The Book of Boba Fett was always going to falter in The Mandalorian’s shadow – there was no way for it to win. The Book of Boba Fett took on the extremely difficult task of highlighting a previously underdeveloped legacy character. Boba Fett was loved as a silent but deadly bounty hunter in the original Star Wars trilogy and Star Wars Legends, and the mystery behind this character and his iconic armor spawned an entirely new mythos. Though a young Boba Fett was seen in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones and Star Wars: The Clone Wars, there was still so much to be done with the character.
Boba’s reintroduction in The Mandalorian worked perfectly; he was skilled, fearsome, no-nonsense, and Temuera Morrison exuded the power that made the character so beloved in the first place. His partnership with Fennec Shand (Ming-Na Wen) was equally compelling, too. That short tease at the end of The Mandalorian season 2, in which Boba took his place on Jabba’s throne, was the perfect jumping-off point for a new series that would give Boba more complexity as a character. Unfortunately, however, the perfect Boba story had already been told, and the show never stood a chance.
The Book Of Boba Fett Season 2: Updates, Renewal, & Everything We Know
The Book of Boba Fett gave one of the most popular Original Trilogy characters their time in the spotlight – but will Boba Fett be back for season 2?
The Mandalorian Was Already A Success With A Boba Fett Character
After his encounter with the Sarlacc in Return of the Jedi, any potential for Boba Fett’s character in canon seemed to have been squandered. As such, there was more than enough room in Star Wars for another lone Mandalorian bounty hunter to take his place; one that was just as mysterious, skilled, and complex as Boba. Enter Din Djarin, a character so popular he changed the course of Star Wars’ storytelling forever. Without the weight of Boba’s iconic legacy on his shoulders, Din could become anyone the story needed him to be, a cornerstone of the Mandalorian legendarium. Din Djarin had essentially replaced Boba Fett.
Boba Fett’s Story Had Already Been Told Through Din Djarin
The best characters change and develop throughout a story. An event or a person changes how they see the world and their role within it, and they become someone else because of it. In The Mandalorian, Din Djarin was tasked with recovering Grogu, and the rest is history. Grogu burrowed his way into Din’s heart, and Din’s solitary life became about protecting Grogu at all costs and vice versa. A ruthless bounty hunter opened himself up and found someone else to live for.
It’s a tale as old as time, but one that would have worked equally well for Boba Fett. Unfortunately, because The Mandalorian had already told a version of this story so effectively, The Book of Boba Fett was forced to change direction. Audiences would have felt cheated if The Book of Boba Fett had told such a similar story, and so other storylines were inserted into the show instead; Boba Fett’s hardened heart softened because of the Tuskens, but this was tragically cut short after they were brutally slaughtered. That’s where the show went wrong.
Boba’s story of revenge could have been compelling, but it became a jumbled mess instead, interspersed with Tatooine politics and stories related to entirely different characters. There wasn’t much choice, though. Boba Fett’s most important Legends story, in which he essentially became the Mand’alor – the leader of the Mandalorian people – had already been absorbed by Din Djarin when he won the Darksaber in combat in The Mandalorian season 2 and Bo-Katan Kryze became his sole rival for the role.
Boba Fett’s Own Show Had Nothing Else To Build On
As a result, Boba’s show had nothing left to build on. Din Djarin had taken up Boba’s space in the franchise, and as The Book of Boba Fett was essentially a spinoff of The Mandalorian, Star Wars forced it to push Din and Grogu’s stories forward as well. Boba became a secondary character in his own show, even though the final fight on Tatooine was the result of his primary conflict. Din Djarin’s reunion with Grogu during the battle even overshadowed Boba’s face-off with Cad Bane, perhaps the only major character besides Fennec Shand directly related to Boba’s history in the series.
That should have been a big moment, but because the show needed to service The Mandalorian’s story, it fell by the wayside, and audiences who had never watched The Clone Wars would have been confused by their rivalry. Perhaps Boba Fett’s show should have used his fight with Cad Bane as the primary narrative; perhaps it should have been a movie instead. As it stands now, The Mandalorian overshadowed it completely, and The Book of Boba Fett never had the chance to realize its full potential.
The Book of Boba Fett
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.
- Release Date
- December 29, 2021
- Cast
- Temuera Morrison , Ming-Na Wen , Pedro Pascal
- Seasons
- 1
- Writers
- Jon Favreau , Noah Kloor , Dave Filoni
- Streaming Service(s)
- Disney+
- Franchise(s)
- Star Wars
- Directors
- Robert Rodriguez , Dave Filoni , Bryce Dallas Howard , Kevin Tancharoen , Steph Green
- Showrunner
- Jon Favreau
