Who was at the end of The Mandalorian Chapter 9?

The ending of Chapter 9 of The Mandalorian hints at the return of an iconic Star Wars character.

At long last, a new season of The Mandalorian hit Disney+ on Friday. The season 2 premiere featured tons of action, some adorable The Child moments, and a menacing krayt dragon. However, the most buzz-worthy moment came just before the episode’s end.

Chapter 9 concludes with Mando escaping the krayt dragon’s belly and igniting a fatal blow that takes down the beast for good. Din’s reward for helping slay the beast is armor once worn by Boba Fett, the iconic bounty hunter who was presumed dead after he took a tumble into a Sarlacc pit in Return of the Jedi. Mando puts the armor on his speeder bike and takes off with the Child for their next adventure.

It appears the episode will end there, but then a mysterious figure comes into frame.

That would be enough of a tease — like Chapter 5 from last season — but the person then turns around, revealing the (battered) face of none other than Temuera Morrison. Given what we knew coming into season 2, it appears that Boba Fett is, in fact, alive.

Boba Fett: Back from the dead?

Let’s rewind for a second. The last time we saw Fett, he was as good as Sarlacc food. But, the character has become popular in Star Wars lore, and fans have wondered “What if?” regarding his survival.

Star Wars Legends stories have tackled Fett’s time in the pit and explained how he escaped, but Disney’s new canon hasn’t approached the subject directly — until now.

In May, ahead of season 2, news broke from The Hollywood Reporter that Temuera Morrison would return to the Star Wars universe to play Boba Fett in The Mandalorian. Morrison previously appeared in Attack of the Clones as the Mandalorian bounty hunter Jango Fett, Boba’s “father” (the latter is actually a genetic clone of Jango).

THR’s earlier report said that Fett is “expected to play just a small role” in season 2, but having his cameo this early could hint that there’s more in store.

How Boba Fett could fit into The Mandalorian season’s 2 story

The opening minutes of season 2 episode 9 laid out the Clan of Two’s focus plain and simple: find other Mandalorians. That’s why Din Djarin ends up in Mos Pelgo as he’s tracking a rumor that another Mando is there (it turns out that “Mando” is just sheriff Cobb Vanth wearing Boba Fett’s armor).

Having Fett make his appearance at the end of Chapter 9 is intriguing for many reasons. First off, it’s not clear if he’ll be a friend or foe. It’s logical to think that he’d be able to help Mando find more of his people, but Fett also isn’t a true Mandalorian, meaning he might not even have that information. Also, he doesn’t look pleased about his armor being in someone else’s hands.

Going off of that, we have no clue what Fett has been up to since surviving the Sarlacc pit. He’s not dressed in any fancy attire, signaling that he’s likely lived a nomad life in the desert (he appears to be carrying Tusken weapons on his back). Has he kept up with the fall of the Empire? Is he in hiding for aiding the Imperials? The benefits that he enjoyed during The Emperor’s reign won’t be same in a post-Empire galaxy.

Finally, there’s the context in which the bounty hunter appears. He comes into focus just as Mando drives away with his armor. For someone with as iconic of a look as Fett, he’s surely going to want it back. Our last sight of Fett is him walking away, implying that he’ll be actively tracking Mando and his armor.

Fett’s early cameo sets up multiple scenarios where he could play into season 2.

It’s possible that Chapter 10 dives right into Fett’s recent history and features a confrontation with Mando as he tries to repossess his armor. Or, Fett will loom in the background for several episodes and make a surprise appearance down the line. Then there’s the chance that Morrison’s “small role” is only this appearance and he’ll feature more heavily in seasons 3 or 4, which are already in the works.

The addition of Boba Fett has raised the level of intrigue regarding The Mandalorian season 2. Hopefully the show explores the many burning questions surrounding the bounty hunter’s return in the coming weeks.