Making Star Wars' Lando Calrissian Jannah's dad is a terrible idea

Note: There are spoilers ahead for Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

Second only to Rose Tico as a character devastatingly underused in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is Lando Calrissian. Billy Dee Williams returned to the franchise to offer up some MacGuffin help and then pull through in the clinch final moments of the battle to end all battles.

Williams' iconic performance as Lando was certainly appreciated by fans, but the important emotional arc that Lando undergoes was conveniently left out of the movie, with only a nod to it in the final moments of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Exegol, Jannah, a newcomer to the Resistance, is watching her comrades celebrate their victory. She, like Finn, was kidnapped as a baby by the First Order and raised to be a Stormtrooper.

Also like Finn, she had a moment of clarity in which she and her fellow Stormtroopers refused to murder innocent civilians and staged a mutiny. By the end of The Rise of Skywalker, she and her friends have joined the Resistance and helped to end the Final Order (with a little help from Rey, of course).

Jannah sits down next to Lando and asks him where he's from. He answers guardedly before asking her the same question in return. Jannah says she doesn't know, and Lando, his heart seeming to melt, replies: "Let's find out."

On its own, the moment was heartwarming, and fans quickly jumped to the conclusion that Jannah must be Lando's daughter.

Then, The Visual Dictionary was published and sought to answer all the questions left buzzing in our brains after The Rise of Skywalker's credits rolled. Unfortunately for Lando and Jannah, it doesn't really clear anything up at all.

The Visual Dictionary reveals that after the events of The Return of the Jedi, Lando tried to settle down and start a family. Peace only lasted so long, and his daughter was kidnapped by the First Order, never to be seen again.

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At first glance, it would appear that this confirms it – Lando must be Jannah's father... But, not really. Yes, Star Wars is all about intergenerational legacy and bloodlines, but to link Jannah to Lando by ancestry is a step too far – not only for the characters, but for the franchise as a whole.

It's a dangerous precedent to set in Star Wars – that the scanty numbered people of colour must be related. It negates the presumed diversity of the galaxy in which Star Wars takes place.

Far more impactful would be Lando – now a Resistance hero three times over – spending his twilight days helping a young woman discover her history simply because he wants to. Because he can.

Jannah may remind Lando of his daughter, but what makes their bond so special is the choice inherent in it. Lando chooses to help Jannah, Jannah chooses to go with Lando – resigning it to kismet destined by blood undoes the characters' agency.

The Visual Dictionary filled in a lot of gaps, but it also highlighted that those gaps exist in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. We missed out on Kylo Ren's journey with the Knights of Ren. We missed out on Palpatine's resurrection and an explanation of just how a Force Dyad works. And of course, we missed out on seeing Lando's past.

There's an adage in writing: show, don't tell. In this case, what we were shown fell far short of what we were told. We can only imagine if a director's cut might illuminate some of these stories on screen.

Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker is out now.

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Gabriella Geisinger

Gabriella Geisinger is a freelance film critic and journalist, with a focus on J-drama & film, and the Japanese production industry. She was previously Locations Editor at Screen International and Deputy Movies Editor at Digital Spy. Her writing can also befound in Curzon, 1883, and more. A born and raised New Yorker, she loves coffee and the colour black, obviously.