Warning! Spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian season 2, episode 6 “The Tragedy”
The latest episode of The Mandalorian brought back several characters and elements not just from previous episodes of the Disney+ series, but also referenced history that had been considered non-canonical to the Star Wars timeline until now. Titled “The Tragedy,” the 14th chapter of The Mandalorian saw the return of Boba Fett (Temuera Morrison) to the series after his debut in the first episode, proving his claim to the armor Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) took from Tatooine by revealing the past of his late father Jango Fett. In doing so, Boba Fett’s references a popular comic miniseries that every Mando and Star Wars fan should read (especially now that it’s part of the official timeline again).
In Chapter 14, The Mandalorian Din Djarin placed young Grogu on the seeing stone on the planet Tython, hoping that the child will be able to call out with the Force so that a Jedi might come to collect him. While he waits, Djarin spots a ship coming in for a landing and it’s none other than Slave 1, the classic ship belonging to Boba Fett himself. Heading down to meet them, it’s revealed that Fett recovered the sharpshooter Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) on Tatooine, and she’s now working for him. Hoping to retrieve his armor that Djarin had recovered from Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant), Fett is prepared to eliminate Grogu if Djarin doesn’t comply, though promising the child’s safety if he hands the armor over. While Din Djarin is initially skeptical that Fett has a claim on the armor, Fett proves it to the fellow bounty hunter after Moff Gideon’s Imperial troops attacked and took Grogu. Having donned his armor in the midst of the firefight that occurred, Boba shows Djarin his armor’s chain code, which not only proves his claim, but communicates volumes about his father’s past, who was the armor’s original owner.
While the chain code itself is written in the Mandalorian language of Mando’a, it can be translated into English, sharing some key details about Jango’s past:
“Foundling, Took into th…, The year, the…, Concord Dawn, Mentor Jaste…, Father Fett, Boba, Fett.”
Boba goes on to confirm that his father Jango was a Mandalorian foundling (just like Djarin), and even fought in the Mandalorian Civil Wars. While this confirms Jango and Boba’s status within the Mandalorian culture that had long been in doubt by fans, the elements translated from the chain code further reveal that Jango’s origins are from the 2002 Dark Horse Comics miniseries Jango Fett: Open Seasons. This is significant as it means that this comics is now once more a part of the official Star Wars timeline, no longer being considered Legends (pre-Disney materials beyond the films/shows).
In Open Seasons, Jango Fett’s family was caught in the crossfire of the Mandalorian Civil Wars on the planet Concord Dawn. The rival groups’ battling near the Fett’s homestead resulted in the deaths of Jango’s parents by the hands of the rouge Mandalorian group known as the Death Watch (coincidentally the group that adopted Din Djarin years later during the Clone Wars). Jango himself was adopted as a foundling by the true Mandalorian leader, Jaster Mereel (which the chain code has now confirmed).
Years later, Jango would grow up to be a fearless Mandalorian, having been taken under the wing of Jaster himself (up until Mereel’s death by the hands of the Death Watch). After a few more years fighting, Jango would leave the Mandalorians and strike out on his own as a private bounty hunter, eventually being hired by Count Dooku to serve as the genetic template for the Republic’s clone army for the upcoming Clone Wars.
The Mandalorian showrunner Dave Filoni (who also produced The Clone Wars and Star Wars: Rebels) excels at reintegrating the best parts of Legends stories back into the official canon proper, and Open Seasons‘ feature in this latest episode is a perfect example. With one short scene and discoverable Easter Egg, Dave Filoni and co-producer Jon Favreau have created an immensely satisfying resolution to the Fetts’ past for fans, using story elements that had already existed and been loved by fans to begin with. Here’s hoping the trend continues and the series continues, which will no doubt see Djarin, Fett, and more coming together to rescue Grogu from Moff Gideon and his dark forces.
