WARNING: The following article contains major spoilers for Solo: A Star Wars Story, in theaters now.


While Solo: A Star Wars Story didn’t have a huge opening weekend, many fans are leaving the theater pleasantly surprised. However, more than a few also left a little confused as to where this installment sits in the Star Wars timeline. It’s clear enough that it takes place prior to A New Hope because of Han and Lando’s age, but there are a few visual clues that help us place the year this adventure is from thanks to how a certain character's appearance works with regard to the animated series Star Wars Rebels, The Clone Wars and the other films.

Now, in the galaxy far, far away, years are referred to in reference to the Battle of Yavin and the destruction of the first Death Star. So, it’s either BBY (Before the Battle of Yavin) or ABY (After the Battle of Yavin). So, Solo starts in 13 BBY and then jumps forward to 10 BBY, where the majority of the film takes place.

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Solo's surprise cameo by Darth Maul is likely throwing a lot of viewers off in terms of when, exactly, this tale plays out. If you're only familiar with the movies, then as far as you're concerned the Sith disciple only appeared in Episode I: The Phantom Menace, where he was brutally cut in half by an enraged Obi-Wan Kenobi toward the end of the film. This may lead some to think that Solo takes place pre-prequels -- but that would be incorrect.

Darth Maul in front of Savage Opress and Pre Vizla in The Clone Wars.

The iconic Sith Lord with the full-body tattoos actually survived his apparent death. In the finale episodes of Season 4 of The Clone Wars animated series, it was revealed that Maul, fueled by the power of the Dark Side and his hate for Obi-Wan, managed to keep himself alive and escape Naboo.

It turns out he also had a brother named Savage Opress (Yes, it’s a little on the nose), a sibling who tracks him down on the junk planet Lotho Minor. Through sheer will power, Maul had healed himself and formed a spider-like lower body out of refuse, complete with six legs and abdomen. Savage and Maul return to their home world of Dathomir where the latter is outfitted with proper humanoid bionic legs. This all took place in 20 BBY. As a point of reference, the events of Episode III: Revenge of the Sith took place one year later, in 19 BBY.

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In Season 5 of Star Wars: The Clone Wars the vicious Zabrak brothers raise hell throughout the galaxy in order to draw out Obi-Wan. At one point, they hire pirates to aid with their quest for revenge. And although they are betrayed by those scurvy dogs, Maul realizes strategic alliances could be the key to his revenge against the ginger Jedi.

Through intimidation and coersion, the horned twosome unite the Mandalorian terrorists Death Watch with top crime syndicates Black Sun, The Pykes and The Hutt Clans, christening the grouping the Shadow Collective. Yes, Maul’s reign of terror post-Phantom Menace was largely at the head of the most powerful mafia Star Wars has ever seen. So even though that criminal organization eventually fell apart, it should come as no surprise that his exploits in the underworld continued, including leading Crimson Dawn.

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Now, Maul also shows up in Season 2 and 3 of the Rebels animated series as a major player that greatly influences the show’s main character, Ezra Bridger. By this era, Maul is getting on in age and has been trapped on the planet Malachor for an unspecified amount of time. He tries to take Bridger as his own apprentice, and through their interaction, he is able to locate Obi-Wan.

By this point the old Jedi Master is in self-imposed exile on Tattooine. This is where the revenge driven Sith finally falls. Season 3 of Rebels takes place in 2 BBY. So, if you’ve been doing the math, Solo is 10 years after The Clone Wars: Season 4, 9 years after Revenge of Sith, and 8 years before Rebels: Season 3.

Lando Calrissian smirks in Star Wars Rebels

Another character from the Skywalker saga that shows up on Rebels is Lando Calrissian. The smooth talking smuggler encounters the crew of the Ghost in Season 1. The episode is named after the highest hand in sabacc, Idiot’s Array, and it takes place in 5 BBY, which would make it five years after we see Lando lose the Millennium Falcon in the same game in Solo. It doesn't seem like he's replaced the customized YT-1300, because he ends up hiring the Spectres for a smuggling job in Rebels.

As an interesting side note, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story obviously takes place during 0 BBY because it is just a couple of days before Episode IV: A New Hope. However, the flashback of Galen Erso being taken by Director Krennic while Jyn Erso watches helplessly happens in 13 BBY. This is the same year Han manages to escape Lady Proxima and Corellia in Solo.

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