Remember Solo: A Star Wars Story? While the latest Star Wars spin-off film underwhelmed the box office, it was (mostly) fun and breezy. But there was one particular plot-point featured in the film that was a bit disturbing: the fate of droid L3-37. The upcoming Solo novelization delves into this, and tries to put a positive spin on it all. But let’s be honest: it’s still kind of horrifying.
I liked Solo for the most part, but there was one thing that really bugged me: the treatment of L3, the droid co-pilot of the Millennium Falcon. As played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the character was fun and likable, presented as a droid very committed to the cause of droid rights. Then midway through the film she dies and her brain gets uploaded into the Falcon, literally robbing her of her voice and forcing her into a life of servitude. It’s a bit dark, as many people (this site included) pointed out.
Alright, this is instantly upsetting. Right away, L3 is begging for a new body, which is a fair request. She could be brought back to life if her robot mind was inserted into a new droid body. But no, that’s not happening.
Honestly, the Falcon sounds like a bit of a prick. It’s more or less telling L3 her disturbing, Harlan Ellison short story fate is all her fault, and she just has to deal with it. I suppose you could argue that this is all a metaphor for death itself. When we die, we really have no say in the matter, and we can’t exactly pop back into a new body after the fact. But that doesn’t make this any less unsettling. In fact, I’d argue this excerpt makes an already creepy scene extra creepy. And now we’re sharing that creepiness with you! Enjoy!