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The ''Millennium Falcon'' is a fictional
starship A starship, starcraft, or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for interstellar travel, traveling between planetary systems. The term is mostly found in science fiction. Reference to a "star-ship" appears as early as 1 ...
in the ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' franchise. Designed by
Joe Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston II (born May 13, 1950) is an American film director, producer, writer, and visual effects artist. He is best known for directing effects-driven films, including '' Honey, I Shrunk the Kids'' (1989), '' The Rocketeer' ...
for the film ''
Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...
'' (1977), it has subsequently appeared in '' The Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), ''
The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic film, epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based o ...
'' (1980), ''
Return of the Jedi ''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas. The sequel to '' The Empire ...
'' (1983), ''
Revenge of the Sith Revenge is defined as committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Vengeful forms of justice, such as primitive justice or retributive justice, are often differentiated from more fo ...
'' (2005), ''
The Force Awakens ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens'') is a 2015 American epic film, epic space opera film co-produced, co-written, and directed by J. J. Abrams. The sequel to ''Return of the Jedi ...
'' (2015), ''
The Last Jedi ''Star Wars: The Last Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VIII – The Last Jedi'') is a 2017 American epic space opera film written and directed by Rian Johnson. Produced by Lucasfilm and distributed by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictu ...
'' (2017), '' Solo: A Star Wars Story'' (2018), and ''
The Rise of Skywalker ''Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode IX – The Rise of Skywalker'') is a 2019 American epic space opera film produced, , and directed by J. J. Abrams. Produced by Lucasfilm and Abrams's production co ...
'' (2019). Additionally, the ''Falcon'' appears in a variety of ''Star Wars'' spin-off works, including books, comics, and games;
James Luceno James Luceno (born 1947) is an American author born in the British Overseas Territory of Bermuda, known for his novels and reference books connected with the ''Star Wars'' franchise and the Star Wars Expanded Universe, ''Star Wars'' Expanded Uni ...
's novel ''
Millennium Falcon The ''Millennium Falcon'' is a fictional starship in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Designed by Joe Johnston for the film ''Star Wars'' (1977), it has subsequently appeared in '' The Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), ''The Empire Strikes Back' ...
'' focuses on the titular ship. It also appears in the 2014 animated film ''
The Lego Movie ''The Lego Movie'' is a 2014 animated adventure comedy film written and directed by Phil Lord and Christopher Miller. Based on the Lego line of construction toys, the film stars the voices of Chris Pratt, Will Ferrell, Elizabeth Banks, Will ...
'' in
Lego Lego (, ; ; stylised as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitri ...
form. The ship, a YT-1300 Corellian light freighter, is primarily commanded by smuggler
Han Solo Han Solo () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the 1977 film ''Star Wars (film), Star Wars'', and later appeared in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980), ''Return of the Jedi'' (1983), ''Star Wars: The F ...
and his
Wookiee Wookiees () are fictional humanoid aliens in the ''Star Wars'' universe, native to the forest planet Kashyyyk. They are distinguished from humans by their gigantism, hirsutism, and physical strength. The most prominent Wookiee in the films is ...
first mate A chief mate (C/M) or chief officer, usually also synonymous with the first mate or first officer, is a licensed mariner and head of the deck department of a merchant ship. The chief mate is customarily a watchstander and is in charge of the shi ...
,
Chewbacca Chewbacca ( ), nicknamed "Chewie", is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a Wookiee—a tall, hairy, highly intelligent species originating from the planet Kashyyyk. He is tall, and typically wears only a bandolier an ...
, and was previously
owned Ownership is the state or fact of legal possession and control over property, which may be any asset, tangible or intangible. Ownership can involve multiple rights, collectively referred to as ''title'', which may be separated and held by diffe ...
by gambler/con-artist
Lando Calrissian Lando Calrissian (; ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is introduced in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) as a friend of Han Solo and the administrator of Cloud City on the planet Bespin. Prior to the events of the fi ...
. ''Solo: A Star Wars Story'' depicts the ship as being co-piloted by, and later integrated with, Calrissian's droid L3-37. Described as being one of the fastest vessels in the ''Star Wars'' canon, the ''Falcon'' looks worn-out but despite its humble origins and shabby exterior, the ''Millennium Falcon'' has played a critical role in some of the greatest victories of the Rebel Alliance and the New Republic.


