Chapter 14 of The Mandalorian reveals new truths about the Fetts that make them more nuanced characters.
Warning: There are spoilers ahead for The Mandalorian “Chapter 14: The Tragedy.”
Boba Fett was many fans’ first introduction to the concept of Mandalorians. As the lore of Mandalorians became more extensive and complicated over time, fans debated whether Boba or Jango Fett were actually Mandalorian or if they were just bounty hunters who wore Mandalorian armor.
The debate was settled for some while it became more complex for others in season 2 of The Clone Wars when Mandalore’s Prime Minister Almec told Obi-Wan Kenobi that “Jango Fett was a common bounty hunter. How he acquired that armor is beyond me.”
Beyond the debate of whether or not the Fetts were technically Mandalorian, some fans loved the Fetts while others thought they were overrated, particularly in the case of Boba. While they have an undeniably cool look and are formidable bounty hunters, they lacked the kind of nuance that could make them truly compelling characters.
After his brief appearance at the end of The Mandalorian’s season 2 premiere, Boba Fett played a substantial, game-changing role in “Chapter 14: The Tragedy.” In this episode, Boba not only enriched his own story but also enriched the story of his father Jango Fett.
After getting more action and proving himself to be more of a bad*ss than he’d been in any of the movies, the game-changing character development moment came when Din Djarin was shown the chain code encoded in Boba Fett’s armor. The chain code made Din realize that just like him, Jango Fett was a Mandalorian foundling. Boba mentioned that his father even fought in the Mandalorian Civil Wars and Din conceded that the armor did indeed belong to Boba Fett.
This confirms that Jango Fett was a Mandalorian in the same sense that Din Djarin is. It retcons Prime Minister Almec’s assertion in The Clone Wars and the widely held belief that the Fetts aren’t Mandalorian after all. Almec probably didn’t view foundlings as true Mandalorians, meaning that he wouldn’t have viewed Din Djarin as a true Mandalorian either. There’s also the possibility that Almec might not have known that Jango Fett was a Mandalorian foundling in the first place and assumed Fett had just stolen the armor.
Jango Fett’s Mandalorian history also recontextualizes some of his motivations and actions in the prequel trilogy. Just as Mandalorians took him in as a child and helped him, Jango probably wanted to do the same thing for a child, which was likely the real reason he adopted Boba. It was more than just Jango wanting his legacy to live on. This makes Boba a Mandalorian foundling just like his father and it makes the Fetts’ relationship more meaningful, not to mention Boba witnessing Jango’s death at the hands of Mace Windu is now even more tragic.
Jango wasn’t just a ruthless bounty hunter who came into the service of Count Dooku and served as the genetic template for the Grand Army of the Republic. His beliefs and his moral code must’ve been shaped by the Mandalorians who took him in as a foundling. He sought to defend those beliefs by fighting alongside traditionalist Mandalorians in the Mandalorian Civil Wars.
That honorable code seems to have found its way into Boba Fett’s heart as he emphasized that his deal with Din Djarin wasn’t complete. He initially agreed to ensure the safety of Grogu (Baby Yoda) for the safe return of his armor. Even though he has his armor back, Boba Fett believes he is in Din’s debt until Grogu is safely returned. Clearly, Boba Fett is now much more than a cutthroat bounty hunter.
These unexpected and thrilling developments have humanized Boba and Jango Fett. They have also opened the door for an unparalleled team-up of Boba Fett and Din Djarin, not to mention Fennec Shand and some of Din’s other allies as well. Hopefully, they will be strong enough to save Grogu from Moff Gideon’s sinister clutches.