After being teased in the Star Wars Holiday Special, Boba Fett made his long-awaited live-action debut in The Empire Strikes Back. The cool-as-ice bounty hunter immediately emerged as a fan-favorite Star Wars icon. Although he faced a disappointingly unceremonious death scene in Return of the Jedi, Fett has since returned in the streaming-sphere with roles in The Mandalorian and his own spin-off, The Book of Boba Fett.
Boba hasn’t always lived up to expectations; The Book of Boba Fett removed his helmet and softened his edges. But even that show had some truly awesome Boba moments, like his escape from the Sarlacc Pit and his great train robbery.
Escaping From The Sarlacc Pit In The Book Of Boba Fett
There are a few moments of pure fan service in The Book of Boba Fett, and one of the most satisfying is the flashback that finally depicts Boba’s escape from the Sarlacc Pit.
This flashback undid the woefully unceremonious death scene in Return of the Jedi. Boba used a flamethrower to torch the tentacles festering in the Sarlacc’s mouth, then burst through the sand and climbed out of the monster’s jaws.
“No Disintegrations” In The Empire Strikes Back
After first appearing in the Star Wars Holiday Special, voiced by Don Francks, Boba made his live-action debut in The Empire Strikes Back. Jeremy Bulloch brought an authentic Clint Eastwood coolness to this gun-toting spaghetti western antihero.
When he hires Boba to track down the Millennium Falcon, Darth Vader gives him a stellar character introduction: “No disintegrations.” Vader, one of the most merciless mass murderers in the galaxy, has to tell Boba to take it easy.
Seizing Jabba’s Old Throne In The Mandalorian’s Post-Credits Scene
Following the emotionally devastating events of The Mandalorian’s second-season finale, Jon Favreau teased a Boba Fett spin-off in the post-credits scene. Boba and Fennec storm Jabba the Hutt’s old palace, kill everybody inside, and claim the throne from Bib Fortuna.
This badass post-credits scene carried a very different tone than the series it turned into. This sequence teased a dark, edgy, violent revisionist western, but The Book of Boba Fett ended up being a soft, lighthearted gangster story.
The Train Robbery In The Book Of Boba Fett
The Star Wars saga has always borrowed tropes and imagery from the western genre. Han Solo is a classic gunslinger, Mos Eisley Cantina is a classic shady saloon, and Boba Fett himself is modeled after the Dollars trilogy’s “Man with No Name” antihero.
The second episode of The Book of Boba Fett featured one of the most recognizable plot points from the western genre: a great train robbery.
Leaving With Frozen Han Solo In The Empire Strikes Back
George Lucas subverted fans’ expectations with the downer ending of The Empire Strikes Back. Luke is defeated by Vader, the Imperial fleet is stronger than ever, and Han is frozen in carbonite.
As Solo is taken aboard his ship to be hung on Jabba the Hutt’s wall, Boba watches with a cold callousness. This is just the latest in a long line of frozen bodies he’s transported as a morally ambiguous bounty hunter.
Dropping A Seismic Charge In The Mandalorian
Ben Burtt has created many glorious sound effects for the Star Wars universe, from the hum of a lightsaber to the beeps and whirs of R2-D2’s voice to the ominous sound of Vader’s breathing. One of Burtt’s most memorable Star Wars sound effects is the sound-absorbing “seismic charge.”
In Attack of the Clones, Obi-Wan used a seismic charge to get Boba’s father off his tail. In The Mandalorian, Boba uses a seismic charge to blast two TIE fighters out of the sky.
Boba’s Showdown With Cad Bane In The Book Of Boba Fett
One of the highlights in The Book of Boba Fett was the live-action debut of Cad Bane. Shot through the blur of blistering heat, juxtaposing wide shots with intense close-ups, Bane evokes spaghetti western icon Lee Van Cleef more than ever before in his live-action appearance.
Bane’s role in The Book of Boba Fett culminated in a climactic showdown with Boba. Bane believes that Boba has gotten weak and merciful, but Boba swiftly proves him wrong.
Cradling His Father’s Severed Head In Attack Of The Clones
Much like young Vader in The Phantom Menace, Attack of the Clones’ young Boba was somewhat polarizing. Some Star Wars fans didn’t like seeing their favorite ice-cool villains as innocent little kids.
But Attack of the Clones gives Boba a harrowing backstory. His father, fellow bounty hunter Jango Fett, is decapitated by Mace Windu in front of him. In one particularly heartbreaking shot, Boba cradles his father’s severed head.
Riding A Rancor In The Book Of Boba Fett
When Danny Trejo made a cameo appearance as a rancor trainer in The Book of Boba Fett, Boba told him that he wanted to ride a rancor. From that moment on, Star Wars fans eagerly waited to see Boba riding on the back of a rancor.
In the finale episode, during the climactic battle sequence, Boba ducks out for a second and returns – lo and behold – on the back of a rancor.
His Long-Awaited Return To Action In The Mandalorian
Boba’s return to action in The Mandalorian’s second season was well worth the 40-year wait. He dons his armor, equips his arsenal, and singlehandedly wipes out a legion of Stormtroopers.
Throughout this truly triumphant set-piece, Boba uses all the gadgets teased in the original trilogy. He kills two birds with one stone as he uses the rocket strapped to his back to take down two Imperial transports.