11 Reasons You're Wrong About Solo: A Star Wars Story
3. Beckett's Betrayal Makes Sense
Woody Harrelson's portrayal of professional criminal Tobias Beckett was another highlight of Solo, and while his betrayal at the end of the film has been labelled as something of an anti-climax by some, in the context of Solo's narrative, it makes plenty of sense.
Beckett is a criminal by trade, and though he's also Han's mentor, his experiences have been shaped by a life of betrayal, thieving and murder. The family unit he's assembled when we find him - comprised of the criminally underused Val (Thandie Newton) and Rio (Jon Favreau) - is still one wedded to the vicious underbelly of the Star Wars mythos, and once Val passes away, self-preservation becomes the name of the game.
More important, perhaps, is that Beckett imparts one final lesson before he departs. His betrayal and subsequent death serve as a timely reminder to Han about the game he's set to play - one that doesn't have time for family, or at least the kind he envisioned when they first met on the battlefields of Mimban.
It makes sense to feel disappointed that Han's mentor turned out to be a bit of a villain in his own right, but in exemplifying the overall themes of the story, it's the perfect ending to that arc.