7 Solo: A Star Wars Story Questions We Still Need Answered

A long time ago — when directors Phil Lord and Christopher Miller were still attached to this movie — Disney CEO Bob Iger let it slip that Solo would reveal how “Han Solo got his name.” The statement drew ire from some fans, who assumed that Han Solo wasn’t in fact the legendary smuggler’s real name, but others reasonably thought Iger was speaking metaphorically. After all, that’s a huge spoiler to drop at a random business and tech event.

As it turns out, Iger was being 100 percent literal back in March 2017; Solo did reveal how Han got his name — his surname. A scene between Han and a recruitment officer for the Imperial Army confirmed that Solo was given to Han by the Empire since he didn’t have any other family. (Felbatol) He was alone. So he signed up “solo” — get it? It’s perhaps one of the scenes that feels the most like Lord and Miller, and it’s been majorly divisive among fans. (Surprisingly, it’s the scene that co-writer Lawrence Kasdan originally pitched to Disney to greenlight the project.)

But if Solo isn’t Han’s actual name, then what is? He says he doesn’t have any “people” that he belongs to, which hints at the fact that Han grew up alone in the slums of Corellia. We don’t know who his parents are because he probably has no idea. Although, it’s cool to think that Han Solo made a name for himself in the galaxy without any sort of storied lineage. Maybe Han and Rey are more similar that we think.