The Book of Boba Fett continues the story of Boba Fett, opening with a series of meaningful flashbacks to the Star Wars prequels. The Disney+ series is the latest appearance of the fan-favorite mercenary in both a real-world and chronological sense. Boba Fett was a minor villain in The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi, with his imposing demeanor, iconic armor, and Legends-era non-movie material elevating him to his beloved status. Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones gave Fett a definitive backstory, replacing his aura of mystery with that of tragedy and fascinating Mandalorian heritage. The Book of Boba Fett’s use of prequel flashbacks ties Boba’s appearances together for his starring role on screen.
Despite having relatively little screen time and few lines of dialogue in the Star Wars original trilogy, Boba Fett left a lasting impression on viewers. Framed as the cleverest and most brutal bounty hunter hired by Darth Vader, Fett established himself as a character who must have a fascinating history outside of the films. Legends material depicted Fett as the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunter, who more than lives up to his reputation, yet the old continuity also humanized him, especially after Attack of the Clones revealed his origin. As both a bounty hunter and the son of the great Mandalorian warrior, Jango Fett, Boba Fett honored his father’s legacy as both a mercenary and the eventual Mand'alor (Mandalorian leader).
The post-2014 canon timeline depicts a similar Boba Fett, albeit with one key change. Fett is not as interested in honoring Jango Fett’s Mandalorian past as he is honoring Jango as a man. Boba Fett wears his father’s armor and lives up to his father’s reputation, but as shown in The Mandalorian season 2, Fett is apathetic to his status as a “true” Mandalorian and wears his father’s armor out of respect for him. Rather than gradually ascend in the Mandalorian hierarchy as he did in Legends, the canon timeline’s Boba Fett commandeers the remnants of Jabba the Hutt’s criminal empire, transitioning from the galaxy’s greatest bounty hunter to an aspiring crime lord, albeit one who rules quite differently from Jabba.
Where Boba Fett's Star Wars Prequel Dreams Are From
The Book of Boba Fett opens with Fett healing from his sarlacc-induced injuries in a bacta tank. In his solitude, Fett dreams of Tipoca City on Kamino, the gladiatorial arena on Geonosis, and the belly of the sarlacc in the Dune Sea’s Great Pit of Carkoon. The Kamino flashback isn’t tied to any particular moment in Attack of the Clones, but rather an establishing view of the city Boba Fett was raised in. The Geonosis flashback depicts a specific moment from Attack of the Clones, however, showing a young Boba Fett mournfully holding the helmet of Jango Fett, signifying the start of his journey to becoming a bounty hunter and eventual crime lord. While the original scene set near the timeframe of Return of the Jedi is sure to delight fans interested in seeing the canon version of Boba Fett’s sarlacc escape, the prequel-era flashbacks, importantly, tie the series into his origins.
Why The Book Of Boba Fett Begins With A Kamino Flashback
The Book of Boba Fett is the first instance of Boba Fett taking the starring role outside of print media in either canon or Legends. Naturally, the show emphasizes Boba’s previous cinematic appearances, starting with his humble beginnings on Kamino. Jango Fett hailed from the Mandalorian world of Concord Dawn, but Boba Fett, an unaltered clone who Jango raised as a son, was born and raised on Kamino, living in Tipoca City with his father, who provided his DNA to the Kaminoans for the Republic Clone Army. During his healing session, Boba Fett likely thought of Kamino, reminiscing on a simpler time in his life, where he lived happily with his father, who trained Boba in combat and tracking since a young age. As shown in Star Wars: The Clone Wars, Jango’s training rendered Boba Fett an expert combatant and a crack shot with a blaster, even as a child.
What Boba Fett's Jango Helmet Dream Means
Boba’s next dream, a flashback to Jango Fett’s death on Geonosis, signifies the point where Boba Fett’s childhood essentially ended. With his only guardian dead, Fett was alone in a dangerous galaxy. The Clone Wars shows that Fett worked quickly to ally himself with his father’s associates, such as Bossk and Aurra Sing, and attempt to avenge Jango by killing Jedi Master Mace Windu (an unsuccessful endeavor). Still, the moment weighs heavily on Boba, even well into his adulthood, as he honors his father by wearing his armor and becoming a renowned bounty hunter, even though Boba chose to become a criminal leader rather than embrace the Mandalorian way. Fett traveled from the Outer Rim to the Deep Core to retrieve Jango Fett’s armor in The Mandalorian, motivated by what his father’s armor stood for as well as its usefulness in combat.
The Book Of Boba Fett Continues Mandalorian's Star Wars Prequels Fix
The Mandalorian notably features numerous acknowledgments of the Star Wars prequel trilogy, from Easter eggs to prequel-era characters making their live-action debut. The Book of Boba Fett, opening with prequel-era flashbacks, continues this practice by not burying the often-mocked prequel films, but rather embracing their best aspects. If not for Attack of the Clones and non-movie material from canon and Legends, Boba Fett would have remained a one-dimensional character, a bounty hunter with little personality outside of his menacing behavior in the original trilogy.
The Disney+ series looks to honor Boba Fett’s prequel-era backstory and tie it into his character arc in The Book of Boba Fett. Fett’s upbringing on Kamino by Jango Fett and the trauma of witnessing his father’s death as a child are key to Boba’s behavior and ruling style. In addition to honoring his father by wearing his armor, Fett looks to rule his newfound criminal empire through respect rather than fear, tying into Boba’s characterization in The Mandalorian, and Hondo Ohnaka’s description of Jango Fett in The Clone Wars. The Star Wars prequel flashbacks indicate, promisingly, that The Book of Boba Fett will tastefully utilize all of Boba Fett’s appearances in the canon timeline.
The Book of Boba Fett releases new episodes Wednesdays on Disney+.