In the latest issue of Han Solo & Chewbacca, Star Wars’ overarching droid uprising receives an official connection to the legacy of L3-37.
Warning! This post contains SPOILERS for Han Solo & Chewbacca #9Star Wars officially connects the legacy of Solo’s L3-37 to its ongoing droid revolution. Featured across multiple recent projects in the galaxy far, far away (including in the new trailer for The Mandalorian season 3), droids have been getting a much bigger spotlight. Showcasing their true capacity for free will, the concept of droids clashing against their second-class status in the galaxy was first seen with L3, Lando Calrissian’s original droid co-pilot. However, the latest issue of Han Solo & Chewbacca confirms she wasn’t the first to fight back against organics.
In the new Han Solo & Chewbacca #9 from Marc Guggenheim and David Messina, the infamous smuggler and his Wookiee co-pilot discover the real reason Jabba the Hutt hired them to collect an urn filled with the ashes of one of his rivals. Han and Chewie discover that the urn actually contains the centuries-old neural core of Ajax Sigma, one of the few droids who had a name rather than a designation and wasn’t a slave to his programming like most droids. Learning that Ajax attempted a galaxy-wide revolution so that all droids could be free, Han recalls L3-37’s sacrifice in Solo: A Star Wars Story where she too staged a droid rebellion at the spice mines of Kessel.
Star Wars Makes Official Connection Between Ajax Sigma and L3-37
While Han and Chewie aren’t told the specifics of Ajax’s demise, the recent Star Wars Revelations #1 confirmed it was the Jedi Order of The High Republic era who ended Sigma’s uprising, an act that somehow led to his neural core being hidden for years which Jabba the Hutt understandably wants. After all, Ajax Sigma allegedly killed thousands in his mission for synthetic free will and was believed to be one of the deadliest assassin droids of all time. As such, a crime lord like Jabba would naturally want to use Ajax as the ultimate weapon to protect and expand his operations.
At any rate, pro-droid sentiments continue to build across Star Wars’ many projects, and rightfully so. For example, The Mandalorian season 3 trailer features a reversal of the Mos Eisley cantina (where no droids were allowed), and the Mandalorian receives some odd looks upon entering an all-droid bar. Additionally, Andor took the time to show a droid (B2-EMO) suffering from grief. Revelations also teased the imminent resurrection of Ajax Sigma which will pit the dangerous droid against Luke Skywalker ahead of Return of the Jedi.
With all that being said, the entire concept of droids fighting for a better life and greater agency in the Star Wars galaxy truly began with Solo’s L3-37. As such, it’s great to see her legacy rightfully being remembered in this new issue. Han Solo & Chewbacca #9 is on sale now from Marvel Comics.