Origin and design

The ship originally had a more elongated appearance, but this design's similarity to the Eagle Transporters in '' Space: 1999'' prompted
George Lucas George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker and philanthropist. He created the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' franchises and founded Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as chairman ...
to change the ''Falcon''s design. The original model was modified, re-scaled, and used as
Princess Leia Princess Leia Organa ( or ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the Star Wars (film), original ''Star Wars'' film in 1977, Leia is a princess of the planet Alderaan, a member of the Galactic Empire (Star Wars ...
's ship, ''
Tantive IV The ''Tantive IV'' Alderaan Diplomatic Envoy (also referred to by its model as the CR90 Corellian corvette or simply as the Rebel Blockade Runner) is a fictional spaceship in the ''Star Wars'' film series. Designed by the Corellian Engineerin ...
''. Modelmaker
Joe Johnston Joseph Eggleston Johnston II (born May 13, 1950) is an American film director, producer, writer, and visual effects artist. He is best known for directing effects-driven films, including '' Honey, I Shrunk the Kids'' (1989), '' The Rocketeer' ...
had about four weeks to redesign the ''Falcon'', and Lucas' only suggestion to Johnston was to "think of a
flying saucer A flying saucer, or flying disc, is a purported type of disc-shaped unidentified flying object (UFO). The term was coined in 1947 by the United States (US) news media for the objects pilot Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting, Kenneth Arnold claimed fl ...
". Johnston did not want to produce a "basic flying saucer", so he created the offset cockpit, forward cargo mandibles, and rear slot for the engines. It was also said that the shape of the ship was roughly based on a hamburger with an olive-on-the-side cockpit. The design was simple enough to create in the four-week window. Johnston called production of the new ''Falcon'' design one of his most intense projects. The sound of the ship traveling through
hyperspace In science fiction, hyperspace (also known as nulspace, subspace, overspace, jumpspace and similar terms) is a concept relating to higher dimensions as well as parallel universes and a faster-than-light (FTL) method of interstellar travel ...
comes from two tracks of the engine noise of a
McDonnell Douglas DC-9 The McDonnell Douglas DC-9 is an American five-abreast, single-aisle aircraft designed by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was initially produced as the Douglas DC-9 prior to August 1967, after which point the company had merged with McDonnell ...
, with one track slightly out of synchronization with the other to introduce a
phasing A phaser is an electronic sound processor used to filter a signal by creating a series of peaks and troughs in the frequency spectrum. The position of the peaks and troughs of the waveform being affected is typically modulated by an intern ...
effect. To this, sound designer
Ben Burtt Benjamin Burtt Jr. (born July 12, 1948) is an American sound designer, film director, film editor, screenwriter, and voice actor. As a sound designer, his credits include the ''Star Wars'' and ''Indiana Jones'' film series, '' Invasion of the ...
added the hum of the cooling fans on the motion-control rig at
Industrial Light & Magic Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) is an American Film, motion picture visual effects, computer animation and stereo conversion digital studio founded by George Lucas on May 26, 1975. It is a division of the film production company Lucasfilm, which Lu ...
(ILM). It has been noted that the cockpit with its greenhouse-style window was likely inspired by the cockpit of the American
B-29 Superfortress The Boeing B-29 Superfortress is a retired American four-engined Propeller (aeronautics), propeller-driven heavy bomber, designed by Boeing and flown primarily by the United States during World War II and the Korean War. Named in allusion to ...
.


