Solo: A Star Wars Story: Who is Phoebe Waller-Bridge's character L3-37?

Warning: this article contains spoilers for Solo: A Star Wars Story.

Solo: A Star Wars Story easily charmed audiences, which comes as no surprise given the charisma of its title character.

But a heavy dose of reality was brought in by L3-37, the droid belonging to Lando Calrissian.

L3-37 would argue she doesn’t belong to anybody.

Who is L3-37?

Solo: A Star Wars Story wouldn’t be a Star Wars story without a mouthy droid.

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For Han Solo, Lando Calrissian, Qi’ra, and Tobias Beckett their artificial companion was mouthier than others.

L3’s place in the events of Solo might be seen as nothing more than a plot device.

She is instrumental in creating the distraction on Kessel that allows her companions to escape relatively unharmed.

But L3 is more than just good at creating distractions and navigating the galaxy.

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Throughout Solo: A Star Wars Story L3 serves up reminders to her non-droid friends to check their privilege.

One scene in Solo sees an underground droid cage fighting ring.

L3 is on the sidelines, gripping at the fencing, imploring her fellow droids not to bend to every whim of their “owners.”

Solo: A Star Wars Story does not shy away from overt political opinions, even if they’re couched in droids versus everybody else.

When Lando asks L3 if she’d like anything before he leaves her to fly the Falcon alone, her response is the droll quip: “equal rights.”

Not a question, a statement. L3 reminds the characters in Solo: A Star Wars Story that just because she’s made of metal doesn’t mean she’s without a heart.

Who is Phoebe Waller-Bridge?

Solo: A Star Wars Story is not Waller-Bridge’s first time on the silver screen, but it is not what she’s known for.

Fleabag is Waller-Bridge’s sardonic breaking-the-fourth-wall dark comedy.

Not only does she star as the eponymous character, she is also the writer.

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Fleabag is an adaptation of her 2013 one-woman play, which won the Fringe First award at the 2013 festival.

Phoebe Waller-Bridge won a BAFTA for her performance as Fleabag in 2017.

Solo: A Star Wars Story makes great use of Waller-Bridge’s vehemently cynical wit.

As L3, Waller-Bridge brings the not so subtle message that, despite the fact that the movie is a singular adventure story, there is a lot going on in the Solo universe that needs attention.

Droid rights, mining colonies, and rebellions. All of these are embodied, or emdroided, in L3’s ardent and unstoppable drive for equality.

Solo: A Star Wars Story is in cinemas now.