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Wait, Who Exactly Is Solo’s Villain?
The latest trailer for Solo: A Star Wars Story offers a first look at Paul Bettany’s crime lord Dryden Vos, but is he the main villain of the movie, or merely a mini-boss? We recently learned more about a villain called Enfys Nest, leader of a group of pirates called the Cloud-Riders, who sports a distinctive and vicious-looking outfit (which seems to include Wookiee fur). Then, of course, there’s the band of miscreants that Han Solo ends up joining, led by the morally-ambiguous Tobias Beckett (Woody Harrelson).
We still don’t know all that much about the plot of Solo – especially since marketing got off to a rather late start as a result of the movie changing hands halfway through production. While a few villainous characters have been introduced, it’s still unclear who the main antagonist is. However, there are a few bad guys roaming around, so these are some of the possible candidates for the movie’s big bad.
Dryden Vos (Paul Bettany) is referred to in the trailer as a “big-shot gangster,” and he’s apparently the man who hires Beckett and his crew for a job. He certainly looks like good villain material, with his long black cloak and heavily scarred face, and if Han fails in his mission (or, more likely, double-crosses Vos), the gangster could be out for revenge. Chances are good that this is our main bad guy, but he’s not the only unscrupulous character we’ll meet.
ENFYS NEST
Pirate leader Enfys Nest is given just as much screen time as Vos in this trailer, if not a little more. And while a black cape and facial scarring are perfectly serviceable villain design traits, they can’t hold a candle to Enfys Nest’s necklace of teeth, Wookiee-fur cape and bladed helmet. As we’ve noted elsewhere, Enfys Nest’s helmet design suggests that the pirate might hail from Mandalore – or perhaps she simply killed a Mandalorian and took their armor. A source at Star Wars News Net claims that Enfys Nest “is not a big role, but it is important,” and that the actress is signed on for two more movies. It doesn’t seem like Enfys Nest is the main villain of Solo, but she definitely looks like a cool secondary antagonist, and could graduate to the role of primary antagonist in a future movie.
BECKETT
In the latest trailer for Solo, Beckett tells Han, “Let me give you some advice. Assume everyone will betray you, and you will never be disappointed.” This is the kind of line that practically screams foreshadowing, and coupled with the fact that Beckett is the leader of a criminal gang, the chances of him turning out to be a villain are pretty high. Woody Harrelson recently showed off his talent for playing a villain in War for the Planet of the Apes, and it wouldn’t be the first time that a friend turned traitor in a Star Wars movie (looking at you, Lando). And while we’re on the topic of there being no honor among thieves…
QI’RA
Qi’ra (Emilia Clarke) and Han first met as teenagers, and their past exploits will be detailed in the Solo tie-in novel Most Wanted. Like Han, Qi’ra is a street kid from Corellia who has had to fight for her survival. While they’re ostensibly on the same team in Solo: A Star Wars Story, being betrayed by someone that he has feelings for would certainly explain how Han became such a cynic. Beckett’s line about betrayal could be foreshadowing for Qi’ra turning out to be a double agent, and Clarke has a talent for playing ruthless characters (just ask the Lannister army).