Models and sets

Visually, the ''Millennium Falcon'' was represented by several models and external and internal sets. For ''Star Wars'', a partial exterior set was constructed and the set dressed as Mos Eisley's Docking Bay 94 and the Death Star hangar. Besides the functional landing gear, an additional support held up the structure and was disguised as a fuel line. The interior set included the starboard ring corridor, the boarding ramp, cockpit access tunnel, gun turret ladder, secret compartments, and the forward hold. The cockpit was constructed as a separate set that could be rocked when the ship was supposed to shake. Several inconsistencies exist between the internal set and the external set, the cockpit access tunnel angle being the most noticeable. The effects models for ''Star Wars'' matched the design of the exterior set. The primary model was five feet long and detailed with various kit parts. The ship was represented by a
matte painting A matte painting is a painted representation of a landscape, set, or distant location that allows filmmakers to create the illusion of an environment that is not present at the filming location. Historically, matte painters and film technicia ...
when
Princess Leia Princess Leia Organa ( or ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Introduced in the Star Wars (film), original ''Star Wars'' film in 1977, Leia is a princess of the planet Alderaan, a member of the Galactic Empire (Star Wars ...
sees it for the first time, showing the full upper surface. For the 1997 "Special Edition", a digital model replaces the effects model in several shots, and is used in a new shot of the ''Falcon'' lifting off from Docking Bay 94. For ''
The Empire Strikes Back ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back'') is a 1980 American epic film, epic space opera film directed by Irvin Kershner from a screenplay by Leigh Brackett and Lawrence Kasdan, based o ...
'' (1980), a new external set was constructed. In spring 1979, Marcon Fabrications, a heavy engineering firm that served the UK's petrochemical and oil industries, was hired to build a movable full-scale external model capable of "moving as if it were about to take off." Built in secrecy under the project code name ''Magic Roundabout'', the company leased the 1930s Western
Sunderland Sunderland () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in Tyne and Wear, England. It is a port at the mouth of the River Wear on the North Sea, approximately south-east of Newcastle upon Tyne. It is the most p ...
Flying Boat A flying boat is a type of seaplane with a hull, allowing it to land on water. It differs from a floatplane in having a fuselage that is purpose-designed for flotation, while floatplanes rely on fuselage-mounted floats for buoyancy. Though ...
hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...
in
Pembroke Dock Pembroke Dock () is a town and a community in Pembrokeshire, South West Wales, northwest of Pembroke on the banks of the River Cleddau. Originally Paterchurch, a small fishing village, Pembroke Dock town expanded rapidly following the constr ...
,
West Wales West Wales () is a region of Wales. It has various definitions, either covering Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, which historically comprised the Welsh principality of ''Deheubarth'', and an alternative definition is to include Swa ...
. The model, which took three months to construct, weighed over , measured in diameter and high, and used compressed air hover pads for up to of hover-height movement around the set. It was then disassembled and shipped to Elstree Studios, Hertfordshire, for filming. Today, the Pembroke Dock museum has an exhibit about the project. Along with the full-size mock-up of the ''Falcon'', a new miniature model was created for ''The Empire Strikes Back'' to allow ILM to film more intricate in-flight rolls and pitches that were not possible with the five-foot model. This model was able to be mounted on a
gimbal A gimbal is a pivoted support that permits rotation of an object about an axis. A set of three gimbals, one mounted on the other with orthogonal pivot axes, may be used to allow an object mounted on the innermost gimbal to remain independent of ...
that allowed ILM to simulate very difficult maneuvers as the ship attempted to outrun Imperial TIE fighters during the asteroid-field-escape scene from the film. The new model, which measured at approximately 32 inches in length, had several surface features that differed from the five-foot model, including an updated landing gear and different surface greebles. The 32" model was the version of the ''Millennium Falcon'' most depicted in toys, model kits, and promotional materials for the ''Star Wars'' universe prior to the release of the sequel trilogy. The model was reused for ''
Return of the Jedi ''Return of the Jedi'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi'' is a 1983 American epic space opera film directed by Richard Marquand from a screenplay by Lawrence Kasdan and George Lucas. The sequel to '' The Empire ...
'' (1983). At the end of this production, the model was destroyed. As in ''Star Wars'', the location set was changed around the ship set. The only major design change was to add a landing gear where the disguised fuel line had been in ''Star Wars''. This set included the port side, giving the set seven landing gears. The internal set was slightly refitted from ''A New Hope'' and featured a sliding cockpit door, a larger cargo hold, an additional corridor to port, and an equipment room. The cockpit was rebuilt slightly larger to allow more actors to fit comfortably; shots were apparently slightly cropped in later releases of the film to hide this alteration. Two new interior sets were created that are not shown to connect to the rest of the set: a top hatch that
Lando Calrissian Lando Calrissian (; ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is introduced in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) as a friend of Han Solo and the administrator of Cloud City on the planet Bespin. Prior to the events of the fi ...
(
Billy Dee Williams William December Williams Jr. (born April 6, 1937) is an American retired actor, novelist and painter. He has appeared in over 100 films and television roles over six decades. He is best known for portraying Lando Calrissian in the ''Star Wars ...
) uses to rescue
Luke Skywalker Luke Skywalker is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the original film trilogy as the main protagonist and also appears in the sequel trilogy. Raised as a poor moisture farmer on the desert planet Tat ...
(
Mark Hamill Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor. He is best known for starring as Luke Skywalker in the ''Star Wars'' franchise, and the Joker (character), Joker in various animated DC Comics projects, starting with ''Batm ...
), and the compartment where Luke rests on a bunk. The effects model from ''Star Wars'' was modified to reflect the additional landing gear, and several new models were built, including one roughly the size of a U.S. quarter dollar. For the 1997 Special Edition, a CGI model replaced the effects model during the approach and landing on Cloud City. No new models or sets were created for ''Return of the Jedi''. A portion of the full-scale ship was used for a scene cut from the film in which several characters board the ''Falcon'' in a sandstorm on Tatooine. In the scene when Han exacts a promise from Lando not to damage the ''Falcon'', the ''Falcon'' is represented by a backdrop painting. It is also in a matte painting of the entire hangar bay. The internal and external sets were scrapped after filming on ''Return of the Jedi'' ended. The effects models were kept by
Lucasfilm Lucasfilm Ltd. LLC is an American film and television production company founded by filmmaker George Lucas in December 10, 1971 in San Rafael, California, and later moved to San Francisco in 2005. It is best known for creating and producing th ...
and some have been on display from time to time. A digital version of the ''Falcon'' appears briefly on Coruscant in ''
Revenge of the Sith Revenge is defined as committing a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance, be it real or perceived. Vengeful forms of justice, such as primitive justice or retributive justice, are often differentiated from more fo ...
'' (2005). Lucas has confirmed that the ship is the ''Falcon'' and not another ship of similar design. A CGI version of the vessel also appears in the Disney attraction '' Star Tours: The Adventures Continue''. On June 3, 2014,
TMZ ''TMZ'' is an American entertainment-focused tabloid news organization owned by Fox Corporation. It made its debut on November 8, 2005, as a collaboration between AOL and Telepictures, a division of Warner Bros., until Time Warner divested ...
confirmed that the ''Falcon'' would return for '' Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' when it leaked a photo from the set of the film, showing a full-scale version of the ''Falcon'' being built. An effects shot of the ''Falcon'' appears in the
teaser trailer A teaser trailer, also shortened to teaser, is a short trailer (promotion), trailer and a form of teaser campaign advertising that focuses on film and television programming. It is a videography pre-release film or television show advertisement. Sh ...
for ''The Force Awakens'', released on November 28, 2014. This version of the ship is a digital recreation of the original 1977 five-foot model, with additional detailing reflecting the passage of time. The most noticeable change is the rectangular
sensor array A sensor array is a group of sensors, usually deployed in a certain geometry pattern, used for collecting and processing electromagnetic or acoustic signals. The advantage of using a sensor array over using a single sensor lies in the fact that an ...
above the top hull, which replaces the circular dish from the first three films. On April 16, 2021, concept artist Phil Saunders shared some abandoned concept art, and revealed that
Judi Dench Dame Judith Olivia Dench (born 9 December 1934) is an English actress. Widely considered one of Britain's greatest actors, she is noted for her versatility, having appeared in films and television, as well as for her numerous roles on the stage ...
was considered for a role in '' Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker'' as the original designer of the ''Millennium Falcon''.


