For a character who plays a central role in several Star Wars films, the official backstory for Han Solo has always remained murky. Solo: A Star Wars Story took steps to rectify this, sending the titular hot shot on an adventure that sees him cross paths with Lando Calrissian, befriend his Wookie co-pilot Chewbacca, and win the beloved Millennium Falcon in an oft-alluded to game of Sabaac.
But Solo was more or less a coming of age story, one that explored Han's introduction to the smuggling world. The film naturally checked off some boxes in the fan service realm - namely, the Kessel Run - and started to show the roots of Han's cynicism that would later be seen in A New Hope, though his heart of gold was still a constant. Though the film follows a "young" Han Solo, he's already an adult when the tale begins.
The closest things get to elaborating on Han's upbringing come during the prologue sequence, though more is left implied than outright stated. Han and his flame Qi'ra are shown living as scrumrats in the sewers of Corellia, serving at the mercy of Lady Proxima and the White Worms in exchange for food and shelter. The beatings they incur make it clear treatment is poor at best, and the duo are looking for a way off-world from the outset.
At no point do fans get a glimpse of Han as a child and what his life may have been like before orphanage. There is, however, a moment aboard the Falcon when Han touches a bit on his past and alludes to some time he spent with his father. Nothing since has been revealed about the man who helped bring the scoundrel into the galaxy... until now.
Star Wars Comic Introduces Han Solo's Father
In Star Wars: Han Solo & Chewbacca Issue #1, via Comics Heating Up, Han's father is depicted for the first time in canon, accompanied by the reveal that his name is Ovan:
You Close With Your Old Man?
Not... really?
Or so that was what audiences were led to believe when Lando pitched the question to Han in the Falcon's cockpit. The first moment Han and Chewie laid eyes on the hunk of junk was spine-tingling, and the aforementioned discussion Solo and Calrissian had revealed that the former's father used to build YT-1300 model freighters at the CEC plant on Corellia.
Han's affinity for flying may actually come from Ovan, as his old man also wanted to be a pilot. It will be interesting to see how he factors into the story of Han Solo & Chewbacca, given the lack of a relationship Han alluded to in Solo. The new Marvel Comic seems to contradict that somewhat, as Han is seen giving a toast to his father back on their homeworld.
Granted, there's still context missing from the encounter.
While the working assumption is that Han and Ovan haven't seen each other since the smuggler was a kid, it's always possible that the two made amends after Solo, or even in the comic issue. There appears to be a fondness for his father that Han doesn't display for many others, and barring this being some kind of elaborate ploy to deceive the man, it seems like genuine affection.
In Legends, Han's father was named Jonash Solo, and his mother was Jaina (a name later given to his daughter). Han's parents disappeared when he was young, rendering him an orphan by the age of seven - and he wouldn't learn of his parents' identities until adulthood. By contrast, Han's father is very much alive in canon, and he's well aware of who Ovan is.
Ovan won't carry the last name Solo, as that was something Han adopted when it was assigned by an Imperial officer. Whether or not the man even knows his own family name is a mystery; Han certainly didn't, or at the very least didn't want to be associated with it. Getting the chance to see their relationship play out a bit will be interesting, and there will be opportunities to determine how this tie influenced the way Han behaved as a father for his son Ben.
Star Wars: Han Solo & Chewbacca Issue #1 is now available online and in comic book stores.
