiance to Crimson Dawn's cause. Later, after Vukorah killed the Unbroken Clan's leader and claimed the throne, she contacted Qi'ra to inform her that the Unbroken Clan was ready to serve.

Next, Qi'ra welcomed the criminals Just Lucky and Ariole Yu, members of the Sixth Kin and former mentees of Gallin Crae, who had come to serve Qi'ra. She served them starlight brandy from Alderaan that she had inherited from Dryden Vos, and told them that she greatly sympathized with how the Sixth Kin and its leader, Wen Delphis, had treated them. Elaborating on her own background as a young person who had been exploited and used by a criminal organization, she offered them a place in Crimson Dawn, reiterating that their goal was to end tyrants like Delphis. She gave them the opportunity to consider her offer before allowing them to leave the Vermillion.

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

Later, Qi'ra was apparently captured by three members of the Assassin's Guild and taken to the planet Saki. Acting on Darth Vader's orders, Ochi of Bestoon traveled to the planet to deliver Vader's message that the Guild would now serve him. The three assassins then revealed Qi'ra, offering her as a gift to Vader. Qi'ra briefly greeted Ochi, sending her regards to him and his master. After the assassins assured Ochi that no one outside of those present knew of Qi'ra's imprisonment, he killed them all before freeing Qi'ra and pledging his allegiance to Crimson Dawn.

Qi'ra also sought to recapture Solo after the auction. Her operative Deva Lompop worked to achieve this, sending the droid engineer RB-919 to a junkyard to find and rebuild the bounty hunter IG-88. When the droid was reactivated, Lompop provided IG-88 with the location of Boba Fett, who had Solo in his possession, as well as with specifications of Fett's ship, Slave I. However, IG-88 was unsuccessful, and Fett delivered Solo to Jabba.

Shortly after, Qi'ra used the Vermillion to intercept the Millennium Falcon. She then contacted the ship's crew and requested to speak with Organa, who was one of the Rebels who had attempted to reclaim him at the auction. After offering her condolences to L3-37, Qi'ra was searched for weapons by Calrissian before he, Chewbacca, and C-3PO left the room. Qi'ra apologized to Organa for what happened to Solo, to which Organa rebuked her for auctioning Solo off and failing to save him, believing that he had been killed. Qi'ra admitted that this was not how she wanted it to go, but that she did everything she could. She then explained that she intended for Organa to rescue Solo after the auction, though it didn't work out that way. Organa retorted that Qi'ra had the opportunity to simply give Solo to her, to which Qi'ra countered that she would have gained nothing from that. She went on to say that unlike Organa, she manipulated people to get what she wanted, though she would do it Organa's way if she could.

She also asserted that being a rebel hero was the ending Solo deserved and that he would have walked a darker path had he stayed 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. After this incident, Qi'ra asked Solo why he had acted as he did despite gaining nothing from it. Solo replied that while that may be how the galaxy operates, it didn't 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 joy at the news, while Qi'ra asked Organa if they would rescue Solo together. Organa refused, however, conceding that the Rebel Alliance needed her more than Solo did at that moment. Qi'ra offered future aid to the Alliance before departing the Falcon in the Vermillion.

Preparing to sow discord among her enemies, Qi'ra had Margo hire Boushh and his crew to eliminate the eight heads of the Tagge Corporation, a powerful company that was of great importance to the Empire. Specifically targeting Domina Tagge, the crew battled the Tagges until Domina made a deal with them, offering them a chance to undo their exile from their homeworld Uba IV in exchange for working for her. Unbeknownst to Qi'ra, Boushh and his crew betrayed Crimson Dawn.

Soon after, 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: to kill Sidious and Darth Vader in order to create a more equitable playing field for those seeking power, as well as to fulfill Maul's desire for revenge on the Emperor by preventing him and the Sith from dominating 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 offer its services neutrally to the larger syndicates, reasoning that if everyone needed them, 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 should make a play for power in case the Empire sought a new partner in the criminal underworld.

Soon, the Orphans began attacking multiple criminal strongholds, creating tension and conflict between the many syndicates, with the exception of the Hutts. After being informed of this by Margo, Qi'ra instructed Trinia to have the Orphans lie low for the time being until their services were needed again. Qi'ra then stated that 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.

Shortly after, Qi'ra arrived at Home One and met with Leia again. Qi'ra informed her that Commander Ellian Zahra had wiped out most of the Rebel Alliance's fleet divisions and that she would provide Leia with the location of the last surviving one. When Leia inquired as to why Qi'ra was telling her this, Qi'ra stated that she preferred to make friends rather than enemies. Once Leia accepted Qi'ra's assistance, Qi'ra asked her where Chewbacca was. Leia then led Qi'ra to a room where Chewbacca was using training remotes to prepare himself for breaking Solo out of Jabba's Palace. Qi'ra suggested 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 ensure that Zahra and her group were exactly where Leia wanted them. Qi'ra went on to offer Leia one final gift: managing the Rebel Alliance's supply chain. Leia accepted Qi'ra's gifts and instructed her to coordinate the specifics with Holdo. Qi'ra then wished Leia luck in finding the last division before departing in the Vermillion.