Depiction

Han Solo won the ''Millennium Falcon'' from
Lando Calrissian Lando Calrissian (; ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is introduced in ''The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) as a friend of Han Solo and the administrator of Cloud City on the planet Bespin. Prior to the events of the fi ...
in the card game
sabacc Sabacc is a primarily fictional gambling card game, (with similarities to baccarat, blackjack, and poker — adding and subtracting numbered cards), originating from the ''Star Wars'' space opera franchise, where it is a common pastime of such ch ...
several years before the events of the original ''Star Wars'' film. In that movie,
Obi-Wan Kenobi Obi-Wan "Ben" Kenobi () is a character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. In the original film trilogy, he is a Jedi Master who trains Luke Skywalker in the ways of the Force. In the prequel trilogy, he mentors Luke's father, Anakin Skywalke ...
and
Luke Skywalker Luke Skywalker is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was introduced in the original film trilogy as the main protagonist and also appears in the sequel trilogy. Raised as a poor moisture farmer on the desert planet Tat ...
charter the ship in the
Mos Eisley Mos Eisley is a spaceport town in the fictional ''Star Wars'' universe. Located on the planet Tatooine, it first appeared in the 1977 film ''Star Wars'', described by the character Obi-Wan Kenobi (played by Alec Guinness) as a "wretched hive of ...
cantina to deliver them,
C-3PO C-3PO () or See-Threepio is a humanoid robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a protocol droid (Star Wars), droid designed to assist in etiquette and translation, and is fluent in over six million forms of communication. The chara ...
,
R2-D2 R2-D2 () or Artoo-Detoo is a fictional robot character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. He has appeared in ten of the eleven theatrical ''Star Wars'' films to date, including every film in the " Skywalker Saga", which inclu ...
, and the stolen
Death Star The Death Star is a fictional space station and superweapon featured in the ''Star Wars'' space-opera franchise. Constructed by the autocratic Galactic Empire, the Death Star is capable of obliterating entire planets, and serves to enforce ...
plans to
Alderaan Alderaan ( ) is an Earth-like fictional planet featured in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. It is blue-green in appearance, depicted as a terrestrial planet with humanoid inhabitants, and characterized by a peaceful culture. It is the home planet o ...
. When the ''Falcon'' is captured by the Death Star, the group conceal themselves in smuggling compartments built into the floor to avoid detection during a search of the ship. The group eventually escapes aboard the ''Falcon'' after rescuing Princess Leia. Solo later collects his fee for delivering them to the hidden Rebel base on Yavin IV and departs under bitter circumstances, but returns to assist Luke in destroying the Death Star. Solo pilots the ''Falcon'', with Chewbacca, Leia, and C-3PO aboard, to elude the Imperial fleet in ''The Empire Strikes Back'', which is a notable struggle due to a damaged hyperdrive. They take refuge at Cloud City, where
Darth Vader Darth Vader () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He was first introduced in the original film trilogy as the primary antagonist and one of the leaders of the Galactic Empire. He has become one of the most iconic villain ...
captures Solo after
Boba Fett Boba Fett ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. First appearing in the '' Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), where he was voiced by Don Francks, he is an armored bounty hunter featured in both the original and prequel ...
tracks them there. Lando Calrissian helps the others escape, with R2-D2 successfully repairing the ship's hyperdrive. At the film's end, he departs in the ''Falcon'' to track down Solo and his captor,
Jabba the Hutt Jabba Desilijic Tiure, better known as Jabba the Hutt ( ) is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Initially performed by Declan Mulholland as a human in the original ''Star Wars'' film, Jabba first appeared properly in the 198 ...
. Calrissian again captains the ''Falcon'' during the climax of ''Return of the Jedi'', with
Nien Nunb This incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt Di ...
as co-pilot, to destroy the second Death Star. Before the second Death Star is destroyed, Lando accidentally damages the ship by hitting the circular sensor
rectenna A rectenna (''rect''ifying ant''enna'') is a special type of receiving antenna that is used for converting electromagnetic energy into direct current (DC) electricity. They are used in wireless power transmission systems that transmit power by r ...
dish on a random pipe or circuit in the second Death Star. Regardless, Lando and the others successfully destroy the
Galactic Empire Galactic empires are a science fiction setting trope, in which most or all of the habitable planets in the setting's galaxy are ruled by a single centralized political entity. Galactic empires most frequently appear in works in the sub-genre ...
. In ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'', set some 30 years after ''Return of the Jedi'', the ''Falcon'' is in the possession of a scrap dealer named
