Famous Mandalorians from the Old Republic through the Clone Wars era

3. JANGO FETT

Group Affiliation(s): Clan Fett, True Mandalorians, Bounty Hunters Guild, Kaminoans, The Sith (Darth Tyranus)
Age: 44
Ht: 5’ 7″ (1.76 meters)
Wt: 165 lbs (75 kg)
Eye Color: Dark Brown
Hair Color: Black
Species: Human, Tan-skinned
Gender: Male

Homeworld: Concord Dawn

Occupation: Bounty Hunter

Adversaries: Tor Vizsla, Death Watch, The Jedi, Mace Windu, Montross, Komari Vosa +

Relatives: Parents and sister, Aria (all deceased), Jaster Mereel (adopted father), Boba Fett (clone son), Clones of the Galactic Republic

First Appearance: Star Wars: Episode II — Attack of the Clones

Character History:

Jango Fett was born 66 years prior to the Battle of Yavin (BBY) on the planet Concord Dawn in the Mandalore system. He lived a simple life in a farming community until the day that two warring factions of Mandalorians — the Death Watch and the True Mandalorians — came to his family’s nearby fields. This incursion ended with Jango’s parents and sister, Aria, being slain.  Later, after defeating Death Watch in an ambush in the nearby town, Jaster Mereel — the man that Jango’s parents had aided — took the youngest Fett and adopted him as a foundling into his group.

Jango was taught the Supercommando Codex by his adopted family and grew up to become one of their most valuable members. Jango fought in the ongoing Mandalorian Civil Wars where once again the True Mandalorians and the Death Watch clashed. His adopted father/mentor, Jaster Mereel, would eventually perish in battle after his second-in-command, Montross, betrayed his leader and allowed him to be brutally struck down by Vizsla. Jango would then go on to become the new leader of the True Mandalorians.

An alliance between Death Watch and a corrupt governor of the planet Galidraan resulted in the honorable True Mandalorians that Jango led being framed for a massacre that Vizsla’s group was guilty of slaughtering. The corrupt politician then called upon the Jedi to deal with Jango’s faction. Count Dooku — at this time still a young Jedi master — was sent alongside his padawan and a Jedi strike team to deal with this perceived threat. Although innocent of the charges, Jango nonetheless remained defiant and attacked Dooku and his comrades.

During the Battle of Galidraan, Jango killed six of the Jedi by himself, with a total of eleven perishing in all. Despite this, his squad still suffered the greatest losses, as he and one other named Silas, were the only True Mandalorians that survived this battle. Jango was subdued and then carried back to the corrupt governor for punishment. The ruler proceeded to have Jango stripped of his armor and sold into bound servitude aboard a spice transport ship.

Jango eventually escaped from his slavers and reclaimed his armor from the sleemo Galidraanian governor. He then tracked down Vizsla who was on Corellia and confronted his old foe in a tense, drawn-out fight. Eventually, Jango gained the upper-hand and succeed in avenging his family and mentor by slaying Vizsla in combat.

Afterwards though, Jango found that Mandalore no longer held a place for him, as it had abandoned its warrior past and been replaced by a pacifist government called the New Mandalorians. So, Jango did what many other Mandalorians before him had done — he took up the bounty hunting profession.

Years later, in a strange twist of fate, Jango would cross paths with a familiar face from his past — the Jedi master Dooku. Since their last encounter Dooku had abandoned the Jedi Order and was currently serving the Sith as Darth Tyranus. Jango was chosen to compete with another former True Mandalorian-turned-bounty hunter named, Montross, for the honor of serving as the template for a clone army. Their mission was to track down Dooku’s former Jedi apprentice, Komari Vosa, who had abandoned the Jedi Order and founded a Force-worshiping/terrorist cult called the Bando Gora.

Jango succeeded in winning the competition against his rival, after beating him in Mando-á-Mando combat and then leaving the wounded Montross in a ceremonial arena to fend for himself against the Bando Gora cultists, who proceeded rip him to shreds. Jango then confronted the former Jedi-now-turned-cult leader, but was overpowered. Thankfully, Zam Wesell — his Clawdite bounty hunting partner — showed up to give him the upper-hand to end her threat to the galaxy in true Mandalorian fashion.

Along with receiving an extravagant payment for his DNA, Jango requested one other thing: an unaltered clone to raise as his son. Jango’s clone-son, Boba Fett, was raised in the Mandalorian ways that he had been as a foundling.

Sadly, though, Jango would not live to see his son follow in his footsteps or have a different life of his own. This occurred after Jango was struck down in a confrontation with Jedi Master, Mace Windu, during the First Battle of Geonosis.

Powers/Skills: Jango Fett was an extremely skilled soldier from his many years of combat experience fighting in the Mandalorian Civil Wars. This made him adept at using both different types of weapons, to hand-to-hand dueling as well. Jango also proved that he was capable of fighting and defeating Jedi one-on-one or when attacked by groups of them. Also, he possessed superior talents as a bounty hunter that put him on the upper echelon of those within his profession.

Spaceship: Slave 1 (Firespray-31-Interceptor) — A prison patrol/transport ship and attack craft. This vertical-oriented flying ship came equipped with twin blaster cannons, two rapid-firing laser cannons,  and most impressive of all — the Void-7 seismic charger launcher — which unleashed an epic shockwave of destruction.

Weapons: Boba’s armor had many hidden features including: a whipcord, a miniature flame-thrower, and a retractable blade. He also used specialty weapons like the Kamino poison dart that he used to silence fellow bounty hunter, Zam Wesell. His favored weapons to use, though, were his pair of custom-fit WESTAR-34 blaster pistols that fired bolts of red plasma.

Errm. A Mandalorian he is, or isn’t? According to the Star Wars: Jango Fett — Open Seasons mini-series, Jango Fett inherited the mantle of Mand’alor after his adopted father and mentor, Jaster Mereel, died. Cool.

However, during the Clone Wars series, Prime Minister Almec later denied Jango’s Mandalorian status to an inquiring Obi-Wan Kenobi. No-ooo. Say it isn’t so.

Later, on The Mandalorian season 2, sixth episode titled: “The Tragedy,” Boba Fett’s chain code confirmed that Jango Fett actually was a Mandalorian. So…yeah.

Interestingly, George Lucas didn’t want Jango Fett to be a Mandalorian. Why George, what did Jango do to you?