The iconic Boba Fett star Temuera Morrison thinks his character talks too much, a view shared by several fans.
While it can be difficult to see beloved Star Wars characters undergo drastic changes, this approach did have some justification. The Book of Boba Fett's underlying story was incredibly interesting, and it had great potential to develop Boba into a more interesting protagonist. However, it's hard to deny that some changes only hurt the show and severely limited how awesome Boba could have been. Weighing the reasons why Boba should and should not have changed in The Book of Boba Fett provides a more comprehensive view of how the show handled his character.
10 Stagnant Characters Are Less Interesting
Star Wars is all about how characters change over time.
The primary reason Boba Fett's character needed to change in The Book of Boba Fett is the basic nature of storytelling. Any good story is about how characters grow and evolve throughout the narrative, which makes them compelling as viewers follow their journey. This is especially true for the Star Wars movies, in which George Lucas centered around the classic hero's journey as defined by Joseph Campbell. The original Star Wars trilogy had Luke Skywalker change from an immature farmboy to a wise Jedi, while Anakin Skywalker fell to the dark side throughout the prequels.
Having an amoral character find redemption and care about something bigger than themselves is also classic Star Wars.
If Boba Fett hadn't undergone any significant changes, then his story would have no point. He went through a terrible experience when he fell into the sarlacc pit in Return of the Jedi, and The Mandalorian season 2 illustrated how the years had changed him. As fun as it was seeing a version closer to that of the original trilogy, the idea of Boba going from a lone bounty hunter to a powerful crime boss was an interesting direction. Having an amoral character find redemption and care about something bigger than themselves is also classic Star Wars.
9 Boba Fett's Redemption Brings His Story Full Circle
His good qualities were addressed in The Clone Wars
While Boba Fett's characterization throughout much of The Book of Boba Fett may seem off compared to the original trilogy, it's actually fairly in line with Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Although Boba did terrible things as a child as he sought revenge for his father's death, it was made clear that deep down he was a good person, one receiving bad advice from the bounty hunters who took him in. His growth into a tough bounty hunter who only cared about getting paid was motivated not by malice but by a desire to live up to what he thought was his father's legacy.
One of the unaired Clone Wars arcs would have had Boba team up with Cad Bane, fight Sand People, and eventually stand up for those in need, all of which played a role in The Book of Boba Fett. By taking Boba back to his origin in the Clone Wars era, he becomes the kind of noble leader the show always hinted he could be if he overcame his worst impulses. That's not to say Boba is the perfect good guy, as he will destroy those who get in his way if necessary, but it's an improvement from his days of working with the Empire.
8 Boba Fett Is More Than A Clone Of His Father
Trying to be his father nearly led to the same fate
Breaking away from bounty hunting also freed Boba Fett from the shadow of his father, Jango Fett. While these two characters were never the same in history and personality, much of Boba's life was dedicated to following in his father's footsteps. The Book of Boba Fett even features several sequences where Boba dreams of his father leaving Kamino to go on constant missions, showing how his father's memory still shapes him decades later. It's poetic that Boba nearly suffered the same fate as his father by seemingly dying on a desert planet after a battle with a Jedi.
Unlike his father, however, Boba survived the sarlacc pit and had a second chance to walk a different path. By learning from his time with the Sand People and later taking over Jabba the Hutt's criminal empire, Boba created a new legacy that diverges from Jango, making the two stand apart. They may have identical DNA, but now Boba has more onscreen material to make him stand apart in canon.
7 Din Djarin Had Become The New Boba Fett
He possessed many of Boba's trademark qualities
Another character Boba Fett needed to differentiate himself from was Din Djarin, who had effectively taken his place thanks to The Mandalorian. Like Boba in the original trilogy, Din Djarin was a man of few words that people either knew to respect or paid the price. He was willing to work for the Empire, at least initially, and he even had a carbon-freezing chamber, a callback to Boba capturing Han Solo in The Empire Strikes Back. Most significantly, Din Djarin never removed his helmet in front of others, something Boba was known for in the originals and the Legends timeline.
8 Ways Din Djarin Has Become Star Wars Canon's Boba Fett Replacement
Boba Fett was the iconic Mandalorian bounty hunter of the original trilogy and Star Wars Legends, but Din Djarin has clearly replaced him in canon.