Unkar Plutt This incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt Di ...
on the desert planet
Jakku Jakku is a fictional desert planet in the ''Star Wars'' universe, first featured in the 2015 film '' The Force Awakens''. Remote, lawless, and inhospitable, it is the homeworld of sequel trilogy main character Rey, played by Daisy Ridley, an ...
, having been stolen from Solo and Chewbacca some years prior. Scavenger Rey and former stormtrooper Finn steal the ''Falcon'' in order to escape from an attack by the
First Order In mathematics and other formal sciences, first-order or first order most often means either: * "linear" (a polynomial of degree at most one), as in first-order approximation and other calculus uses, where it is contrasted with "polynomials of high ...
, having been targeted for having the droid
BB-8 BB-8 (or Beebee-Ate) is a Droid (Star Wars), droid character in the Star Wars, ''Star Wars'' franchise. He appeared in the three films of the Star Wars sequel trilogy, sequel trilogy, ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (2015), ''Star Wars: The Las ...
in their possession. They are captured by a smuggling freighter, which turns out to be piloted by Solo and Chewbacca, who reclaim the ''Falcon''. Forced to escape in the ''Falcon'' from an ambush by parties to whom Solo is heavily in debt, Solo reluctantly agrees to help Rey and Finn return BB-8 to the Resistance. After Rey is captured by the First Order, Solo agrees to take Finn in the ''Falcon'' to the First Order's new Starkiller Base—a planet that has been converted into the next generation of 'Death Star'—by attempting a risky maneuver of bypassing the planet's defences by exiting hyperspace in its atmosphere. When Solo is killed by his son, the rebels escape the destructing Starkiller Base. Later, Rey uses a newly-assembled map to travel to Ahch-To, the site of the first Jedi temple, to make contact with the long-lost Luke Skywalker, travelling in the ''Falcon'' in the company of Chewbacca and R2-D2. The ''Falcon'' appears again in '' Star Wars: The Last Jedi'', still on Ahch-To with Rey and
Chewbacca Chewbacca ( ), nicknamed "Chewie", is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a Wookiee—a tall, hairy, highly intelligent species originating from the planet Kashyyyk. He is tall, and typically wears only a bandolier an ...
. Later in the film, Chewbacca and Rey take the ''Falcon'' to the planet Crait, where the Resistance is under attack by the First Order. The ''Falcon'' loses its sensor dish for the third time on Crait, after it is shot off by a TIE fighter, but still manages to single-handedly take out most of the First Order's fighters on the planet while Luke distracts Kylo Ren. After the battle, surviving Resistance personnel leave Crait aboard the ''Falcon''. In ''The Last Jedi'', Rey uses the ''Falcon''s
escape pod ''Escape Pod'' is a science fiction podcast magazine produced by Escape Artists, Inc. It proclaims itself "the world's leading science fiction podcast". The present co-editors are Mur Lafferty and Valerie Valdes. While episodes are free, the ...
to board
Supreme Leader Snoke Supreme Leader Snoke is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is an artificial being created by the resurrected Sith Lord, Emperor Palpatine, who is aligned with the dark side of the Force. He was introduced in ''Star Wars: The ...
's flagship, the ''Mega''-class Star Dreadnought ''Supremacy''. Director
Rian Johnson Rian Craig Johnson (born December 17, 1973) is an American filmmaker. He made his directorial debut with the neo-noir mystery film ''Brick (film), Brick'' (2005), which received positive reviews and grossed nearly $4 million on a $450,000 budget ...
noted that he wanted its design to resemble a coffin, inspired by
C.S. Lewis CS, C-S, C.S., Cs, cs, or cs. may refer to: Job titles * Chief Secretary (Hong Kong) * Chief superintendent, a rank in the British and several other police forces * Company secretary, a senior position in a private sector company or public se ...
' ''
Perelandra ''Perelandra'' (also titled ''Voyage to Venus'' in a later edition published by Pan Books) is the second book in the '' Space Trilogy'' of C. S. Lewis, set on the planet of Perelandra, or Venus. It was first published in 1943. Plot summary Ph ...
''. The escape pod was
monogram A monogram is a motif (visual arts), motif made by overlapping or combining two or more letters or other graphemes to form one symbol. Monograms are often made by combining the initials of an individual or a company, used as recognizable symbo ...
med to say "Property of Han Solo". In the film '' Solo: A Star Wars Story'', it is revealed that Lando modified the ''Falcon'' by putting an escape pod between the frontal 'mandibles', which Han jettisons to escape a
gravity well A sphere of influence (SOI) in astrodynamics and astronomy is the oblate spheroid-shaped region where a particular celestial body exerts the main gravitational influence on an orbiting object. This is usually used to describe the areas in the ...
. In ''The Rise of Skywalker'' the ''Falcon'' is piloted by Lando Calrissian, Chewbacca and Wedge Antilles in the final battle of Exegol, leading the entire fleet of free worlds against the Sith Eternal forces.


