The Millennium Falcon’s Original Owner Was No Star Wars Hero
The Millennium Falcon has been owned by some of the biggest heroes in the Star Wars galaxy, but there was a time when the ship lived a simpler life.
The Millennium Falcon is not only one of the most iconic ships in Star Wars but in all of science fiction. From Han Solo and Chewbacca to Lando Calrissian, the ship has been piloted by some of the biggest names in the galaxy. However, there was a time long before the Millennium Falcon gained its status when its owners were more unlikeable.
Unlike the futuristic paradise seen in other fantastical worlds, the galaxy of Star Wars is run-down and barely held together. The Millennium Falcon is a prime example of this. Rather than completely replacing the ship with one that is sturdier, the heroes prefer to slap new parts on it to keep it going. So, it’s hard to imagine a time when the Millennium Falcon was shiny and new, fresh off the assembly line.
Updated by Jordan Iacobucci on February 14, 2024: The Millennium Falcon remains one of the most iconic starships in the history of the science fiction genre. It may look like a hunk of junk, but the ship is known for completing the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs. But, long before the Millennium Falcon fell into the hands of Han Solo, the ship served a much different purpose.
The Millennium Falcon’s Original Purpose
The Millennium Falcon is the most frequently appearing spaceship in the Star Wars franchise, showing up in Revenge of the Sith, Solo: A Star Wars Story, A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Return of the Jedi, The Force Awakens, The Last Jedi, and The Rise of Skywalker.
Built before the Clone Wars, the Millennium Falcon was a YT-1300f light freighter — just one of many cargo ships owned by the Corellian Engineering Corporation. As part of one of the largest shipping companies, it had a simple life of pushing cargo containers to and from orbital freight yards, most of which sat along the galaxy’s most popular hyperspace lanes.
Around the time of Star Wars: Attack of the Clones, the Millennium Falcon was sold to the Republic Group, a small and little-known cargo company on Coruscant. There, it was given the name of Stellar Envoy, as the ship was overhauled with a military-grade radar dish on top and used for even more transport. But the ship’s boring life would soon come to an end, as it soon found itself part of a fatal collision.
How The Millennium Falcon Was Almost Destroyed
The Millennium Falcon was involved in the battles that led to the destruction of three different Death Star space stations, including the Battle of Yavin, the Battle of Endor, and the Battle of Starkiller Base.
The young Millennium Falcon appeared as an Easter egg in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith as it left the Senate building. But shortly after this, the ship had a deadly collision with a large freighter and became severely damaged, making it close to inoperable. The wreckage was hauled away to a scrapyard and forgotten — until an unknown scavenger discovered the abandoned freighter and got to work repairing it.
Once the freighter was up and running, the Imperial Archives stated it got passed between a number of owners before reaching Lando Calrissian. The suave smuggler won the ship by cheating in a game of sabacc (similar to how Greedo won it) and registered it under the name Millennium Falcon. From here, he had it modified with a new style and engines, eventually making it into the “fastest ship in the galaxy” Han finds in Solo.
By now, the Millennium Falcon is so iconic that it’s almost like one of the main characters of Star Wars. But like many lives before the Empire, it once had a far simpler place in the galaxy and lived a comfortable existence. It’s hard to imagine the Falcon with ordinary space truckers piloting it, and none of them knew that their shipping freighter would later help put an end to the Empire and even one day destroy a Death Star.
Who Owns The Millennium Falcon Now?
The Millennium Falcon has passed through many hands throughout the course of the Star Wars franchise. Han Solo is the ship’s most famous owner by far, but his death at the end of The Force Awakens leaves its ownership somewhat up in the air. The most obvious choice for the ship’s new owner would be Han’s first mate, Chewbacca. However, this would not appear to be the case.
While Rey, Chewbacca, and Poe Dameron are all seen piloting the Millennium Falcon after Han Solo’s death, it would appear that the ship was passed on to Rey for the foreseeable future. She takes the ship to Ahch-To, where she trains with Luke Skywalker, and eventually travels to his hometown on Tatooine at the end of The Rise of Skywalker. How exactly this arrangement was worked out remains unclear, but it may have been Han’s wish to pass the ship on to the next generation of the galaxy’s heroes rather than to his good friend Chewie.
The Millennium Falcon may not have been intended to be any great vessel at its construction, but it eventually became one of the most important starships in the entire galaxy. Where the iconic ship may show up next is anyone’s guess, but its voyages are far from over.
