Boba Fett, like his father Jango, had significant changes made to his Mandalorian background when the Star Wars canon universe replaced its original timeline, Legends (formerly called the Expanded Universe). Boba is an unaltered clone of Jango Fett, who is a bounty hunter, Mandalorian warrior, and the template for the Republic’s clone troopers in both versions. Boba Fett followed in his father’s footsteps and became a renowned bounty hunter, making his live-action debut in The Empire Strikes Back and quickly becoming a fan-favorite character. Boba Fett seemingly met his end in Return of the Jedi when he was devoured by a sarlacc, but he returned in both continuities. Boba’s two backstories are exemplified by the paths he took after escaping the sarlacc.
Boba and Jango’s ties to Mandalorian culture are different, depending on the continuity. In Legends, Jango Fett was not only a Mandalorian warrior but also the ruler of all clans (the Mandalore) for much of his life. In Star Wars canon, Jango appears to have a similar backstory to his Legends counterpart but is described as a foundling rather than a former ruler. Fittingly, Boba eventually became the Mandalore in Legends and retired from his famed bounty hunter profession to lead the Mandalorian clans. In canon, Boba is the rightful heir to his father’s armor, but as shown in The Mandalorian, he does not consider himself a Mandalorian but respects their culture and equipment in honor of his father.
Boba Fett’s history between the prequels and the original trilogy is well-documented. After a few years of building his reputation as a bounty hunter, Boba fell in love with a fellow mercenary, the Kiffar Sintas Vel, and started a family with her on the Mandalorian world of Concord Dawn (which happened to be Jango’s homeworld). Boba paused his bounty hunting career, becoming a Journeyman Protector (Mandalorian law enforcer) instead. Boba and Sintas’s marriage fell apart after Boba killed her assailant (his superior officer) and was exiled, leaving behind Sintas and their daughter Ailyn. In canon, much of Boba’s history between trilogies is unknown outside of his bounty hunting career.
The discrepancy between Boba’s two backgrounds explains the different paths he took after Return of the Jedi. In Legends, Boba’s bounty hunting continued for almost two decades before he supplanted Fenn Shysa as the Mandalore. Boba’s time on Concord Dawn as a Journeyman Protector continued to familiarize him with Mandalorian culture after his father’s death. In canon, Boba’s exposure to Mandalorian culture likely only came from Jango, and he took a different path after escaping the sarlacc. As shown in The Mandalorian season 2 finale, Boba killed Bib Fortuna and supplanted him as the new leader of the late Jabba’s criminal empire, along with his partner Fennec Shand.
One of the key differences between the canon and Legends versions of Boba Fett is that he’s a true Mandalorian in Legends, while he’s simply a bounty hunter who respects his father’s culture in canon. Despite this, the two iterations demonstrate fundamentally similar traits after Return of the Jedi in both continuities. The two are notably more honorable than the original trilogy suggests, with Boba forgoing his feud with Han Solo and training his daughter Jaina, a Jedi, in Mandalorian hunting and combat techniques in Legends. In canon, Boba helped Din Djarin rescue Grogu from the Imperial remnant in exchange for his armor, continuing to assist him well after reacquiring the beskar suit. Despite the changes to his background, both versions of Boba Fett eventually become rulers after the original Star Wars trilogy, with Fett becoming the Mandalore in Legends and a crime lord in canon.
