The 12 Best Boba Fett Moments In Star Wars Shows And Movies
Boba Fett is one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars universe. At first, the near-silent Mandalorian bounty hunter fascinated viewers because he was shrouded in mystery. Who was this armored warrior? Where did he come from? What are his goals? For decades, Star Wars refused to offer an explanation.
Although Fett's role in "The Empire Strikes Back" and "Return of the Jedi" was relatively small, he became more prominent in the Expanded Universe, where it was revealed that he had not perished in the Sarlacc Pit. Fett's backstory was finally explored in the Star Wars prequels. "Attack of the Clones" revealed that Boba was a clone of Jango Fett, the bounty hunter who provided the template for the Republic's clone troopers. However, Boba wasn't an ordinary clone. Unlike the other soldiers, who aged at an accelerated rate, Boba's genetics weren't altered. Jango raised him as his son, teaching Boba the brutal skills that made Jango one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy.
Fett was the first Mandalorian in Star Wars media. The armored warriors and have since became a favorite among Star Wars writers, who have expanded Mandalorian culture in shows like "The Clone Wars," "Rebels," and the first live-action Star Wars television show, "The Mandalorian." But for many fans, Boba Fett is still the best — these are his best moments on the big and small screens.
Boba's first appearance in The Star Wars Holiday Special
Although Boba Fett captured first captured fans' imaginations in "The Empire Strikes Back," his debut actually came at one of the lowest points of the entire franchise. In November 1978, CBS aired "The Star Wars Holiday Special," a two-hour variety show featuring the original "Star Wars" cast alongside guest stars like Art Carney, Bea Arthur, Harvey Korman, and Jefferson Starship. Featuring comedy sketches tied together by a loose narrative that follows Luke, Leia, Han, R2-D2, and C-3PO as they travel to the Wookiee home world of Kashyyyk to celebrate "Life Day," the special was so famously derided that it only ever aired once. With no official re-release by Lucasfilm in any format, "The Star Wars Holiday Special" is only watchable by those who manage to get their hands on a bootleg copy.
The one bright spot in the special is the nine-minute animated segment "The Story of the Faithful Wookiee," which follows the main heroes after they're stranded on the planet Panna. While searching for Han and Chewie, Luke befriends Boba Fett. Fett offers to help Luke, but Chewie suspects that the enigmatic stranger "doesn't smell right," and discovers that he's an agent of Darth Vader. When his deception is revealed, Fett blasts away in his jetpack, promising he'll face them soon enough.
Although the full special is still locked away, "The Story of the Faithful Wookiee" can be seen on Disney+.
"No disintegrations"
After "The Star Wars Holiday Special," Fett was a prominent figure in the marketing for "The Empire Strikes Back." In the film, Fett is recruited by Darth Vader to track down the Millennium Falcon. The Dark Lord invites Fett and the bounty hunters Dengar, Bossk, IG-88, 4-LOM, and Zuckuss aboard the bridge of his Star Destroyer to explain the mission.
Each of the six hunters have fearsome reputations in their own right, but Fett is the only one that Vader singles out. When explaining that he wants Solo captured alive, he tells Fett that there will be "no disintegrations." Fett's reply? "As you wish." Whether Fett is being sarcastic or knows Vader well enough to comply is unclear. Either way, a character who earns that type of attention from a Sith Lord must be unbelievably cool.
It doesn't take Fett long to complete Vader's task. He hides his stealthy spacecraft in an asteroid belt and covertly follows the Millennium Falcon to Cloud City. Vader springs his trap, and when he shows up to surprise Han, Leia, and Chewie, Fett is by his side.
Escaping with Han Solo in carbonite
Although he searches the galaxy for the location of the Millennium Falcon, Vader only wants Han Solo to bait Luke into coming to Cloud City. However, the gangster Jabba the Hutt still has a bounty on Solo's head, so Fett works out a deal with Vader: As soon as Vader no longer requires him, Solo is Fett's. That way, Fett can collect rewards from two of the most dangerous villains in the Star Wars universe.
