Star Wars Reveals What Really Happened to Qi’ra

Star Wars fans met Qi’ra back in 2018 with Solo: A Star Wars Story, where she was played by Emilia Clarke, and we’ve been wondering ever since then how she factored into Han Solo’s history and various other events in the galaxy far, far away. Qi’ra shocked fans by returning for the “War of the Bounty Hunters” comic event back in 2021, which took place between the events of Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and Star Wars: Return of the Jedi. Qi’ra’s arc then continued into the “Crimson Reign” event and up through “Hidden Empire.” With the final issue of that series debuting today, we have a more definitive answer for Qi’ra’s journey. Star Wars: Hidden Empire #5 is on shelves now.

WARNING: Spoilers below for Star Wars: Hidden Empire #5

Qi’ra’s return confirmed what was teased at the end of Solo, which is that she became the leader of Crimson Dawn. She used her power and influence within the organization to expand and infiltrate all corners of the galaxy, including the insertion of agents into the Galactic Empire itself, all for the ultimate goal of overthrowing Darth Vader and Emperor Palpatine in hopes of eradicating both the Sith and the Empire all at once.

Specifically during Hidden Empire, Qi’ra’s plan centered around a relic known as the “Fermata Cage,” which supposedly had the power to capture Sith and trap them in time. While Vader and Palpatine thought that this meant two Sith from the galaxy’s past would be unleashed upon them, instead Qi’ra sprang the device to momentarily freeze Palpatine and Vader in time. Sadly, this strategy only worked briefly and the pair were able to overpower the device and escape, confirming that Qi’ra’s master plan had failed completely.

In the wake of this failure, Qi’ra abandoned Crimson Dawn and all of its resources, encouraging everyone else in Crimson Dawn to escape the organization and lead their own lives. 

The storytelling structure of Hidden Empire featured The Archivist telling the story of Qi’ra to two mysterious figures, which the book revealed to be Luke Skywalker and Leia Organa, with this recollection taking place after the events of Return of the Jedi. Despite Qi’ra’s direct plan had failing, Luke confirmed that it was Crimson Dawn agents who had ultimately alerted the Rebel Alliance to the construction of the Death Star II. The pair also explained how the Empire’s focus on eradicating the remnants of Crimson Dawn allowed the Rebellion to build their numbers.

While characters in Hidden Empire theorize that it was only a matter of time before Qi’ra was caught by the Empire, the final pages confirmed that she had survived the events of Return of the Jedi to witness the fall of the Empire, despite embracing a life of isolation. It might have taken longer than she expected and she might not have been directly responsible for the Empire’s destruction, but her survival could allow her to free herself from guilt over her botched attempt to destroy Palpatine and Vader.

Luckily for Qi’ra fans, her survival not only means witnessing the end of the Empire, but it also relieves her up from her years-long quest to free the galaxy, so while there might not currently be confirmed plans of how she will factor into a post-Empire world, it keeps the door open that she is out there somewhere and can find a new direction in life. With multiple Star Wars TV series taking place in this time period, some fans will hope for Clarke’s return to the franchise, which Hidden Empire has at least made feasible.

Star Wars: Hidden Empire #5 is on shelves now. Stay tuned for details on Qi’ra’s possible future in Star Wars.

What did you think of Qi’ra’s ending? Let us know in the comments or contact Patrick Cavanaugh directly on Twitter to talk all things Star Wars and horror!