With Din Djarin possessing so many Boba-like qualities, this put Star Wars in a tricky position when resurrecting Boba. Thankfully, The Mandalorian season 2 gave Boba a new design and skill set before retrieving his armor, separating him from Din Djarin and showing how he had changed. Of course, this had to apply to The Book of Boba Fett, as there was already a popular show about a Mandalorian bounty hunter. Making Boba a crime lord kept him connected to his roots while showing a different aspect of his character that wasn't too similar to Din Djarin.
6 Boba Fett's Canon Story Needed To Differentiate Itself From Legends
A new continuity means exploring characters in different ways
In the original Star Wars Expanded Universe, now known as "Legends," Boba Fett remained a bounty hunter for most of his life after Return of the Jedi. He also sought revenge against Han Solo, became the leader of the Mandalorians, helped the New Republic during the Yuuzhan Vong War, and even trained Jaina Solo. Despite all these experiences, which included meeting and teaming up with his long-lost granddaughter, Boba was still a hardened man who went back to bounty hunting.
Boba Fett in Canon |
Boba Fett in Legends |
|---|---|
ed a tribe of Tusken Raiders |
Returned to bounty hunting |
Tracked down Din Djarin to retrieve his armor |
Tracked down Han Solo to seek revenge |
Distanced himself from his Mandalorian heritage |
Became the leader of the Mandalorians |
Replaced Jabba the Hutt as Tatooine's crime boss |
Continued working for powerful clients |
Led Mos Espa against the Pyke Syndicate |
Led the Mandalorians against the Yuuzhan Vong |
Had no children of his own |
Teamed up with his long-lost granddaughter |
When the Star Wars canon was rebooted, all of this history was relegated to a separate timeline, giving The Book of Boba Fett the freedom to take the character in a new direction. As good as many of Boba's stories were in Legends, there's no reason why canon had to take the exact same approach, especially since some of them were similar to plotlines in The Mandalorian. Fans now have two timelines with two versions of Boba, each handling his story differently but with many interesting ideas.
5 Boba Fett Lost What Made Him Cool in The Original Trilogy
A man of few words who got the job done
Unfortunately, not all changes to Boba Fett's character in The Book of Boba Fett were for the best, especially compared to the original trilogy. Simply put, Boba wasn't as cool as he used to be, and it didn't have to be that way. Becoming a new crime boss of a chaotic city like Mos Eisley with rival gangs around every corner could have been the perfect opportunity to show Boba in his element. Boba could have taken his ruthless qualities from the movies and translated them to the streets of Mos Espa, building his empire through action rather than words.
While there were glimmers of this version of Boba, he primarily acted through reason and diplomacy. This may have made some sense after his time with the Sand People, and Boba was allowed to use his brains, but it meant several moments weren't as satisfying as they could have been. When a street gang steals water and publicly disrespects Boba, he offers them a job instead of making an example of them. After threatening the other crime lords, he asks them nicely to stay neutral. This became a pattern throughout the show that made Boba far less cool and intimidating.
4 Boba Fett Was So Much Better In Mandalorian Season 2
A perfect blend of the old Boba with some new qualities
Another reason Boba Fett's portrayal in The Book of Boba Fett seemed disappointing was because The Mandalorian season 2 already showed the perfect way to bring him back. The end of the season 2 premiere showed Boba with a sense of mystery about him, watching from a distance and leaving viewers guessing what he would do next. When he made his full appearance later in the season, he was calm, collected, and stern, fully in control of the situation. All his dialogue felt like the words of a warrior, whether he was supposed to be intimidating or honorable.
He also had several impressive action scenes, first with his gaffi stick and later with his old Mandalorian armor. Morrison's voice had a nice edge, giving this Boba a great balance between old and new qualities. Sadly, this version of Boba didn't quite translate The Book of Boba Fett, both in his attitude and physical abilities. The Boba who shot Bib Fortuna point-blank and dumped his body on the floor to claim a throne wouldn't have wasted so much time being civil with his enemies, nor would he come so close to losing fights where others had to save him.
