Warning: Contains SPOILERS for The Book of Boba Fett episode 1.

Boba Fett escapes the sarlacc pit in The Book of Boba Fett, but it’s a group of Tusken Raiders who save his life. Boba Fett, the fan-favorite bounty hunter from the original Star Wars trilogy, seemingly met his end rather unceremoniously in Return of the Jedi when a blind Han Solo infamously sent him tumbling into the Great Pit of Carkoon with a strike to Fett’s jetpack. Although Legends confirmed Fett’s escape (on two separate occasions) the post-2014 canon finally shows its version of Fett’s survival in The Book of Boba Fett. Despite Fett’s weakened state, Tusken Raiders still revived him for several potential reasons.

In Star Wars, the Tusken Raiders, nicknamed “Sand People,” have been part of the franchise since A New Hope, and while Legends-era non-movie material delved into their culture and history, they’re generally depicted as hostile and violent beings on screen. Tusken Raiders nearly killed Luke Skywalker and a tribe kidnapped and tortured Shmi Skywalker to death, but The Mandalorian finally brought some nuance to Tusken Raiders in season 2. Din Djarin’s encounter and eventual partnership with a tribe of Tusken Raiders when dealing with a Krayt Dragon proved that they weren’t “mindless monsters” Cliegg Lars described them.

Related: Book Of Boba Fett: Every Star Wars Easter Egg & Reference In Episode 1

Although Tusken Raiders are known to kidnap and enslave people, Boba Fett was left in an extremely weakened state by his time in the sarlacc. The Tusken Raiders could have left him for dead, yet they chose to revive him and take him back to their village, where he was put to work gathering gourds. The Sand People may have saved Boba Fett simply because he was alive and they needed another being to gather gourds for them, even a weakened being. Another (less likely) possibility is that the Tusken Raiders recognized Boba Fett and sought to utilize a legendary warrior for labor.

Tusken raiders in The Book of Boba Fett

Tusken Raiders don’t seem particularly picky when it comes to beings they kidnap and enslave. Shmi Skywalker and the Rodian prisoner seen in The Book of Boba Fett didn’t seem particularly strong, but they were nevertheless taken captive. Tatooine is a harsh world with numerous hazards and deadly creatures. The Tusken Raiders seen in The Book of Boba Fett may have simply abducted anybody they could find in the Dune Sea.

While highly unlikely, the Sand People might have recognized Boba Fett, making him a potentially useful prisoner, given his reputation as a bounty hunter. Fett rarely removed his helmet during the original trilogy era and he was found bereft of his recognizable armor, but he was still wearing his mesh suit and spiked boots, so perhaps the Tusken Raiders suspected that the dying human was the legendary Boba Fett. Whether or not this was the case, Fett killed the massive six-armed creature and saved one of the tribe’s members, earning the Chieftain’s respect.

Although Fett escaped the sarlacc, he wouldn’t have survived in the Tatooine desert if it wasn’t for the Tusken Raiders. As shown in episode 1, Fett remained formidable, even in his weakened state, earning the respect of his captors by killing the six-limbed creature. If Fett’s use of a Tusken Raider gaffi stick in The Mandalorian is any indication, the bounty hunter may have become a member of the Tusken Raider tribe by the time he tracked Din Djarin. Fett’s flashbacks of the Tusken Raiders who saved his life will likely continue to connect his defeat in Return of the Jedi to his story in The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett.

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The Book of Boba Fett releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.

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