IfStar Wars creator George Lucas had his way, Boba Fett would have met his end at the hands (well, the stomach) of the Sarlaac. InReturn of the Jedi, Han Solo — still blind from carbonite freezing — accidentally tossed his longtime nemesis into the creature's expectant jaws while rescuing Lando Calrissian from the reach of its tentacles.
Nearly 40 years later, The Book of Boba Fett revealed the bounty hunter's narrow escape from the horror of slow digestion as he emerged from the Tatooine sand coated in acidic effluvia and clawing his way through the pulsing sun.
Thus began a new chapter in the Star Warssaga, which painted a richer picture of a once-minor character who earned his place in the pantheon.
Take a look at Boba Fett's journey from a minor character to a Star Wars legend.
The Clint Eastwood Connection to Boba Fett
In the 2017 biographyGeorge Lucas: A Life, theStar Warscreator revealed the inspiration for Boba Fett: Clint Eastwood's character inThe Man With No Name. Lucas drafted the character for inclusion inThe Empire Strikes Back in 1978, but needed to create the character quickly because he'd committed to premiering him in theStar Wars Holiday Special later that same year.
Lucas also included elements of Darth Vader — originally conceived as a rogue bounty hunter and not the saga's Big Bad — in his original draft of the character for both simplicity and convenience.
The Star Wars Holiday Special
1978's Star Wars Holiday Special debuted Boba Fett, voiced by Don Francks (the father of actress Cree Summer). Here, Chewbacca's son Lumpawaroo (known as Lumpawarrump in the Special) watches a cartoon featuring Han Solo's future nemesis on his “video book” (the name of iPads, apparently, in a galaxy far, far away) called “The Story of the Faithful Wookiee.”
Initially befriending Luke Skywalker and the gang, Boba Fett later reveals Darth Vader and the Empire commissioned him. Chewbacca was the only one who knew Boba's true intentions from the beginning, revealing (through C3PO's translation) that “the bounty hunter didn't smell right.”
Like a ‘Saville Row' Suit
British actor Jeremy Bulloch first learned of the Boba Fett casting through his half-brother, Robert Watts, who worked as an associate producer on The Empire Strikes Back.In an interview with Gizmodo, Bulloch said he loved the costume because it fit him “as if a Saville Row tailor had come out and made it.”
Star Wars Legends (formerly Extended Universe) & The Birth of a Legend
Boba Fett earned his true status as aStar Wars legend thanks to the popularity ofLegends (formerly the Extended Universe). One of the most popular books from theLegends period is theBloodlines book, where Boba faces off with Jacen Solo and Ben Skywalker. Boba marries, then divorces, Sintas Vel. The pair also has a daughter, Aylin Vel, and a granddaughter named Mirta Gev.
A New Origin Story Thanks to the Prequels
George Lucas gave Boba Fett a whole new origin story — and a larger place in the saga's history — inAttack of the Clones. Boba's backstory shows him as the “unaltered” clone of Jango Fett, a bounty hunter who provided the genetic material for the Stormtroopers.
The Book of Boba Fett
The six-part Disney+ series,The Book of Boba Fett, received mixed reactions from Star Wars fans. Regardless of their opinions, however, the series filled in the gaps betweenReturn of the Jedi andThe Force Awakens. After escaping the Sarlaac, Boba joins the Tusken Raiders and becomes a warrior in the tribe. When his adopted Tusken family is wiped out by the Pyke crime syndicate, he forges his destiny by saving Fennec Shand, slaughtering Bib Fortuna, and seeking out his Mandalorian armor.
Alliance With Din Djarin (The Mandalorian)
Din Djarin, better known as The Mandalorian, fetched Boba Fett's Mandalorian armor from Cobb Vanth, who acquired the armor from some enterprising Jawas.
Here,Star Wars fans learn that Boba Fett acquired the Mandalorian armor from his adoptive grandfather, Jaster Mereel. (Mereel, himself, was an adopted Mandalorian, having gone to Mandalore after his home planet, Concord Dawn, exiled him for killing a corrupt police officer.) Boba and Din formed an alliance after Boba used his mercenary skills to rescue Grogu from Moff Gideon's clutches.
Mandalorian or Clone?
Boba Fett's possession of a Mandalorian suit of armor stuck in Din Djarin's craw, and The Mandalorian confronted the renegade clone about his claimed affiliation.
Bo-Katan Kryze made a similar snide remark to the famous Star Wars anti-hero, snarling that Jango Fett was Boba's “donor” and not his father. Boba, for his part, made clear that “I never said I was” a Mandalorian. His commitment to truth cemented his popularity amongstStar Wars fans.
Ruling the Tatooine Underworld
Unsurprisingly, Boba Fett became the “Daimyo” of Mos Espa in The Book of Boba Fett, after he successfully drove out the exploitative syndicates (with the help of some of his bounty hunter friends, including Din Djarin, Fennec Shand, and Black Krrsantan). This new title further cemented the character's legendary status.
Is Boba Fett Still Alive?
Many devotedStar Wars fans believe that Boba Fett still lives in the Sequel Trilogy era, as he's mentioned twice in supplemental books set during the sequels. The first mention, made by Hondo Ohnaka shortly after the Battle of Crait (in The Last Jedi) in The Galactic Explorer's Guide, pays tribute to Boba Fett in the “Rogue's Gallery.” The second mention, made by Rey inStar Wars Adventures shortly before the events ofThe Rise of Skywalker, tells of the bounty hunter allegedly capturing a Resistance hero.
Two Potential Sisters?
As revealed inThe Bad Batch, Boba Fett (originally known as Alpha) had two genetic sisters: Emerie Karr, who became a scientist for the Empire before defecting, and Omega, who joined the Rebellion as a pilot.
Temuera Morrison's Contributions to the Character
Temuera Morrison, who originated the role of Jango Fett and later depicted Boba Fett, revealed how much of his own Maori background influenced some of his character's famous moves. For instance, Morrison drew influence from the haka when designing Boba Fett's fighting technique.
Boba's carving of the Tusken gaderffii sticks is symbolic of the Maori practice of taiaha (a ritual spear) carving. And the Tusken “side-story” of natives fighting for their ancestral homeland paralleled the Maori fight for sovereignty and self-determination from their Australian counterparts.
Boba Fett & His Star WarsLegacy
With his unique place in theStar Wars canon and his character development above and beyond his original design, Boba Fett is one of the most influential characters in the saga.