Vader intends to capture Luke by trapping him with Cloud City's carbonite gas, but is unsure if the experimental procedure will work. So, he decides to test it on Solo. True to his word, Vader promises Fett that he will be compensated if the freezing kills Solo, but thankfully Han survives the operation. Now encased in a solid block, Solo can be easily transported by Fett to Jabba's palace on Tatooine.
There's a lot of chaos unfolding in Cloud City; Luke and Vader are dueling, Lando Calrissian is evacuating civilians, and the heroes are desperately trying to find their frozen friend. Fett is not going to waste time sticking around, and casually strolls out of the city with his prized target. Vader is kind enough to give him a squad of stormtroopers to serve as protection. Not that Fett needs it, though — when the rebels show up, Fett lets the heroes and the Imperials blast it out as his ship flies away.
Jabba's Palace
Although he's already collected his reward for delivering the carbon-trapped smuggler to Jabba, Fett sticks around at Jabba's Tatooine palace. The Hutt's criminal entourage features many strange and dangerous creatures, but Fett is by far the most intimidating. Fett is someone Jabba wants on hand if any chaos breaks out, and while the Mandalorian takes a moment to two to relax, he's always watching out for potential danger.
It's not long before that danger comes. Leia enters the palace disguised as the bounty hunter Boushh, dragging a chained Chewbacca behind her as her prisoner. Jabba is intrigued by Boushh's impressive work, but less so by the bounty hunter's high asking price. The tension escalates when Boushh threatens to set off a thermal detonator if Jabba doesn't pay the bounty. Fett is immediately on edge, drawing his weapon. But Jabba is amused, and complies with Boushh's demands. As Boushh slips into the crowd, Fett gives his new rival a respectful nod.
When the original Star Wars trilogy was re-released in 1997, George Lucas added a new number, "Jedi Rocks," to the Jabba's palace sequence. During the performance, Fett takes a moment to chat with a few of the dancers, showing a rare flirty side.
The Sarlacc Pit
Despite Fett's notorious reputation, his initial demise was somewhat underwhelming. After Leia unfreezes Han, the heroes are all momentarily reunited when Luke shows up to make Jabba an offer. Jabba doesn't think much of the supposed Jedi Knight and decides to execute Luke, Han, and Chewie in front of a crowd by dropping them into a pit where the creature known as the Sarlaac resides. Fett joins the crowd of sordid creatures on Jabba's personal sail barge and to watch his enemies' deaths for himself.
But Luke has an escape plan, and recovers his new green lightsaber from R2-D2. He easily cuts through Jabba's goons, but Fett isn't about to sit idly by and watch the chaos unfold. Fett uses his rocket pack to join the fray and settle things for himself. Luke manages to cleave Fett's blaster in half, but Fett strings Luke up momentarily. In between frantic gunfire, Fett falls to the ground, but the battle is seemingly far from over.
Unfortunately for Fett, he's so focused on taking out his lightsaber-wielding opponent that a disoriented Han Solo accidentally sparks his jetpack and launches him straight into the Sarlaac's belly. Some fans were disappointed by Fett's quick defeat, but thankfully, it wasn't fatal. Fett's Mandalorian armor couldn't be fully digested by the Sarlacc, and he was able to crawl out. His escape will be explored in the upcoming Disney+ series "The Book of Boba Fett."
Competing in the Boonta Speeder Race
Although "The Mandalorian" would become the first live-action "Star Wars" television series, Lucasfilm took an early interest in animated shows. Once again teaming with animation company Nelvana, Lucasfilm debuted two family animated cartoon shows in 1985, "Ewoks" and "Droids." "Droids" featured the return of Anthony Daniels as C-3PO and explored his early adventures with R2-D2 before they came into the service of the Rebel Alliance. After the warm reception for Boba Fett's debut in "The Story of the Faithful Wookiee," Fett returned for a guest appearance in the fourth episode of "Droids," "A Race to the Finish."