Kessel Run

In the initial film, Solo brags that the ''Falcon'' "made the Kessel Run in less than twelve
parsec The parsec (symbol: pc) is a unit of length used to measure the large distances to astronomical objects outside the Solar System, approximately equal to or (AU), i.e. . The parsec unit is obtained by the use of parallax and trigonometry, and ...
s". As the parsec is a unit of distance, not time, different explanations have been provided. In the fourth draft of the script, Kenobi "reacts to Solo's stupid attempt to impress them with obvious misinformation." Lucas acknowledged the misnomer in 1977, saying that Han modified "the navigational system to get through hyperspace in the shortest possible distance". On the film's DVD
audio commentary An audio commentary is an additional audio track, usually digital, consisting of a lecture or comments by one or more speakers, that plays in real time with a video. Commentaries can be serious or entertaining in nature, and can add informatio ...
, Lucas further explained that in the ''Star Wars'' universe, traveling through hyperspace requires careful navigation to avoid stars, planets, asteroids, and other obstacles,Commentary track on ''Star Wars'' DVD and that is because no long-distance journey can be made in a straight line, the "fastest" ship is the one that can plot the "most direct course", thereby traveling the least distance. In ''The Force Awakens'', Rey references the Kessel Run but describes it as being completed in fourteen parsecs, after which Solo corrects her. In ''Solo: A Star Wars Story'', Solo's Kessel Run is depicted in detail, providing an explanation for the "twelve parsec" boast. Solo has to make many calculated jumps to avoid killing the crew. After integrating the memory module of Lando's damaged L3 droid into the ship's navigation, Solo is able to take a "shortcut" (which is dangerously close to a
black hole A black hole is a massive, compact astronomical object so dense that its gravity prevents anything from escaping, even light. Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity predicts that a sufficiently compact mass will form a black hole. Th ...
). Chewbacca indicates the real distance was closer to 13 parsecs, but Solo insists, "Not if you round down," implying that the claim of "less than twelve parsecs" is slightly exaggerated.


