‘Solo: A Star Wars Story’ Novelization Explains L3-37’s Controversial Fate

Fans have had a lot to talk about since the release of Solo: A Star Wars Story, as we’ve been dissecting the narrative, the performances, the impacts on the overall saga, and the disappointing box office performance, with one of the biggest talking points being the fate of the droid L3-37. With the upcoming novelization of Solo allowing many scenes and characters to be expanded, fans are now given more insight into how the crew of the Millennium Falcon controversially treated the droid.

The droid, played by Phoebe Waller-Bridge, aimed to free as many droids from enslavement as she could, ultimately causing a revolt on Kessel that resulted in her own demise. Lando Calrissian opted to essentially inject her artificial mind into the Falcon‘s onboard computers, with many fans taking issue with this decision essentially being a permanent enslavement without even a body to control.

The Solo novelization, on the other hand, offers insight from L3-37’s perspective about the situation.

“L3 had a choice to make,” an excerpt from the novel reads. “She could die with her final act being a liberator to all the droids on Kessel, or she could join with the Falcon, live on, and be part of something much big­ger. She could save them all.”

In addition to her devotion to helping droids revolt, L3-37’s other devotion was Lando, with a few pieces of dialogue even hinting that there may have been a romantic connection between the characters. The novelization notes that, were she to accept her new role in life, she could ensure not just Lando’s safety, but the entire crew’s, as well as be part of the ship that meant so much to her.

“If you refuse, you die. He dies. The others on the ship, they all die,” the novel reads of a conversation between L3 and the Falcon. “If you join with us, we all can live. The choice is simple.”

The excerpt from the novel then confirms that L3-37 accepted this new position, albeit reluctantly, with the Falcon noting that she had made her decision almost immediately, yet took her time accepting that decision.

This exchange might not entirely satisfy Star Wars fans as there isn’t more significance to L3-37’s decision, with some viewers having issue with the Falcon in perpetuity and what the ship now represents.

Complicating matters further is the fact that there have been no hints that Solo will be getting a sequel, so this is likely the only explanation we’ll ever get for L3-37’s fate.

You can get a copy of the Solo: A Star Wars Story novelization on September 4th.

Does this extra information make you feel better about what happened to L3-37? Let us know in the comments below or hit up @TheWolfman on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!

[H/T StarWars.com]