The two bickering droids and their band of allies prepare to compete in the Boonta Speeder Race (an early version of the pod race from "The Phantom Menace"), but the scheming crime lord Sise Fromm looks to take out his competition in order to claim victory. Sise hires Boba Fett, who owes him a debt, to hunt down the droids. When he isn't able to destroy their ship before the race, Fett decides to compete himself. Fett enters the race and attempts to take out the droids with a grappling hook and tractor beam, but is ultimately forced to eject from his speeder after R2-D2 hurls a thermal detonator at him.
The entire "Droids" series is now available on Disney+.
Chasing Obi-Wan Kenobi
"Attack of the Clones" features the game-changing reveal of Fett's heritage — even at 10 years old, he was a lethal threat. As Obi-Wan Kenobi investigates the cloning operation on Kamino, he's fascinated by Jango's decision to raise a son. The two Fetts evade Kenobi's questions, and young Boba coldly glares at the Jedi before they make a quick getaway.
After notifying his father about Kenobi's arrival on the landing pad, Boba laughs as Jango throws the Jedi into the stormy sea. The satisfied pair departs to meet Count Dooku on Geonosis in the ship Boba would inherit, the Slave 1. When Kenobi's Jedi starfighter attacks Slave 1 in an asteroid belt, Jango takes the opportunity to teach his son a thing or two about evasive maneuvers. The full capabilities of Slave 1 finally see action as explosives overwhelm the Jedi's ship.
Throughout the chase, Jango bonds with his son over their shared animosity towards Jedi. Boba laughs at Jango's dark joke, "Well, we won't be seeing him again" after Kenobi's ship is presumably destroyed.
Watching his father perish
Characters in the Star Wars universe don't tend to have happy childhoods, and Boba Fett is no exception. He's invited to join Jango, Count Dooku, and the Separatist leadership in their box seats as Padme, Anakin, and Obi-Wan face an execution ceremony on Geonosis. However, the trio manages to subdue the monsters the Geonosians unleash, and chaos breaks out when Mace Windu and a band of Jedi show up to free them.
Jango enters the battlefield after killing the Jedi Coleman Trebor. Just as Boba would mistakenly misjudge Luke Skywalker years later, Jango makes the fatal error of engaging with a Jedi in single combat. Windu swings his lightsaber and severs Jango's head from his body. Boba doesn't cry out in anguish, but he's devastated to see the man he loves slain before his eyes. The cinematography in the Star Wars prequels was criticized, but Boba holding his dead father's helmet is one of the most heartbreaking shots in the entire saga.
Infiltrating a Star Destroyer
Season 2 of "The Clone Wars" was billed as "Rise of the Bounty Hunters," so naturally the season concluded with the return of Boba Fett. "Attack of the Clones" actor Daniel Logan returned to voice Fett in a trilogy of episodes that saw him plotting to kill Mace Windu alongside the bounty hunters Aurra Sing and "The Empire Strikes Back" favorite Bossk.
As Fett is identical to the entire clone army, he's able to disguise himself as a clone youngling. He infiltrates the Republic Star Destroyer where Windu and Anakin Skywalker reside in his first episode, "Death Trap." It's evident that Fett's training is more advanced than his fellow trainees', seen when he amazes them with his sharpshooting abilities during a training assignment. As he bonds with a fellow clone, Jax, Fett lays a trap for Windu by installing a bomb in the Jedi's quarters.
When the bomb detonates too early and only one clone trooper is killed, Fett decides to take down the entire cruiser by destroying the reactor core. He's initially hesitant to take down the vessel because so many clones share his face, but soon resorts to the remorseless tactics that will make him the most fearsome bounty hunter in the galaxy. Fleeing via an escape pod with a small group of trainees, Fett betrays them and sabotages the pod so they can be tracked by Sing, who pilots Slave 1. Although his friends are shocked, Fett makes it clear that the clones are not his brothers.