Moving onto the next phase of her plan, Qi'ra convened with her assassins aboard the Vermillion. Qi'ra first dispatched 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.

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 remained on their ship. Upon returning to the Vermillion, the Knights of Ren briefly engaged T'onga's crew before they retreated. However, T'onga remained on the Vermillion and attempted to locate Cadeliah. In response, Qi'ra had Margo bring T'onga before Cadeliah. T'onga attempted to take 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 demanded that Qi'ra 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 she would at least be safe from those trying to capture her on the Vermillion, 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 improve the galaxy by working for Crimson Dawn. Giving her a communicator, Qi'ra told T'onga to consider 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 instructed 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 as 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 ensure 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 as 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 had 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."

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.

Sidious warned Qi'ra again about sacrificing herself, but Qi'ra retorted that she was beyond his control. When Sidious declared her lineage "poisoned," Qi'ra signaled in defiance, stating they would see what happens. Subsequently, Sun and Farrus employed the Knights of Ren to activate the Fermata Cage. Sidious, sensing a disturbance in the Force, urgently demanded an explanation from Qi'ra. Qi'ra revealed she had unlocked the Fermata Cage, prompting Sidious to accuse her of falsehoods and begin to choke her using the Force. However, when Qi'ra asserted that he would never uncover the truth, Sidious released her, demanding she speak. She then explained that Maul had previously attempted to unleash the spirit within the Cage and that she would succeed where he had failed. She further revealed that she had already completed her part of the plan and that even if she perished, Sidious would also meet his end. The Vermillion and the Interdictor then engaged in mutual destruction, severing all communications.

When Sear inquired whether to rescue survivors in the escape pods, Qi'ra declined, stating they would honor their sacrifice instead. Qi'ra tried contacting Sun again, but Ren answered, informing her that their scheme had failed and that the Knights of Ren were finished serving Crimson Dawn. When Kho questioned their next course of action, Qi'ra instructed them to gather their belongings, relocate to the next site, and apply their learned lessons to improve their future attempts. When Chanath expressed her concerns, reminding Qi'ra that they had failed to open the Cage, suffered significant losses, and were being pursued by the Emperor, Qi'ra deceptively claimed it was all part of her strategy.

While the Empire annihilated the escape pods, Qi'ra secretly directed the Orphans to fly them to a hidden location. When Cha inquired about their destination, Qi'ra mentioned she had safe houses scattered throughout the galaxy. Upon entering a waterfall, they discovered the Dawnfall Base, which concealed Qi'ra's clandestine fleet. Cha argued that even a fleet would not be enough to defeat the Empire, but Qi'ra reminded her that her sole objective was to eliminate the Sith. Following this, Qi'ra contacted Sun, who assured her that they could open the Cage even without Force users. When Sun cautioned that they must be careful lest the Emperor discover their plan, Qi'ra revealed that she had already informed him of their plan to instill fear in him. She then instructed Sun to proceed with opening the Cage before ending the call. Inside the base, Margo informed Qi'ra that their agreements with the syndicates had collapsed, crippling their ability to operate openly. In response, Qi'ra ordered Margo to have their personnel relocate to safe houses.

When Cadeliah asked if she was upset about losing so much of her syndicate, Qi'ra stated that Crimson Dawn had always been a means to an end and had fulfilled its purpose. Cadeliah then inquired about her true purpose, to which Qi'ra replied that she was her last hope. Trinia then alerted Qi'ra that Sun was calling again. When Qi'ra asked Sun if she and Farrus had managed to open 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 another location. However, Sun refused, claiming that doing so would destroy them and Crimson Dawn. Sun then exclaimed that the Empire had found them, to which Qi'ra responded 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 why she withheld backup. Cadeliah responded that they had served their purpose and therefore did not warrant spending resources on. Qi'ra explained that Chanath Cha had believed herself to be the main character in her own story, when she had simply been a supporting character in Qi'ra's. Sun destroyed Ladybright and dropped off Farrus, who was tired of the danger and scared of what the end result of Qi'ra plans could be. Despite her hopes to defeat the Sith, Qi'ra knew it was more likely than not she would be lost in the effort, whether or not the Sith were even defeated. As such, Qi'ra recorded a final holographic message to Cadeliah at some point. Overcome with emotion as she spoke, Qi'ra compared her life to Cadeliah's 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.

