Summary
The High Republic era ofStar Warshad more than a few colorful characters, but its replacement for Han Solo was truly unique. TheHigh Republic erais often described as a time when the Jedi were at their absolute peak, when they were more powerful and more dedicated to their ideals than ever before. The Jedi are a major focus of that part oftheStar Warstimeline, but the galaxy was also filled with other interesting people. One of those intriguing people served as a replacement for the most famous smuggler turned Rebel in the galaxy: Han Solo.
Han Solo is one ofthe best characters inStar Wars, so it makes sense that he’s served as the inspiration for other areas of the franchise. Since he was introduced in the originalStar Wars, the franchise has created a host of scoundrels that match his energy. From Lando Calrissian all the way to Poe Dameron, there have been countless characters that were influenced by Han. The High Republic’s take on the classic bad boy pilot, however, stands out from the rest in a few ways, like his penchant for not just smuggling but also smoking spice.
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The High Republic’s version of Han Solo was a pilot named Leox Gyasi, who was introduced in Claudia Gray’s “Star Wars: The High Republic: Into the Dark.” Both Leox and Han share quite a few surface-level similarities: they’re pilots, neither of them were Force-sensitive, and they even had unorthodox co-pilots (Chewbacca and the sentient rock Geode). Their similarities run quite a bit deeper than just that, though.Han and Leox were both spice runners, they both gradually came to be willing allies to the Jedi, and they both challenged the Jedi on their view of the Force.
Leox Gyasi was the former captain of theVesselfor the Byne Guild. He eventually gave Affie Hollow possession of the ship.
While they are very similar, Leox Gyasi was also very different from Han in a wide variety of ways. For instance,Han was a smuggler and a scoundrel, but Leox was much more concerned with being theStar Warsversion of a hippie. He wore a long beaded necklace, he smoked spice for recreation, and he often ruminated on “the deeper spiritual dimensions of the cosmos.” Leox also had a much more non-violent worldview than Han, he accepted the idea of the Force - though he had a different way of viewing it - and he was asexual, whereas Han married Leia Organa.
Leox Was More Open-Minded Than Even The Jedi
One of the most interesting things about Leox wasn’t how he presented himself, how he acted, or even what he was capable of, it was how he thought about the galaxy. In many ways, Leox was even more open-minded than the Jedi ofInto the Dark, and that’s clear in a few key places.Unlike the Jedi and most of the Republic, Leox didn’t simply write spice off as an illegal narcotic, he saw how much more it could be used for. His interest in spice even ended up saving Dez Rydan from his injuries because of its healing properties, something the Jedi couldn’t accomplish with the Force.
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On top of his alternate view of spice, Leox also viewed more important things in an unorthodox way. He knew he would never have children, yet he considered himself the “ultimate fulfillment of my ancestral line.” Leox was also known to voice some rather deep and philosophical observations from his travels. After he and Geode briefly became gods to a primitive planet’s populace, he noted that “It’s not good for the spirit, being worshiped. Corrodes you from the inside out.“Leox’s lack of interest in romantic love, violence, and power makes him quite distinct from other characters inStar Wars.
For All His Eccentricity, Leox Valued Kindness Above All Else
Probably the most important part of Leox’s way of viewing the galaxy was the lens he saw it all through.At the end of the day, Leox Gyasi was a man who believed in kindness, and he tried to put more of it into the galaxy than he took away. This manifested in a couple ways, most obviously in his actions on journeys. In Claudia Gray’s “Star Wars: The High Republic Adventures 2021,” Leox stopped a mob that was chasing him and Affie. Instead of defending himself and using violence against the crowd, he tried to correct his mistakes and return the gem they stole.
“Remember, everybody, our perceptions define the reality of the universe. Nothing is even a thing until our thinking makes it so.” - Leox Gyasi, about a hidden crate of spice.
Leox’s kindness was probably the most important and effective, however, in dictating how he treated his friends, most notably Affie Hollow.When Affie was just starting out in the Byne Guild, Geode and Leox were the first pilots she trusted. A big reason for that was because Leox treated her like a colleague, not a child. He kept up that compassionate attitude the entire time he knew her, too. Leox knew that the Byne Guild was using indentured servants, but he kept it secret from Affie specifically because he didn’t want to rob her of her innocence.
Leox Gyasi is one of the High Republic’s most interesting characters because he’s a walking paradox. He’s both the same type of scoundrel smuggler as Han Solo was, but he’s got a completely different side at the same time. Leox was kind, compassionate, and a deep thinker, but he also knew how to make a quick credit in a less than legal way. In many ways, Leox Gyasi and the ways he’s different from Han Solo are emblematic of a major theme of the High Republic era ofStar Wars: there’s so much more to him than meets the eye.
Star Wars
Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that started in 1977 by creator George Lucas. After the release of Star Wars: Episode IV- A New Hope (originally just titled Star Wars), the franchise quickly exploded, spawning multiple sequels, prequels, TV shows, video games, comics, and much more. After Disney acquired the rights to the franchise, they quickly expanded the universe on Disney+, starting with The Mandalorian.
