When Star Wars fans hear the words "bounty hunter," their first thoughts drift to Boba Fett. After all, he remains the most iconic of the franchise. But what about the Trandoshan known as Bossk? While he didn't get as much screen time in the original trilogy, he has gone on to appear in numerous related media, including The Clone Wars and Rebels TV shows.
There's a lot that Star Wars fans don't know about Bossk, which is why we're counting down 10 things they might find interesting about this intimidating reptilian killer! Let's hope disintegrations are off the table!
He Was Boba Fett's Mentor
Bossk had a reputation for working alone, and he disliked the company of other bounty hunters despite his willingness to work with them to complete a contract. Young Boba Fett was a special case, however. Bossk took the young clone under his wing and taught him the bounty hunter's ways.
He also participated in Fett's original scheme to exact revenge on Mace Windu for the killing of his father Jango, though Bossk had to true stake in the outcome. Later, Fett would become his principal rival during the Imperial days, with both competing for lucrative contracts.
He Was A Wookiee Killer
Bossk excelled at taking out any foe, but he was especially good at tracking and killing Wookiees, which was no small feat even for highly skilled combatants. While it doesn't appear that Bossk harbored a hatred for the Wookiee race, it may have played a factor.
As such, Bossk is one of the few bounty hunters in the galaxy to give Chewbacca reason to pause and take notice. With an arsenal of deadly weaponry and keen predatory instincts at his disposal, a strong Wookiee provides an irresistible challenge.
The Empire Wiped His Criminal Record Clean
When the Empire came to power, it formed an alliance with the Bounty Hunter's Guild in order to utilize their services to assassinate or apprehend targets of interest. At the time, Bossk's criminal record was filthy, even suffering imprisonment by the Republic before its eventual fall.
The Empire wiped Bossk's criminal record clean in order to give him a special to engage in bounty hunting on their behalf. From the Empire's standpoint, it was a mutually beneficial arrangement.
He Was Ruthless, But Honorable
Bossk was a killer with a ruthless heart, and little mercy for those who crossed him. He would hunt his targets with relentless aggression, and wouldn't hesitate to bring them in dead if they contract allowed it.
That being said, he also followed the Bounty Hunter's Code to a T, and always paid his debts regardless of who held them. He even honored a deal with young street urchin Ezra Bridger on Lothal, proving that there were lines he would not cross.
The Doctor Who Connection
Bossk's outfit as seen in The Empire Strikes Back was actually a re-used outfit previously seen in the 1966 Doctor Who story "The Tenth Planet," featuring the first appearance of the Cybermen.
According to records, the outfit was a High Altitude Windak Pressure Suit previously used by Britain's Royal Air Force during the 60's. This suit was further recycled in several scenes from A New Hope and Return Of The Jedi, most notably donned by A-Wing pilots.
He Never Returned To The Clone Wars TV Series
Bossk was slated to return in an season of The Clone Wars before the show was canceled. According to rumor, the bounty hunter would have been part of a multi-episode story arc which brought back Boba Fett.
When The Clone Wars returned for a final season in 2020, this storyline was scrapped in favor of one which bridged the gap between the TV series and the events of Revenge Of The Sith, instead.
He Was Certified By The Empire
To make his status as a bounty hunter official, the Empire gave Bossk an Imperial Peace-Keeping Certificate. Ludicrous in name, it was actually a bounty hunter's license which allowed the carrier to access the Imperial Enforcement DataCore and gain access to valuable knowledge.
While having such a license was valuable to a bounty hunter of Bossk's caliber, it came with a price - 25 credits per day to access the DataCore. It is the bounty hunter's equivalent of 007's license to kill, and Bossk never hesitated in using it.
He Was Deadly At Hand-To-Hand Combat
Bossk tended to rely on his Relby V-10 and a collection of weapons (including dioxis grenades) to subdue and/or kill his foes, but he was just as capable of throwing down in a fist-fight, as well.
The Trandoshan displayed his hand-to-hand combat effectiveness several times, including a gladiatorial fight at the Monad Outpost on Lothal. There, he beat two opponents into submission at the same time, demonstrating his fighting prowess for all to see.
He Was Played By Alan Harris
The name Alan Harris might not seem special upon first glance, but he was a vital cog in the original Star Wars trilogy, playing multiple roles as different characters across all three films.
Harris portrayed a Rebel escort, a mechanic and a Stormtrooper in A New Hope, a Hoth Rebel and a Bespin guard in The Empire Strikes Back, and a Stormtrooper in Return Of The Jedi. He also body-doubled for Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, and Jeremy Bulloch as Boba Fett. If that weren't enough, his body was used as the mold for Han Solo frozen in carbonite, and he stood in for Terence Stamp in The Phantom Menace. Quite a track record!
He Might Show Up In The Mandalorian
There's no reason to think Bossk won't show up in future episodes of The Mandalorian, especially given the fact that Din Djarin has already squared off against two Trandoshans, already.
With talk of Boba Fett showing up in Season 2, it only stands to reason that his old mentor Bossk would make an appearance, as well. It would be interesting to see how the two play off of each other in a post-Imperial galaxy.