After Sun destroyed Ladybright and dropped off Farrus, she contacted Qi'ra and explained that the Cage would draw upon any life force in its vicinity to function. When Qi'ra asked if there was a way to open it without sacrificing its operator, Sun suggested transporting it to the ancient Amaxine space station, which contained more than enough dark side and life energy to sustain the Cage. Sun then confessed that she had lost faith in their plan due to the numerous losses of their agents, to which Qi'ra reassured her that she would give her the chance to open the Cage.

When Cadeliah inquired about Qi'ra's intentions, Qi'ra declared that she would exhaust every resource at her disposal to open the Cage. First, she contacted Deathstick, whom she said would be crucial in their final move against the Sith. However, Deathstick replied that she was merely an assassin and had already fulfilled her role. Next, Qi'ra contacted the Knights of Ren, who initially refused to offer any further assistance. But when Qi'ra reminded them that Vader would continue to pursue them unless they helped her destroy him, the knights reluctantly agreed to cooperate one last time. Before Qi'ra made her final call, Cadeliah asked her why she didn't simply abandon her mission and use her wealth to start a new life, to which Qi'ra responded by asking who she would be if she did so. Qi'ra then handed Cadeliah the disc containing her holographic message and instructed her to play it if she did not survive.

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 shared her hatred for the Sith, to present them with an offer. Later, with Margo and Trinia by her side, Qi'ra addressed her entire Crimson Dawn fleet and delivered an inspiring speech, urging them to channel all the pain and suffering inflicted upon them by the Emperor and use it against him. 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 detected the disturbance caused by the opening and arrived aboard the Executor leading a fleet of Imperial-class Star Destroyers. The arrival of Qi'ra's fleet prevented the Executor from focusing its firepower on the station and destroying the Cage, so Vader and Sidious personally entered the station with a contingent of royal guards and death troopers. Qi'ra's forces had arrived earlier and engaged the enemy, but the Sith and their forces advanced with relative ease.

Observing 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 escape as her soldiers attempted to hold off the Sith, assuring them that the Spark would succeed if they failed before entering the station herself. Near the Cage, Qi'ra personally greeted the Spark before leaving to rejoin her fleet, monitoring her plan's progress from the cockpit of a starship. After Vader swiftly defeated the Spark by expelling it from Aphra's body, with Sana Starros' crew rushing 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 ordered the Archivist to activate the opened Cage, which overjoyed 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.

However, at that moment, 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.

Following the battle's conclusion, Sidious permitted the Knights of Ren to serve him but did not forgive them, subjecting them to torture with Force lightning before departing with Vader. Alone with only an astromech droid playing the message, Cadeliah listened to Qi'ra's message bequeathing 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 retreated into 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 elicited cheers and celebrations from the cantina patrons, who hoped the Empire was finally destroyed. Unmoved by the news, Qi'ra did not participate in the festivities. 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.

Qi'ra was a Corellian human female exhibiting moderately short brown hair typically styled in a ponytail, blue eyes, and fair skin. Qi'ra possessed a notably intricate personality. In her youth, she harbored aspirations of escaping her life of crime and pursued a more fulfilling existence. However, as she matured, she came to the realization that her past transgressions had irrevocably bound her to the criminal underworld. Despite her upbringing on the streets, she demonstrated an ability to adapt to a more luxurious lifestyle and integrate seamlessly into Crimson Dawn. Having known Han for 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.

With a strong survival instinct, she departed from Solo and continued her work for Crimson Dawn under Maul, eventually rising to lead the organization. As its leader, she adopted the altruistic goal of eradicating the Sith, regardless of the personal cost, to liberate the galaxy. To achieve this, she was prepared to exploit Solo as bait to attract various galactic powers, while asserting that Crimson Dawn would not harm 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 in carbonite, she questioned if he was conscious, 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 abilities, which sometimes 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.

Qi'ra received training in the martial art of Teräs Käsi from Vos and later Maul. She was also proficient 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 techniques of Sith combat to effectively counter them when confronting a Sith Lord. Her proficiency in this area was such that her style reminded Vader of Darth Sidious. Qi'ra also learned from Maul how to cloud her mind.

As a member of Crimson Dawn, Qi'ra carried a chrome-plated S-195 blaster pistol. Following Vos's death, she assumed command of his starship, the First Light. During her tenure as leader of Crimson Dawn, Qi'ra donned a white cloak that concealed her identity with its hood. As leader, she also had the resources of Crimson Dawn at her command, leading 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.

Qi'ra was conceived for the 2018 Star Wars Anthology film Solo: A Star Wars Story, penned by Lawrence and Jon Kasdan and directed by Ron Howard, and is portrayed by Emilia Clarke. 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 mentioned that the filmmakers described the character to her 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.