The Tusken kid from The Book of Boba Fett could still be alive

Chapter 3 of The Book of Boba Fett, “The Streets of Mos Espa,” shocked Star Wars fans when it flashed back to Boba discovering the Tusken Raider tribe he’d been with on Tatooine had been massacred.

Despite some fans’ conflicted feelings about the Tuskens’ fate, the scene was both heartbreaking and beautifully directed, acted, and captured. The moment Boba picks up the young Tusken’s gaffi stick — the same Tusken he had formed a close bond with over the last two episodes — sent a collective gasp throughout the Star Wars fandom.

Immediately we all had the same horrible realization: “They’re gone.” But what if they aren’t?

We may have seen their gaffi stick, but we didn’t see a body. The lady-warrior and the kid very well could have escaped and could return later on in the timeline — especially since Boba was specifically told that the tribe survives primarily by hiding. He may have told them they didn’t have to hide anymore. But that was before. This is now. When in mortal danger, one will always revert to their deepest-rooted survival instincts.

It’s easy to forget that just because one group of Tusken Raiders has ceased to exist doesn’t mean there aren’t more out there. This could mean two things for the future of the show: One, that at least two Tuskens escaped the attack and fled to other tribes they knew would willingly accept them as refugees.

Two: Those same Tuskens might come back when Boba is the one in real danger in the present.

You may have come into The Book of Boba Fett expecting a show about a retired bounty hunter making shady deals with crime lords and navigating the Tatooine underworld in as few words as possible. But you’re getting a show about a real man with a heart who very well might reunite with Baby Tusken and live happily ever after surrounded by sand.

Ming-Na Wen did say the finale would bring on the payoff. Just you wait.

The Book of Boba Fett is streaming now exclusively on Disney+.