SPECULATION The Kessel Run we saw may NOT be the one referred in ANH

I think this should be the Kessel Run for the sake of simplicity of storytelling. It makes what we saw in Solo special and I believe the intention was that fans could relate it to the ANH (and TFA) mentions. Also, I think that going from "almost 12" to "less than 12" is quite a Han thing to do. Not to mention that the "rounded-down 12 parsecs" seemed way too dangerous to ever try doing it again.

If they go "well, this wasn't the actual Kessel Run" it's going to be a jarring retcon. At least to me.

 

I think it makes sense that, over the next 10 years, Han would have made several trips to Kessel, i.e. several Kessel Runs. So it makes sense that he would at some point do better than his very first attempt both due to increased familiarity with the Run as well as the fact that, as we know, he is going to make a few special modifications to the Falcon.

 

Its entirely possible Han may have done the Kessel Run again after the time of "Solo" in a faster/shorter way after winning and modifying the Falcon with his "special modifications" (ANH) to make the ship faster and more efficient.

 

I guess it's possible, but I kinda like how it was played here.

The Kessel Run thing has become part of Han's legend, but I kinda like the idea that he's responsible for spreading it, and he's really the only one who cares.

After landing on Savareen, for instance, he's all smiles and giggles about the run, but no one else really seems to care (most of all, Lando, who lost his ship in the process). The only person to address him is Chewie, who corrects him on saying the run was longer than Han claims (to which Han responds "not if you round down, buddy").

I think it comes down to how you want to view these characters. Do you seem them as heroic members of the Star Wars pantheon, larger than life folk tales? Or do you seem them as people?

Disney seems to be leaning into the latter, and to be honest I prefer that nuance more.

So in this case, I like that the Kessel Run is more akin to a guy exaggerating his High School football glory days, and less like a war hero telling their story on CNN.

And personally I don't find it sad, but humorous. We see Han do great things later, anyway. We don't need him to lean on his past accomplishments.

 

I don't think that would make sense at all. He super-mega stole from them and instigated revolution, to the extend that a star destroyer was brought in. I don't think it would be an easy place for him to return to in the Falcon.

 

Seems to be silly to have a movie about The Kessel Run and not have it actually be about *that* Kessel Run.

They even gave it a reason with a ticking clock and everything. There is no fundamental reason to have to hotdog it through the Antilles Maelstrom if you aren't on the run from the imperials with a load fixing to blow.

'You hear about this pilot out of Corellia? The dude jacked unrefined ore and managed to evade Imperials while going through the Antilles Maelstrom. Managed to get it there before it blew in only 12 parsecs!'

Han(for forever): 'Hi... i'm the guy that did The Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs. Might have been 12.4, but i'm rounding up from 11!'

 

Either could work, but they'd have to be careful on how they retell the story if they ever go there. It could/would take something away form Solo if they did too.

As for Solo, he reminds me of a Davy Crockett or Buffalo Bill, who's a bit of a showman who likes to exaggerate his exploits a bit to make a better story. So a real life person who reaches legendary status. Sometimes it's hard to differentiate between the man and the legend.

 

IMO the implication was clear that Han embellishes the story a little more each time he tells it. From the “round down” comment, we know that Han has already shaved a little off the total to make the story more impressive. So he shaved a little more later.

 

Of course it's THE Kessel Run. Oy.

 

Even Han says right when he lands on that desert planet with Coaxium refinery that he just made Kessel Run in 12 parsecs.

 

Yeah it's the sort of thing that would require someone who was maybe working with a criminal organization and had abilities relating to smuggling contraband, forging documents, faking ID's, etc....

Oh wait.....

 

I could have been the ONE or he could have made more in the future before ANH. Could also be the slightly blown out of proportion type of thing. The one where you catch a 50lb fish but years later that fish turned into a 60lb fish. He could have done it anywhere between 12.1 to 12.49, rounded it to 12 BUT yearsssssssssssssssss later it turns into less than 12.

 

Doing a different "real" Kessel Run later would be like if in a Solo sequel, another guy named Han Solo came, befriended Chewie, won the Falcon, and apparently Ehrenreich's Han was never the character that we saw in A New Hope, just a identically named dude who had similar experiences.

Like, I get if the Kessel Run wasn't quite how you'd have imagined it... but it'd be weird to retcon it as something else.

Even so, I get it. As much as I love Solo, there are definitely some sloppy parts. For instance, Chewie and Han never getting to "life debt" territory. Unless it's being saved for a sequel, definitely seems like it could've been handled better. But again, doesn't mean that a "real" Han is out there.

 

I'm 100% that was the "real" Kessel run from ANH. There's no way they would spend that much time on it in a movie that was hell-bent on over-explaining everything to us if it wasn't THE Kessel run.

Keep in mind, I loved the movie. Even though it over-explained some things we didn't need explanations on, that did not get in the way of my enjoyment of the awesome film. ....... 'cept for how Han got his last name ..... that was dumb =P #opinion

 

This post reminds me of the time I shot 67 at Augusta.....

 

I heard it was 65

 

I like that version!! But keep in mind that's rounded down from 95. And Augusta is rounded down from the local public course.

 

Either way, its still better than my 60i

 

Surely it's the one and only Kessel Run. I can't imagine anyone think it a good idea to write another Han story where, suddenly he needs more of that unstable fuel, and he's on a timetable, and the situation is so dire he's willing to risk everything again. But, sure, it could happen. But it seems to me that Han is just continually catching a fish that was "this big" (hands going farther apart each time he tells the story).

It seems like this is Han's own personal greatest achievment, but it's such a specific thing that not many people even know the relevance of it. The first guy he tells it to doesn't seem at all impressed, and when he tells it to Kenobi, Kenobi doesn't even seem to understand what he's talking about or why it's supposed to impress him. Han probably gets frustrated that he doesn't get the respect he thinks he deserves, and so keeps making it "great and great" in his own mind if only to satisfy himself with his mad pilot skills.

I think Rey is the only person on screen who gushes about it, and she doesn't even get it right. But Han is so glad someone is finally giving respect that he eases up and goes back to being content to state original round-down of "twelve". I can see the only reason anyone in the general public knows about the Kessel Run is because Han became fanous for his role in the rebellion, and people then began to hear about "He also did the Kessel Run in so many parsecs" like some side trivia about a famous person that's still commonly misquoted because no one really knows what the "Kessel Run" is or why it has any gravitas - all they know is that famous rebel pilot Han Solo did it in fourteen parsecs.