Spoilers for L3-37 in ‘Solo.’ At the press conference for “Solo: A Star Wars Story,” in a cavernous room in the Pasadena Convention Center, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, the incredible “Fleabag” writer/producer/actress detailed the history of her character – a sentient, sassy droid named L3-37. L3 is one of the standout characters of “Solo;” she’s the faithful companion of a young Lando Calrissian (Donald Glover), who feels just at home copiloting the Millennium Falcon as she does starting a robot revolution. And at this press conference, she made a startling claim: that L3 was a droid that built herself, cobbling herself together from unused droid parts and other wayward bits (astromech’s like R2-D2 and protocol droid like C-3PO). Poe calls BB-8 “one of a kind” in the new trilogy, although we’ve seen several spherical droids that look more or less exactly like him. L3 actually is a one of a kind.
This statement is a relatively remarkable one for what it means for the character (adding to her subversive streak), and because it isn’t implied at all in the actual movie.
In “Solo,” we’re introduced to L3 as a kind of progressive, robot freedom fighter. She breaks up a “Battle Bots”-style underground fight club where humans set up droids to kill one another. She later implies that Lando has a romantic, perhaps even sexual relationship with her (the sexiest thing to happen in a galaxy far, far away was probably that weird VR porn scene from the “Star Wars Christmas Special.”) Later still, she (again, spoiler alert) sacrifices herself while trying to liberate the robotic servants at a galactic mining operation. Later, her consciousness is uploaded into the Millennium Falcon’s circuitry, a poignant moment that also serves as a weird explanation for why Han and Lando both call the ship “her” in later movies.
Everything about L3 is new and subversive. Canonically, the first droids introduced into the saga are C-3PO and R2-D2. Threepio is seen being built by a preteen Anakin Skywalker, while R2 is a trusty droid that accompanies Obi-Wan and Anakin, and later, Luke Skywalker and the gang. (In between, both droids have their memories wiped. Woof.) In these new films, we’re introduced to BB-8, the most lovable droids since the originals (the prequels were almost completely devoid of introducing cuddly droids; instead they’re filled with a villainous droid army). Most recently, “Rogue One: A Star Wars Story” made a point of debuting K-2SO (voiced by Alan Tudyk), a former Imperial droid who has been fuzzily reprogrammed by the Rebellion.
All of these droids have personalities; that’s why we love them. They bicker and beep and fuss. But they all remain subservient. The original droids were based, by George Lucas’ own admission, on a pair of bumbling peasants in Akira Kurosawa’s “The Hidden Fortress” and they could have easily been based on any number of fussy servants in pop culture history. (Interestingly, Lucas wanted C-3PO to be voiced like a New York used car salesman; he begrudgingly admitted that Anthony Daniels’ effete performance was vital.) These droids have little interior life or agency; when Threepio investigates a corner of Cloud City, he winds up getting blasted to bits.
But not L3.
This is the most fully formed robotic character in the history of “Star Wars.” She thinks on her feet and on her own, and her bond with Lando doesn’t feel like an obligation or half of a master/slave relationship. Instead, it’s an emotional connection, and Waller-Bridge’s revelation that L3’s consciousness was so strong and so singular that she pulled herself together (literally) means that she could have left Lando at any time. She isn’t shackled to Lando, and there are moments where you get the sense that Lando is pulling strength from her, representing a power dynamic that is more than new in a galaxy far, far away; it’s downright revolutionary. “Solo: A Star Wars Story” has too few surprises, but with L3, the Lucasfilm team delivered something we’ve never seen before. And maybe that’s enough.
What did you think of L3? And “Solo: A Star Wars Story” in general (here’s our review)? Let us know below!