The Book of Boba Fett keeps hinting Fennec Shand is actually a villain

This post contains spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett Chapter 4 “The Gathering Storm.”

Fennec Shand is quickly becoming one of the most prominent characters in Star Wars TV. She first appeared in Season 1 of The Mandalorian and returned in Season 2. The end credits of that season finale revealed she would go on to appear in The Book of Boba Fett — but not before she made her animation debut in Star Wars: The Bad Batch.

In the animated Star Wars series that debuted on Disney+ last year, Shand is portrayed as a villain, hired to trick and capture Omega in order to return her to Kamino unharmed. In The Book of Boba Fett, she is, much like Boba Fett himself, neither a hero nor a villain. She’s an assassin standing by Fett’s side in hopes to change the landscape of Tatooine’s ruling heads and bounty hunting as we know it.

But Chapter 4 of The Book of Boba Fett “The Gathering Storm” hints that Fennec Shand might not be on Fett’s side for long … or that she never really has been at all. When discussing bounty hunting as a profession, the two disagree about whether or not things need to change. Fett advocates for better working conditions. Shand argues that better working conditions would put people like her out of work.

Later in the episode, after Fett comes to an agreement with the ruling families of the area, Shand asks: “Do you trust them?” This could be written off as harmless foreshadowing. It’s possible Fett will absolutely be betrayed despite coming to an agreement with other territory rulers on Tatooine. But Shand could also be testing Fett. Seeing how much faith he’s willing to put into those he barely knows in order to get what he wants.

Perhaps she’s been working against him this whole time, and is waiting for the right time to strike. It did take her quite a long time to respond to the Black Krrsantan attack in the palace. Is she the one who let the Wookiee in?

From what we know about Boba Fett, it’s unlikely he doesn’t see Shand’s plans if she is in fact plotting to take him down. He may be a changed man, but he’s not stupid. Shand may think he’s gone too soft, but maybe he’s just learned to hide his best defenses until he needs them most.

Perhaps, by the finale, we’ll know where Fennec Shand’s true loyalties lie once and for all.

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