Lit So many years after, what do you think of Bria Tharen ?

New characters are needed for the New Canon, I'm against them just bringing in bootlegged versions of Legends characters. If someone fulfills the role of a Legends character, but is in no way that Legends character, then I don't see a point to them being named the same. Hell, Thrawn himself veers closely to being Thrawn in name only, with a wildly different backstory which wasn't necessary.

And besides, Aphra's more of an Imperial-aligned Bria anyway.

 

How's it different? Both stories have Thrawn "exiled from the Chiss Ascendancy" (only to be picked up by the Empire) - the difference is that some people in the Ascendancy planned it that way in the newcanon - with Thrawn's connivance - whereas in Legends, we aren't told that.

 

My view of Bria Tharin is she's actually a very good anti-Leia because she pretty much zigs whenever Leia would zag. She's the substitute for Leia and explains that Han Solo has a "type" (bossy upper class women with ideals) but the fact is Bria is fundamentally dishonorable, ruthless, and more like Cassian than Luke. She's a drug dealer, cheats a bunch of partners of the Rebellion out of their cuts (probably making it harder for the Rebellion to hire smugglers in the future), and verges on terrorist at times.

I think people try to make her a little TOO much of an important person to Han when she's really burned all conceivable bridges with him. His reaction when he learns of her being dead is one of whistfulness not actual mourning.

Bria chose the Rebellion over Han repeatedly, never quite realizing Han would have chosen to go with her or not really caring.

 

I view Star Wars in the same context as DC comics and Marvel. I *WANT* to read more stories about Thrawn, Mara, Corran, Starkiller, and Kyle Katarn. Just like I don't mind watching Animated, Live Action, CW, and comic book versions of the Flash.

Thrawn is an Imperial Grand Admiral, genius of the Empire, and an alien in a human's galaxy. I don't see the differences.

Yes, he may die at the end of Rebels (or not) but it's been a good run with him.

Aside from literally nothing in common other than being female?

 

*shakes head in disbelief that you responded with this*

Where is the opposition in putting yourself over some stranger you've never met?

Literally EVERYONE would say "better them than me" about a total stranger. This is a very normal attitude, even if selfish.

There is zero indication of prejudice toward rebels in that line. None.

I suppose I agree with all of this, though I'm not nearly as harsh on Bria as you are. I wouldn't call her dishonorable or even a drug dealer.

Yes, she burned her bridges rather painfully and repeatedly chose the Rebellion (or her own needs) over Han.

The question is: why does Han believe a rebel will pay up when he's offered the opportunity to rescue one on the Death Star? He just got screwed by the rebels like two weeks before ANH. Why doesn't Bria's actions affect his encounter/relationship with another rebel woman fiercely dedicated to the cause?

Bria makes such a bad impression for rebel women that it should have burned Han off rebels entirely, but there's no sign of it.

 

I don't know why but I always picture Bria looking and sounding like Marion in Raiders Of The Lost Ark....

 

Well, she did say they needed to rob the Not-Hutts of Spice to sell in order to fund the Rebellion, which strikes me as an odd moment since I doubt the Rebellion has ever been funded with narco-terrorism and probably would go over like a ton of bricks with Mon Mothma.

Eh, while not completely wrong, Han Solo is in a bit of a bind with the death mark. He's also on the Death Star and might see this as an opportunity to get what he was owed.

 

I always felt the art of those books did a very good job of giving her a look.

 

I think I've forgotten more than half the stuff she did in the Solo books.

 

Ditto.

And I pictured Young Han Solo as River Phoenix.

And I pictured Garris Shrike as looking like the guy in the panama hat from The Last Crusade.

My internal imagination of the book I was reading went haywire with Indiana Jones references, for obvious reasons.

 

Didn't Han have an alias meant to honor Indiana Jones?
Jenos Indian or something?

 

Jenos Idanian.