Ownership

The ''Falcon'' has been depicted many times in the franchise, and its ownership and command have changed several times. * Prior to ''A New Hope'', the ''Falcon'' was in the possession of Lando Calrissian. He lost it to Han Solo in payment of a gambling debt. This is depicted in ''Solo: A Star Wars Story'', as well as the integration of Lando's droid L3-37 with the ship's computer. * After Solo's capture by the Empire in ''The Empire Strikes Back'', Lando, Chewbacca, and Leia take possession of the ''Falcon''. * During ''Return of the Jedi'', Solo leaves Tatooine aboard the ''Millennium Falcon'', and on arrival at the rendezvous for the Rebel fleet he lends the ''Falcon'' to Calrissian, who pilots it during the Battle of Endor and the destruction of the second
Death Star The Death Star is a fictional space station and superweapon featured in the ''Star Wars'' space-opera franchise. Constructed by the autocratic Galactic Empire, the Death Star is capable of obliterating entire planets, and serves to enforce ...
. * After the events of ''Return of the Jedi'', the ''Falcon'' is stolen from Solo, ending up on the planet Jakku under the ownership of a scrap dealer,
Unkar Plutt This incomplete list of characters from the ''Star Wars'' franchise contains only those which are considered part of the official ''Star Wars'' canon, as of the changes made by Lucasfilm in April 2014. Following its acquisition by The Walt Di ...
, 30 years after the Battle of Endor. In ''
The Force Awakens ''Star Wars: The Force Awakens'' (also known as ''Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens'') is a 2015 American epic film, epic space opera film co-produced, co-written, and directed by J. J. Abrams. The sequel to ''Return of the Jedi ...
'', Rey and Finn commandeer the ship to escape the planet, only to be found by Solo and Chewbacca, who immediately reclaim the ship. * After the death of Solo, Rey pilots the ''Falcon'', with Chewbacca as her co-pilot. The novelization of ''The Force Awakens'' states that Chewbacca willingly abdicates captaincy of the ''Falcon'' to Rey. * After the events of ''The Last Jedi'', the ship becomes the base of operations for the remaining members of the Resistance. * After the events of ''The Rise of Skywalker'' the ''Falcon'' is again piloted by Lando Calrissian with
Chewbacca Chewbacca ( ), nicknamed "Chewie", is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. He is a Wookiee—a tall, hairy, highly intelligent species originating from the planet Kashyyyk. He is tall, and typically wears only a bandolier an ...
.


Cultural influence

Joss Whedon Joseph Hill "Joss" Whedon ( ; born June 23, 1964) is an American screenwriter, director, producer, comic book writer, and composer. He is best known as the creator of several television series: the supernatural drama ''Buffy the Vampire Slayer' ...
credits the ''Millennium Falcon'' as one of his two primary inspirations for his ''
Firefly The Lampyridae are a family of elateroid beetles with more than 2,000 described species, many of which are light-emitting. They are soft-bodied beetles commonly called fireflies, lightning bugs, or glowworms for their conspicuous production ...
'' television show. The ''Falcon'' and the ''Falcon'''s distinct shape appear in '' Star Trek: First Contact,'' ''
Blade Runner ''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Di ...
'', ''
Spaceballs ''Spaceballs'' is a 1987 American space opera parody film co-written, produced and directed by Mel Brooks. It primarily parodies the original ''Star Wars'' trilogy, but also other popular franchises such as ''Star Trek'', '' Alien'', '' The Wi ...
'', and ''
Starship Troopers ''Starship Troopers'' is a military science fiction novel by American writer Robert A. Heinlein. Written in a few weeks in reaction to the US suspending nuclear tests, the story was first published as a two-part serial in ''The Magazine of ...
''. The manga series ''
Berserk Berserk (meaning "very angry" or "out of control") may refer to: * ''Berserk'' (manga), a Japanese manga series by Kentaro Miura ** ''Berserk'' (1997 TV series), the first anime television series adaptation of the manga series ** ''Berserk'' (2 ...
'' includes a ''Millennium Falcon'' arc.
SpaceX Space Exploration Technologies Corp., commonly referred to as SpaceX, is an America, American space technology company headquartered at the SpaceX Starbase, Starbase development site in Starbase, Texas. Since its founding in 2002, the compa ...
states that their launch vehicles (except
Starship A starship, starcraft, or interstellar spacecraft is a theoretical spacecraft designed for interstellar travel, traveling between planetary systems. The term is mostly found in science fiction. Reference to a "star-ship" appears as early as 1 ...
) are named after the ''Millennium Falcon''. The
United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...
named the first of their software factories
Kessel Run Kessel Run, formally Air Force Life Cycle Management Center Detachment 12, is a United States Air Force software development division, based in Hanscom Air Force Base and Boston, Massachusetts. It was founded in 2017 by the Defense Innovation Un ...
for the way they intended to "smuggle" in
agile software development Agile software development is an umbrella term for approaches to software development, developing software that reflect the values and principles agreed upon by ''The Agile Alliance'', a group of 17 software practitioners, in 2001. As documented ...
techniques and set speed records.


Biology

The middle Cambrian arthropod ''
Cambroraster falcatus ''Cambroraster'' is an extinct monotypic genus of hurdiid radiodont, dating to the middle Cambrian, and represented by the single formally described species ''Cambroraster falcatus''. Hundreds of specimens were found in the Burgess Shale, and de ...
'' is named after the ''Millennium Falcon''.


