Annlyel James 
With Han and Luke already gone can Lando Calrissian survive Star Wars: Episode IX?
Remember when Disney announced after acquiring the rights to the Star Wars franchise that there would be new movies? And remember your skepticism about this plan, that is until it was also announced that Harrison Ford, Carrie Fisher, and Mark Hamill would reprise their roles for these new movies? And remember your excitement when you heard this news? I know I do.
I was through the roof with elation, imagining these three beloved characters (Han, Luke, and Leia) all together again for another wild adventure. And then The Force Awakens changed that narrative, choosing to highlight the new characters as the stars of the film while using the original trilogy characters as sages for these young heroes.
Han Solo ended up perishing at the hands of his son, Kylo Ren, which was one of the most shocking twists I’ve seen in a movie. I honestly didn’t see it coming, in fact, I still get teary whenever I watch the gutwrenching moment. It was after Han’s death, however, that I knew none of the original characters was safe. Anything was possible.
Sure enough, two years later, Leia is almost killed in The Last Jedi but manages to save herself from death. Luke isn’t so lucky. He sacrifices himself to save the Resistance, thus coming to an end and joining his Jedi masters in the Force.
Even Admiral Ackbar wasn’t able to survive!
So, that leaves Lando Calrissian, the one original trilogy character who has not yet been in the sequel trilogy. Fans are excited to see Billy Dee Williams sporting his cape and his iconic swagger again as he helps the Resistance against the might of the First Order but one can only worry that he too will meet a shocking end.
So, that leads me to my question for this post; is Lando pretty much doomed for Episode IX? My answer is yes. J.J Abrams killed off Han Solo! Rian Johnson killed off Luke Skywalker! It’s definitely plausible that Lando Calrissian is being set up to be the next in line for a hopefully heroic death. I mean, think about it.
This entire trilogy has been designed to destroy the old and create something new. We are leaving the past behind to step into a future for the franchise that allows new stories and new characters to flourish without the weight of the original Star Wars movies dragging the writers of these new films down. Lando is a beloved character but considering that he represents the old story I think it’s pretty obvious that he probably won’t survive to see the end of this Skywalker saga.
And if he does manage to survive, well, “That was too close.”
The Future of the Force. The future of pop culture writing.
Want up-to-the-minute entertainment news and featured articles? Just hit “Like” on our Facebook page and “Follow” us on our Future of the Force Instagram and Twitter accounts.
Annlyel James is a Senior Correspondent of The Future of the Force. She is passionate about Star Wars and Marvel but loves a wide variety of movie genres. Aside from her role with Future of the Force she also writes for her blog: annlyelonline. Follow her on Twitter where she channels the Force frequently!
