The titular hero in the Disney+ Star Wars series The Mandalorian shares passing similarities with another fan-favorite character from the original trilogy: Boba Fett. They wear the same uniform and are both bounty hunters. A thrilling season of The Book of Boba Fett was released after Season 2 of The Mandalorian, while The Mandalorian Season 3 just recently concluded. A fourth season is in development, and plotlines from both series alongside Ahoska will converge in a theatrically released movie directed by Dave Filoni.
Updated May 18, 2023: If you loved The Book of Boba Fett, you'll be happy to know we've updated this article with additional information regarding the fan-favorite bounty hunter.
The concept of a Mandalorian starts with Boba Fett, which was used to describe his armor and was fleshed out in novels and comics. Yet both Boba Fett and his father, Jango, have an interesting relationship with actually being called Mandalorians. In Star Wars: The Clone Wars, a Mandalorian politician says Jango Fett was a common bounty hunter who somehow acquired the armor, but later installments showed he was adopted by Mandalorians. Boba Fett says aloud he is not a Mandalorian in season 2 of The Mandalorian, but his chain code indicates the armor was passed down from his father and a long line of Mandalorians. As we await the return of Boba Fett, he is the answer to if Boba Fett is a Mandalorian or not.
A Closer Look At Boba Fett
With his customized Mandalorian armor, deadly weaponry, and silent demeanor, Boba Fett (played by Jeremy Bulloch in the original Star Wars trilogy and now Temuera Morrison) was one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy. A genetic clone of his "father," bounty hunter Jango Fett — who Morrison also portrayed in Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones — Boba learned combat and martial skills from a young age. Over the course of his career, which included contracts for the Empire and Jabba the Hutt, he became a legend.
In season 2 of The Mandalorian, it's established that the Fetts are considered foundlings, with armor gifted by Mandalorians; therefore, Boba is Mandalorian in the same way that Mando (played by Pedro Pascal) is a Mandalorian. While Boba Fett is taught the ways of the Mandalorians and wears the armor of the bounty hunters on that planet, as a clone, he doesn't really have a homeland nor grows up among Mandalorian culture. While Jango was adopted by Mandalorians and grew up near the system, Boba grew up on Kamino, and his only connection to his culture was his father. When his father died, Boba set out on his own and likely feels a great deal of distance from Mandalorians.
Boba's Young Life
In the animated series Star Wars: The Clone Wars, fans get a look at how Boba survived after the death of his father. Contrary to what might be expected, young Boba never went to any other Mandalorians for help. While his father was constantly referenced as a Mandalorian, it appears that Boba does not feel any particular connection to the culture. He had no other family or community to go to, at least that the audience saw.
Instead, Boba found himself with some of his father's allies, virtually all of whom are bounty hunters. Aurra Sing (Jamie King) took Boba in for a while, helping him hunt down the Jedi who killed his father. During this mission, Boba finds himself hiding among the other Clone Troopers. He shares the same DNA with all of them, as they are all clones of his father. Boba does display some attachment to them. Perhaps, in Boba's mind, the other clones are the closest thing he has to a family. While he ends up spending far more time with the bounty hunters, and he obviously chooses to follow in their footsteps, Boba may feel more connected to the clone army than to the Mandalorians he never grew up with.
What Does Boba Fett Think?
It's in episode 8 of The Mandalorian season 2 that Boba at last claims he's not Mandalorian. "Boba Fett is a clone, according to Attack of the Clones, and by asking George Lucas, he would say Boba Fett is not Mandalorian, not born on Mandalore," said director Dave Filoni to Entertainment Weekly. "He's more of a person indoctrinated into it, into the way of life, and gets a hold of the armor."
Meanwhile, speaking to EW about Pascal's titular character, showrunner Jon Favreau said, "Our guy is a Mandalorian, and we definitely explore the culture of the Mandalorian." This certainly helps clear up some major ambiguity about the ways someone can be Mandalorian besides an ethnicity.
Boba Fett was originally one of the main villains in the Star Wars universe, but his series shifted him to more of an anti-hero. This was seen as a disappointment by some as it took some of the edges out of one of their favorite Star Wars villains. Yet tracking Boba Fett's development over the entire franchise in comics, films, and television series shows that he was at his most ruthlessness during the time of the Empire. While after the Empire fell, he became a more honorable man, one similar to his father, or at least the idea of his father.
What Does It Mean To Be A Mandalorian
Season 3 of The Mandalorian showed the various factions of Mandalorians coming together to reclaim their homeland. Since Star Wars: The Clone Wars, audiences have seen the Mandalorian culture fractured with various subsets arguing on what it means to be a Mandalorian. Din Djarrin's sect of Mandalorian believes they are not allowed to remove their helmets, while Bo Katan's faction freely removes their helmet.
These differences left many different meanings of what constituted a Mandalorian, but by the end, the two groups came together to be one united Mandalorian people. Different, but all united in their beliefs. Mandalorian is not a species, it is a culture. One can be born into it or adopted. One can convert or walk away. Boba Fett himself may not recognize himself as a Mandalorian, and that is his choice. Yet by the rules now laid out in the Mandalorian, he is as much a member of the clan as Din Djarrin or Bo Katan.
The Future of Boba Fett
Temuera Morrison’s Boba Fett and Ming-Na Wen’s Fennec Shand appeared in the first two seasons of The Mandalorian. So, there’s a good chance they, along with other characters from The Book of Boba Fett, could appear in The Mandalorian Season 4. In The Book of Boba Fett, Din reunites with the titular antihero and helps him defeat the Pyke Syndicate. Boba and Din are clear allies whose paths will likely cross again. Morrison confirmed he was left on standby to return in The Mandalorian season 3, but he never got a call. This is particularly interesting as season 3 was all about reclaiming Mandalore and uniting the Mandalorian people.
With Din and Grogu’s continuing storyline in The Book of Boba Fett, and their adorable tease in the finale, fans can’t wait to see what happens next. Talks of season four of The Mandalorian suggest that Din and Grogu's adventures will continue to overlap with other Star Wars projects, so it is possible that the bounty hunters could meet up again then. There is also no word on a renewal for The Book of Boba Fett. However, there are several other Star Wars projects in the works that might include overlaps of both Boba’s and Din’s stories. Rosario Dawson’s fan-favorite Ahsoka Tano's character is getting her own spinoff series, and given that takes place in the same timeline, Boba Fett could appear in that series. It is highly likely that Boba Fett will return in the new Star Wars movie that will unite the various Disney+ series.