Who was hunted but never caught by Inspector Hal Horn of CorSec, and whose identity Corran Horn assumed fifteen years later or so to infiltrate the Indiv pirates. Without ever knowing that that was one of Han Solo's aliases he was borrowing.

 

Notable fact: The Briar Tharen betrayal is why Lando is ticked at Han rather than losing the Falcon.

 

Random observation about this: among the things I would've wanted to see in the old expanded universe was a buddy-cop-ish story, series, or anthology between Bria Tharen and Winter Retrac, set during the early days of the Rebellion. (Basically Star Wars: Rebels in that universe and with those two). Still think it would've been awesome.

 

That would be so much fun.

 

Bria Tharen is an unfortunate woman who, instead of one drug associated with religion, received another drug - the fight against the Empire, which consumed her completely and ultimately took her life.

 

I agree with others before me that more Bria stories set before her demise would have been great, pairing her with other characters like Winter "Targeter" Retrac or else.

Bria Tharen's two Legends looks.. while she is a redhead in Legends, her brown-ish cover look reminds me now more of ANDOR's Bix actress quite a lot. Making me wonder if the future of her character may paralell some of Bria as a Rebel (minus Han Solo parts, which Qi'ra got).

 

Bria was a fine character whose arc ended very well.

 

Bria was a decent enough character for what was seemingly the "give Han some romantic experience" backstory the novels were in part designed to share.

The entire time, you are drawing comparisons to Leia. In some ways, the characters are very different, but in others, she is practically a stand-in for the princess. To the point that it almost feels like the novel implies "Han's type", and thus makes his relationship with Leia more "destined" to occur...smoothing over some of rush to the Han/Leia romance of the films.

However, with this in mind, Bria herself is something of a footnote. Her contributions, while surprisingly significant, don't often rise to memorable importance...and with the advent of the new canon, rendered out of useful retconning.

I liked Bria as Han's first girlfriend better then I liked Qi'ra...but then I liked Han's entire backstory from the trilogy better then the film.

 

Han’s ex stealing the Death Star plans would be denounced as “world shrinkage” if the movies did it. I find Anakin building 3PO and 3PO staying in the possession of the Skywalkers, Amidalas, and Organas much more believable than Luke and Obi-Wan running into the ex-boyfriend of the person who stole the Death Star plans in a cantina.

 

"What do you think of Bria?"
"I'm trying not to, kid."

 

Except even by the time the Crispin trilogy was released, we already had 2 or 3 different DS plan stories and the whole "it was pieced together from several missions" apology had already begun. It practically gave birth to retconning.

So as she was a part of just one of several missions that a very small rebellion was undertaking...it's not so crazy...not compared to the idea Han would trip across the path of this rebellion not once but twice in such a short time. But world shrinkage is the name of the game, because no writer could conjure up enough unique characters to adequate populate a world, let alone a galaxy...and even if they could, no one would have time to read it.

And you want to talk about world shrinkage:



This trumps Bria.

 

I loved Bria, but she should never have reappeared after The Paradise Snare. She should've been an open wound that Han was never able to close.

 

Its very funny how some people say that Bria Tharen was OP when Qi'ra Han Solo Ex Girlfriend in the New Canon and the equivalent of Bria Tharen literally Fights Darth Vader in the Comics has a war against the Empire and her master was Darth Maul both Bria Tharen and Qi'ra are OP

 

I still laugh at him turning his Lightsaber on. There is no in Universe reason for him to do that, only out of Universe to tell the audience who'd not watched the Cartoons that yes this is Darth Maul

Tbf Lucas never really bothered to give an adequate reason why Han didn't simply go and pay off Jabba after he got his medal in ANH anyway other than he needed a script reason for Boba Fett to take him and he's not going to do that if there is no bounty and he steadfastly refused to follow Ford's advice and simply kill Han off.
I know Zahn tried in Alliegance and Scoundrels but those explanations were pretty awful and his own retcon with Han and Lando for ESB didn't work either.