Lady Qi’ra’s greatest weapon against the Sith is actually the key for her to return to Star Wars after the events of the sequel trilogy.
Warning! Spoilers ahead for Star Wars: Hidden Empire #2!
When she first entered the Star Wars galaxy in 2018 in Solo: A Star Wars Story, there appeared to be big plans in store for Qi’ra. The live-action role was portrayed by Game of Thrones alum Emilia Clarke, and her character seemed poised to take a big step in her journey at the film’s conclusion. While Qi’ra story has continued, it’s done so in the printed pages of comic books rather than on the silver screen. However, the tale told in the comics may hold the key to Clarke’s return to the role.
When Emilia Clarke first signed on for Solo, the contract extended for two additional films: neither of which have come to fruition. Qi’ra, however, ended the film as the second in command of the crime syndicate Crimson Dawn, one of the most powerful and enigmatic criminal organizations in the Star Wars vast underworld. Not only that, Qi’ra’s final moments in the film revealed Crimson Dawn’s true master: the ex-Darth, Maul. Qi’ra has recently taken center stage in the current Star Wars comics set between A New Hope and The Empire Strikes Back. These comics have set up a way for Clarke to finally reprise the role in an unexpected way.
Crimson Reign #5 from Charles Soule and Steven Cummings introduces the Fermata Cage, an ancient Sith device that Qi’ra plans to weaponize against the Sith in Soule and Cummings’ subsequent Hidden Empire. The Fermata Cage was devised by an ancient Sith Lord, Darth Momin, as a trap for the Darkseekers pursuing him for heresy. Once activated, anyone unfortunate enough to fall into the Fermata Cage will find themselves frozen in time indefinitely. It’s believed at least one Sith fell prey to the Cage, though Maul would never to release this Sith nor imprison his enemies within the Cage. With Maul’s passing, Lady Qi’ra inherited Crimson Dawn and soon claimed the Fermata Cage as her own.
The Fermata Cage Could Transport Qi’ra To The Future
Lady Qi’ra views Palpatine’s presence as the galaxy’s sole sovereign as intolerable oppression, with his role as Emperor demanding that he alone be its only truly “free” individual. Her plan is simple: kill the Sith. The Fermata Cage is capable of the feat; the imprisoned Sith Lord inside could destroy his modern rivals. Failing that, trapping Vader and Palpatine inside would remove them from the galactic equation indefinitely. However, Qi’ra’s plan is doomed: the Star Wars saga in this period is long set in stone, and Palpatine’s grasp on the galaxy will not loosen until his defeat on the Second Death Star. The simplest explanation is Qi’ra dies in her efforts to destroy Palpatine, and Crimson Dawn fades into history. Another possibility presents itself, however: the Fermata Cage. What if Qi’ra’s destiny isn’t to destroy the Sith with the Fermata Cage, but to become its next prisoner?
Should Qi’ra die in her battle against the Sith, she’d hardly be the first nor even the most notable. It’d mean little if her return serves little more purpose than to, yet again, display the overwhelming might of Palpatine and Vader. Her defeat would be even further overshadowed should the modern day Sith first vanquish their ancient predecessor lurking within the Fermata Cage. The comics have shown hooded figures are learning of Qi’ra’s exploits in the indeterminate future from messages left by The Archivist. Lady Qi’ra may fail to defeat Palpatine, but her imprisonment in the Cage would open the door for her to escape it after his fall. With it, Emilia Clarke would be free to reprise her role as Qi’ra at any point in Star Wars timeline post-Solo. Even Qi’ra’s age would be preserved, leaving Clarke more than capable of playing her regardless of where in the timeline this return occurred.
Lady Qi’ra’s fate remains undetermined, and the Fermata Cage offers a path forward for her free of the Imperial Era’s writing constraints. Emilia Clarke has seemed open to the idea of returning as Qi’ra in a future Star Wars project, but whether this all culminates with her return to the screen remains unknown.
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