Toys

Kenner Kenner Products, known simply as Kenner, was an American toy brand owned by Hasbro. Kenner Products began as a toy company founded in 1946, going on to produce several highly recognizable toys and merchandise lines including action figures for t ...
,
Hasbro Hasbro, Inc. (; a syllabic abbreviation of its original name, Hassenfeld Brothers) is an American multinational corporation, multinational toy manufacturing and entertainment holding company founded on December 6, 1923 by Henry, Hillel and Herma ...
, Steel Tec, Master Replicas, Code 3 Collectibles and
Micro Machines Micro Machines are a line of toys originally made by Galoob (now part of Hasbro) from 1987 and throughout the 1990s. Micro Machines are tiny scale component style "playsets" and vehicles that are slightly larger than N scale. History The toys ...
have all released ''Millennium Falcon'' toys and puzzles, including a
Transformers ''Transformers'' is a media franchise produced by American toy company Hasbro and Japanese toy company Tomy, Takara Tomy. It primarily follows the heroic Autobots and the villainous Decepticons, two Extraterrestrials in fiction, alien robot fac ...
version of the ship.
Hot Wheels Hot Wheels is an American media franchise and brand of scale model model car, cars invented by Elliot Handler and introduced by his company Mattel on May 18, 1968. It was the primary competitor of Matchbox (brand), Matchbox until Mattel bought ...
has made a model of the ship for their ''Star Wars'' starship line and a version of it as a car. It is also available as a Hot Wheels playset.
Lego Lego (, ; ; stylised as LEGO) is a line of plastic construction toys manufactured by the Lego Group, a privately held company based in Billund, Denmark. Lego consists of variously coloured interlocking plastic bricks made of acrylonitri ...
has released multiple versions of the ''Millennium Falcon'' in varying sizes. The 5,195-piece Lego model (part of the ''Star Wars'' "Ultimate Collectors Series") was physically the largest Lego set sold by the company, until it was topped in 2008 by the Lego
Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal ( ; ; ) is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the right bank of the river Yamuna in Agra, Uttar Pradesh, India. It was commissioned in 1631 by the fifth Mughal Empire, Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan () to house the tomb of his belo ...
. In September 2017, Lego released an updated ''Millennium Falcon'' set in the ''Star Wars'' "Ultimate Collectors Series". With the new interior and more details compared to the 2007 model, the 7,541-piece model is the most expensive commercially available Lego set. Lego has also made a version of the ''Falcon'' to tie in with ''Solo: A'' ''Star Wars Story''. It is called the Kessel Run Millennium Falcon. A version called The Dark Falcon features alternate characters such as Darth Jar Jar and Jedi Vader, showing the ''Millennium Falcon'' with black coloring.


Theme park attractions

On May 31, 2019, a full sized replica of the ''Falcon'' was opened to the public along with the rest of '' Star Wars: Galaxy's Edge'' at the
Disneyland Resort The Disneyland Resort is an entertainment resort in Anaheim, California, United States. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Disney Experiences, Experiences division and is home to two theme parks (Disneyland and Dis ...
in
Anaheim Anaheim ( ) is a city in northern Orange County, California, United States, part of the Greater Los Angeles area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 346,824, making it the most populous city in Orange County, the tenth-most ...
, California, along with a
flight simulator A flight simulator is a device that artificially re-creates aircraft flight and the environment in which it flies, for pilot training, design, or other purposes. It includes replicating the equations that govern how aircraft fly, how they rea ...
attraction, ''Millennium Falcon'': Smugglers Run, in which riders take control of the ''Falcon'' from inside its
cockpit A cockpit or flight deck is the area, on the front part of an aircraft, spacecraft, or submersible, from which a pilot controls the vehicle. The cockpit of an aircraft contains flight instruments on an instrument panel, and the controls th ...
. An identical version of the attraction opened on August 29, 2019, at
Disney's Hollywood Studios Disney's Hollywood Studios is a theme park at the Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. It is owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division. Based on a concept by Marty Sklar, Randy Br ...
at the
Walt Disney World Resort The Walt Disney World Resort is an entertainment resort complex located about southwest of Orlando, Florida, United States. Opened on October 1, 1971, the resort is operated by Disney Experiences, a division of the Walt Disney Company. ...
in
Orlando Orlando commonly refers to: * Orlando, Florida, a city in the United States Orlando may also refer to: People * Orlando (given name), a masculine name, includes a list of people with the name * Orlando (surname), includes a list of people wit ...
, Florida.


See also

* List of ''Star Wars'' spacecraft


References

Footnotes Citations


External links

* * â€
Making of the Millennium FalconMillennium Falcon and AsteroidsTour The Millennium Falcon with Donald Glover
*
Creating Lando's Millennium Falcon for Solo: A Star Wars StoryBehind the Magic of the Kessel Run
*
''Millennium Falcon'' Notes
information for model builders
How Fast is the ''Millennium Falcon''?
a thought experiment {{Star Wars universe, state=collapsed
Millennium Falcon The ''Millennium Falcon'' is a fictional starship in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Designed by Joe Johnston for the film ''Star Wars'' (1977), it has subsequently appeared in '' The Star Wars Holiday Special'' (1978), ''The Empire Strikes Back' ...
Fiction about faster-than-light travel Fictional elements introduced in 1977