Han Solo had one of the best character arcs in Star Wars, and several stories have expanded on his journey outside the movies. Many of these stories were told in the old Expanded Universe, now branded as "Legends," but they convey Han's character just as effectively as stories told in Disney canon so far. From Han's early life to his final adventures, Star Wars is full of great stories about the smuggler turned rebel beyond what was shown onscreen.
The variety of tales in canon and Legends also affords the opportunity to explore key aspects of Han's life in different ways. Solo: A Star Wars Story introduced mainstream audiences to Han's early adventures, but many of the film's biggest moments played out in a radically different manner in Legends. Throughout both continuities, 10 Star Wars stand out as the most essential to understanding the life of Han Solo outside the movies.
10 Han's Legends Backstory Is Told In The Han Solo Trilogy 
Long before Solo hit theaters, Han's backstory was chronicled excellently in the Legends continuity through the Han Solo trilogy by A.C. Crispin. The Paradise Snare focuses on Han right after he leaves Corellia, The Hutt Gambit follows his early life as a smuggler after Chewbacca swore a life debt to Han for saving him from the Empire, and Rebel Dawn leads directly into the original Star Wars trilogy. Crispin brilliantly wove in other aspects of Han's story from the Expanded Universe and devised reasonable explanations for his beliefs and attitudes in A New Hope, making the trilogy essential despite now being non-canon.
