Kessel Run

"You've never heard of the Millennium Falcon?…It's the ship that made the Kessel Run in less than twelve parsecs."

―Han Solo^[src]

The Kessel Run was a hyperspace route^[1] used by smugglers and unscrupulous freighter captains to move spice from the spice mines of Kessel at the behest of the Pyke Syndicate, who relied on the foolhardy Kessel Runs to deliver the illicit substance to their customers.^[2]. The route involves several extreme changes in velocity in order to jump to, and drop out of, light speed with the minimum time spent out of hyperspace while making drops, pick ups or tight turns. It was therefore the source of much bragging between smugglers. The time to perform the run proved too difficult to arbitrate (due to the highly relativistic distances involved) but a fierce competition developed nonetheless, for the pilot and ship able to make the run while covering the shortest overall distance demonstrating the most adept maneuverability and pilotage.^[source?] Han Solo, captain of the Millennium Falcon, made the infamous run in less than 12 parsecs,^[3] breaking a long-held record.^[1]

Behind the scenes

In a commentary track on the Star Wars Blu-ray release, George Lucas stated that ships in the Star Wars universe can't travel in straight lines while in hyperspace due to collisions with celestial objects. Thus, distance is an important factor in how quickly a ship can get from point A to point B. The Millennium Falcon's superior navigation computer allowed it to travel shorter distances between points and arrive faster.

Canon sources conflict on the veracity of Solo's claim of the Millennium Falcon making the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs. A New Hope: The Princess, the Scoundrel, and the Farm Boy describes the claim as a "lie" that the inexperienced Luke Skywalker is impressed with, but which the seasoned Obi-Wan Kenobi recognizes as nothing more than a boast. Return of the Jedi: Beware the Power of the Dark Side!, however, states in its narration that "Not every ship is created equal and the rebels have the ship that did the Kessel run in less than twelve parsecs."