Star Wars Adventures #4 just revealed the romantic side of Han Solo’s most treacherous enemy and makes the Solo movie even more heartbreaking.
WARNING: The following contains spoilers for “Credits” in Star Wars Adventures #4, by Jordan Clark, Yael Nathan and Jake M. Wood, on sale now.
As much as Jabba the Hutt, Darth Vader and the Empire have given Han Solo trouble, Solo: A Star Wars Story makes a strong case for his true rival being his backstabbing mentor, Tobias Beckett. Tobias played Han and sold him out to Dryden Vos in a scheme that endangered him and Chewbacca and cost him his first love, Qi’ra.
Tobias was still somewhat sympathetic and wasn’t happy about betraying Han, and Solo wasn’t happy about killing him, since he had respected the smuggler so much. Now, Star Wars Adventures #4 just humanized Tobias even more, with a romantic tale that delves deeper into his backstory.
Tobias’ betrayal stung as muchLando’s in The Empire Strikes Back, but Han knew he was once a good man from their partnership. He just got colder due to the cruel galaxy as the Empire and its Imperial fleet took over. But, this story offers a better understanding of Tobias as we see him held in prison by a space gang, only for Val to free him. She makes it clear she loves him and can’t help but risk her life, doing stupid things for Tobias.
As usual, Beckett is running a long-con, admitting he’s planted himself in the brig knowing Val would come to rescue him. It’s because he’s there for a heist, or as he corrects himself later on, an extraction. The gang has Tu-Wane Jipps, one of Tobias’ old gambling buddies, and he’s here to free him. A firefight ensues and thankfully, the place is blown open by Rio. They all jump on his ship, leaving the thugs behind, and what ensues is the perfect summation of Tobias’ character.
Tu-Wane is a sax player, and Tobias has arranged for him to play on a romantic date for him and Val. He wants to show her love and gratitude so they’re on a cliff with some wine and bonfire, overlooking the sunset and nodding to his emotional side. The double-cross comes in whispers, however, as he lets her know that while this is a tender moment and something they’ll treasure forever, he’s baiting Tu-Wane and planning to turn him over to Jabba. Apparently, there’s a bounty of at least 15,000 credits on his friend, so Tobias is mixing business and pleasure, with Tu-Wane none the wiser.
Despite that ironic note, the core of this story is still Tobias and Val’s romance, a genuine human aspect of both characters. And since Val sacrifices herself to save him and Han when the Conveyex train heist goes bad in the Solo movie, it shows just how far an emotionally broken Tobias had to fall without the woman he loved.
About The Author