Leading Asajj Ventress's heist team
Although Season 2 of "The Clone Wars" concludes with Fett's imprisonment, no one could lock him up for long. Fett escapes confinement in the Season 4 episode "Deception," and returns later in the season to lead a fearsome band of his own.
In the episode "Bounty," Asajj Ventress operates as a bounty hunter after being betrayed by her Sith master, Count Dooku. Ventress gains the attention of Bossk and his ally Lattz Razzi, who offer her a spot on their exclusive team on the crystal planet Quartzite. Other teammates include Dengar and the droid Highlinger, and the crew is led by none other than the adolescent Fett. Ventress assumes that the child poses no threat, but he quickly proves her wrong during a mission to escort a vessel circling the planet's underground.
Although he no longer has his father's Mandalorian armor, Fett dons a slick new suit and blasters. The transport is assaulted by raiders who seek its prized chest of cargo, and Fett showcases his brutality by mercilessly taking them out. Ventress discovers that the chest holds a young girl, but Fett has no sympathy. His own childhood was rough enough, and he's not about to help without a reward. However, Ventress decides to free the girl and locks Fett in her place. The temporary setback teaches Fett to be more cautious — he had misjudged Ventress just as she had misjudged him.
Saving Din Djarin
As soon as "The Mandalorian" introduced bounty hunter Din Djarin, fans were eager to see him square off against the character who inspired him. The 1st season of "The Mandalorian" mostly introduced the characters who would comprise the series' central cast, but Season 2 began bringing back favorite personalities from throughout the Star Wars saga, including Ashoka Tano, Bo-Katan, and Luke Skywalker. However, the highlight was Fett. Since the prequels had established Boba as a clone, Jango Fett actor Temuera Morrison returned to play Fett in his first chronological appearance since plummeting into the Sarlacc Pit.
After a brief cameo in the season premiere, Morrison made his full return in Season 2's fifth episode, "The Tragedy." As the Mandalorian lands on the planet Tython with Grogu, Djarin's ship is tracked by Slave 1. While Djarin initially suspects that Fett is also a Mandalorian, Fett simply repeats his father's words, saying that "he's just a simple man trying to make his way in the universe." Fett is wary of the snipers planning to take out Djarin's infant companion, and when Imperial forces come for the pair, director Robert Rodriguez delivers some of the greatest Boba Fett action ever.
After reclaiming his armor, Fett lays waste to a squad of stormtroopers, using grenades and rocket launchers to overwhelm his hapless opponents. Rodriguez incorporates his experience directing westerns for the showdown, leaning into Fett's origins as a lone gunslinger.
Taking over Jabba's palace
Although he had left Tatooine in shame after his embarrassing defeat, Fett returns to Jabba's Palace in the epilogue to "The Mandalorian" Season 2's finale, "The Rescue." In the wake of Jabba's demise, the Hutt's former right-hand-man Bib Fortuna has claimed the fortress for himself. His seemingly unquestioned dominance is disrupted when Fett's ally Fennec Shand (Mind Na-Wen) bursts through the entrance and takes out two of his Gamorrean guards.
Enter Fett. Although Fortuna is surprised to see Fett alive, he nonetheless believes that Jabba's former favorite employee will also be loyal to him. Of course, Fett swears allegiance to no one, and brutally shoots Fortuna and claims Jabba's throne for himself.
Although it was only a brief teaser of Fett's new role as the head of Jabba's crime syndicate, the episode ends with a stinger promising Boba's return in the spinoff series "The Book of Boba Fett." Helmed by "The Tragedy" director Rodriguez, the upcoming series will explore Fett's exploits in between "Return of the Jedi" and "The Mandalorian." It begins airing December 2021.