Boba Fett: An in-depth history of the original Mandalorian bounty hunter
By Jason Ivey
We’re continuing the history of the Mandalorians by taking a closer look at Star Wars first bounty hunter to wear the iconic armor:n Boba Fett.
Long before the introduction of the titular character of the Disney + Star Wars show The Mandalorian, there was another more famous bounty hunter that wore the iconic armor of the Mandalorians. That man was Boba Fett.
Who is Boba Fett? What is his importance to the Star Wars galaxy? Why should we care? Read on to learn the history and significance of this legendary bounty hunter.
The Legend begins
Before Boba, there was another Fett that brought fear into the hearts of bounties throughout the Star Wars galaxy. Jango Fett was a legend in his own time who, like Din Djarin, was a foundling. Jango fought alongside a group called the True Mandalorians— a rival faction of the Death Watch— during the Mandalorian Civil War, also known as The Great Clan Wars (42 BBY). This may explain why he was so unceremoniously dismissed by Duchess Satine’s right-hand, Prime Minister Almec, during an investigation by Obi-Wan Kenobi.
Jango left the Mandalore system and used his warrior skills as a bounty hunter. His track record eventually caught the attention of Darth Tyranus, a.k.a., Count Dooku, who wanted to solicit the bounty hunter for a special project. Specifically, he was chosen to be the template for a clone army of the Grand Republic. Jango accepted the offer in exchange for a kingly fee and a special request.
As it turned out, that request would be for the Kaminoans to make an unaltered clone. Jango named this clone child Boba and raised him as his son. The question of whether Boba was considered a Mandalorian was a bit complicated, even though being Mandalorian wasn’t based on a specific race or species but rather a creed. Boba was raised under the super commando codex that its founder Jaster Mereel had passed onto Jango and the other foundlings/Mandos of the True Mandalorians.
As The Mandalorian series has revealed, there wasn’t any specific way of being a Mandalorian, as long as it incorporated the Resol’nare. So, even though Boba Fett would be considered an aruetiise (outsider) by some Mandalorians, he still belonged to the Mando’ade through his Chain Code or the lineage of his armor.
Boba Fett became an orphan during the opening battle of the Clone Wars on Geonosis after Jango was struck down by the legendary Jedi Master Mace Windu. This traumatic event would instill a hatred for the Jedi that Boba held well into adulthood. Although unconfirmed, it’s possible that the braids he wore as a trophy around his shoulder may have once belonged to Jedi he hunted down following Order 66, although others believe they were Wookie scalps. What is known was that his first foray into hunting a target came during an assassination mission against the same Jedi who killed his father.