Star Wars: Is Boba Fett a clone?

Dickey Beer and Jeremy Bulloch in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). Photo: Lucasfilm.
Dickey Beer and Jeremy Bulloch in Star Wars: Episode VI - Return of the Jedi (1983). Photo: Lucasfilm.

In The Empire Strikes Back, Darth Vader tasks several bounty hunters with finding the Millenium Falcon. Among the lineup is an unlikely-looking bunch. From an IG unit to the Trandoshan named Bossk. But out of that group emerged a victor — one of the greatest bounty hunters of all time: Boba Fett.

The character first technically appeared in animated form during the Star Wars Holiday Special that aired two years prior. But once he was finally introduced into the live-action world, many people were instantly attracted to the coolness and mystique that shrouded the hunter.

In the original trilogy, he may as well have been just another human. But once the prequel trilogy emerged, we learned something completely new about Boba Fett as a young boy. His father, as we found out in Attack of the Clones, was a bounty hunter named Jango Fett. And Jango Fett was the human who lent his DNA to the scientists of Kamino so that they could create thousands of clones in his likeness for the Grand Army of the Republic.

With Boba Fett being Jango’s “son,” that led some to wonder: is Boba Fett a clone of Jango Fett, or is he his biological son?

Boba Fett’s origins explained

As it was revealed in Attack of the Clones, yes, Boba Fett is a clone. Though Jango is considered his “father,” he is nothing more than another clone of Jango who was created on Kamino.

There is a difference between Boba and the rest of the clones who were part of the army, though. The clones were created with modifications so that they could grow/age more rapidly, ensuring that the creation process for a fully adult clone army was reduced. In addition, there were also some behavioral modifications that would make them more susceptible to orders.

But, per Jango’s request, one clone would be created without any of those modifications. And thus, he was gifted his son Boba by the Kaminoans. In this regard, Boba had more freedom to do what he wanted compared to the other clones. And this is why we eventually see him follow in the footsteps of being like his father, a bounty hunter.

Recently, we learned more about Jango and Boba’s past in The Mandalorian season 2. And even The Clone Wars has touched on Boba’s past as a child. But we’ll likely learn a lot more about his character once The Book of Boba Fett comes to Disney+ this December.

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