3 Boba Fett's Character Change Felt Too Sudden
Even in the flashbacks with the sand people
As stated previously, character growth is good, so there was nothing inherently wrong with Boba Fett becoming a different person. However, The Book of Boba Fett didn't give Boba enough room to grow, in either the main plot or the flashbacks with the Tuskens. Boba begins the main plot already determined to rule with respect instead of fear, while in the flashbacks he risks getting caught by offering to free a fellow prisoner. Neither of these examples makes much sense considering how Boba was presented in Return of the Jedi and at the end of The Mandalorian season 2.
The first half of the series could have been about Boba's time with the Tuskens, while the second half focused on Mos Espa, making Boba's development feel more gradual.
If Boba had begun the series intending to rule with an iron fist, there would have been an opportunity for him to change into a leader who cared about his people. He would come to see the citizens of Mos Espa as his new tribe, realizing the futility of ruling with fear and becoming a new man as a result. Similarly, Boba should have been more selfish and resistant to ing the Sand People in the flashbacks, working with them out of necessity before eventually staying willingly. Star Wars characters tend to change drastically, but not usually all at once.
2 Boba Fett Could Have Been The Perfect Foil To Din Djarin
Maybe they would have become enemies
One aspect of The Mandalorian season 2 that did carry over to The Book of Boba Fett was the dynamic between Din Djarin and Boba Fett. Although Boba wasn't quite as rough as in The Mandalorian, he and Din Djarin still made a good team, with the latter's sense of honor in the face of certain death surprising the former. That said, Boba's character change meant that he and Din Djarin didn't complement each other quite as well as they used to, and it limited the potential of how their relationship could change going forward.
If Boba had remained more of a hardened warrior willing to do terrible things to get what he wanted, he would have been a much better foil to a man like Din Djarin. Perhaps Din Djarin would have cut ties with Boba after they had saved Mos Espa from the Pyke Syndicate, causing them to become enemies in the future. While this is only one possibility, it demonstrates how their differences create more story potential. Having Mandalorians (or characters in Mandalorian armor) with different backgrounds and philosophies made their interactions memorable in The Mandalorian season 2.
1 Star Wars Needs More Stories About Bad Guys
Not every lead needs to be a good guy
The biggest reason Boba Fett shouldn't have changed so drastically in The Book of Boba Fett is that Star Wars needs more stories with bad guys in the lead. While some Star Wars TV shows have certainly focused on morally gray leads, bad guys have rarely gotten time as the main characters. Novels like Star Wars: Darth Plagueis by James Luceno have shown fans how fantastic and refreshing stories can be when told from the villains' point of view. The Acolyte was originally marketed as a show about the Sith, but this promise wasn't fully delivered.
Despite being a crime lord, Boba doesn't commit many notable crimes and even refuses to get involved in the spice trade. While this clearly takes inspiration from The Godfather, it also comes across as Disney and Lucasfilm being afraid to make the main character too much of a bad person, requiring him to be a more noble man from the start. Maybe this was the best approach if executed better, but the occasional show about a bad guy isn't unreasonable. Hopefully, future Star Wars TV shows will learn from this, giving Boba Fett more of the qualities he once possessed.
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Boba Fett
A perfect clone of bounty hunter Jango Fett, Boba Fett inherited his father's profession and operated as a bounty hunter through the Clone Wars and the Dark Times of the Empire's reign. Believed killed on Tatooine, he survived and sought redemption of sorts after he was helped by native Tusken Raiders. In The Mandalorian era, Boba Fett now operates as a crime lord - having taken over Jabba the Hutt's old empire.
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The Book of Boba Fett
- Release Date
- December 29, 2021
- Showrunner
- Jon Favreau
- Directors
- Robert Rodriguez, Bryce Dallas Howard, Kevin Tancharoen, Steph Green
- Writers
- Dave Filoni
- Franchise(s)
- Star Wars
Cast
Ming-Na Wen
After pulling himself out of the Sarlaac pit, Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) is kidnapped by the Tusken Raiders. But after gaining their trust, Boba is able to return to Tatooine and claim Jabba the Hutt's throne with the help of Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen). The Book of Boba Fet also directly led into The Mandalorian season 3, which premiered in March 2023.
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