Boba Fett is a beast! - The Mandalorian (2019) Discussion

Ha. I was going to make a thread about Boba. When he turned up in his armour, absolute unit.

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[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

Shit, I loved it when he was just using the gaffi stick and wearing rags, but when he put that armor on I had the biggest nerd boner. I think I watched that scene 3 times!

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[–] ATG6 (3000) 3 years ago

Someone better update that Storm Trooper training manual. They're about as effective as Orcs against dwarves.

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[–] funkychicken (606) 3 years ago

Agreed, what a great surprise.

It's cool to have some "Star Wars" that's true to the original trilogy.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

He was awesome! And I liked how his relationship with Mando developed, both as antagonists and people who are philosophically opposed, but also as members of the same tiny minority. The mix of rivalry, antagonism, and fellow-feeling was spot-on.

And he was BADASS!

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[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

I could not believe they did that. I remember hearing way back Temura Morrison was going to be in it, but I actually forgot. So when he popped up at the end of the first episode, it was a nice surprise. Then he disappeared for several episodes. I was like, "Ok, his role is only going to be a cameo." Now not only is he back, but involved in the main storyline?! Genius move! I did not see him teaming with Mando at ALL. I never saw Boba as having a code.

And yes, of course, he was an absolute machine. A total force to be reckoned with. I know a lot of his past from books and comics don't count anymore, but he had a rep for killing Jedi. I can definitely see it.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

As for Boba having a "code", we don't see enough of him in the original movies to get any idea of his personality or beliefs (and frankly we see so little of him that I was always a bit baffled by his original popularity). We know he's willing to work for the Empire but isn't part of the Imperial forces, so the base assumption was of ethical/moral neutrality rather than outright evil. I suppose he's a lot like Mando, really, and Mando is a guy who's doing an ugly job but who thinks of himself as a good person, because he thinks his adherence to a belief system or "code" makes him better than the scum he deals with.

So it was a blast to see him and I look forward to them sharing some adventures before their opposing beliefs drive them apart! But I'll try not to hard to think about the more improbable aspects of it all, such as the idea that anyone could get the armor off a living Boba Fett.

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[–] chrisjdel (2714) 3 years ago

The last time we saw Boba Fett in live action was when he fell into the Sarlacc pit. Clearly he got out of there without being slowly digested over a thousand years - but did he get himself out, or did someone else extract an injured and weakened bounty hunter from the pit, possibly to strip off his armor and leave him lying in the desert? Then something unfortunate happened to the thief and the armor wound up with the jawas.

We learned that Boba Fett's father was a Mandalorian foundling who walked away, after the attack that scattered his people. Apparently the armor he was given still belongs to him and passing it on to his son was legit under the creed. Once he proved that to Mando he no longer felt obligated to repossess it. Boba was clearly influenced by the creed though. We can guess that his sense of honor and personal code are very similar to Mando's. If he gives his word, he's honor bound to keep it no matter what's involved.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Well, I'm inclined to think that Fett got away from the Sarlac and lost the armor later, because if he was on Tattooine and the armor was on Tattooine, wouldn't he already have had it back? Which is speculation and the stuff of fan fiction, of course, and I do like speculation at least.

And if you'll forgive me, I've been a fan of this series for one day now, so could I ask a couple of questions? 1) What's the time frame since "RotJ" again? Months, or years? And 2) is there anything about a Mandalorian's word of honor specifically? Or is it just assumed that these strictly moral people who live in the shadows will keep their promises to each other, simply because it's necessary to keep their little society functioning?

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[–] chrisjdel (2714) 3 years ago

This show takes place five years after the assault on the second Death Star (the Battle of Endor) and the collapse of the Empire.

From what we've seen once Mando makes a promise he'll keep it come hell or high water. Another part of his creed (which he recently learned all of his people don't share) is to always keep his helmet on in the presence of other living beings, and he's willing to die rather than violate that. So he takes the honor code very seriously.

Boba Fett isn't technically a Mandalorian. He's the cloned son of an ex Mandalorian - but he seems to have had the code burned into him, probably from an early age. I suppose adherence to a promise keeping ethic, the idea that a deal is sacred, allows you to work as a bounty hunter - not normally the most principled of occupations - and still maintain a sense of moral superiority over your peers who are pure mercenaries, perfectly willing to break their own word if the money's right.

It would've been hard for Boba Fett to find his armor, if by the time he went looking a sandstorm had erased any tracks from the person who took it. He may have had to work doing what he does on Tatooine for a while. I think he eventually got a lead and tracked it back to the Marshal - too late. If he convinced the Marshal that he was the armor's rightful owner he may have given him some info, like the name of Mando's ship and where it was docked being repaired.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Well I have no idea about real life, but at least in Hollywood there's a belief in "honor among thieves". That is, in order for a criminal or organized underworld to operate smoothly and not descend into chaos and anarchy, criminals and dubious people like bounty hunters have to make binding verbal agreements, as they can't use lawyers, written contracts, or settle disputes in the courts. And Mando's career as a bounty hunter may or may not be legal, but he sure doesn't sign anything before taking on a job, you know?

And that's got to hold true for Fett as well, if he wants to earn a living as a bounty hunter in shady places, he's got to be known as someone who honors his agreements.

So IMHO the two have the shared bond of Mandalorian culture, but also, a background that has given them the habit of honoring certain kinds of agreements and paying close attention to whether other people do as well.

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[–] chrisjdel (2714) 3 years ago

Yeah, they haven't been entirely clear on the legal status of bounty hunters and organizations like The Guild - although it does seem a little like the mob. We know the center of the galaxy is more developed and densely populated, and the Republic has full control there. The Outer Rim is like our Third World. People don't for the most part have shiny new equipment, they improvise with whatever they can get their hands on or salvage (i.e. they're poor). There's less law and order. Definitely a wild west feel to how society runs.

But like I said, they haven't specifically addressed whether bounty hunters like Mando are legal or simply tolerated by lax authorities who look the other way. Maybe because they don't want trouble with organized criminal groups who can send those same soldiers of fortune after them. The Republic doesn't seem to prioritize what goes on out there or devote many resources to assisting people. So a local official can't count on the cavalry riding in. They have to make deals with the local bosses to survive.

You make a good point about the need for certain rules, a deal's a deal, etc. Most bounty hunters won't take triple whatever they're paying you from a desperate target for that very reason. They might get themselves a one time payday but it would ruin their reputation for good if anyone finds out. And possibly get them killed, depending on who they work for.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Yeah, I understand we have both legal and illegal bounty hunters here on Earth, and I don't think they need to clarify whether the Guild's activities are legal. They seem to work in region where legality doesn't count for much.

I love how decent, naive, and out of place the Republic functionaries seem out there!

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[–] chrisjdel (2714) 3 years ago

I love how decent, naive, and out of place the Republic functionaries seem out there!

I'd be willing to bet westerners come across exactly the same way in parts of the world where government control is marginal and a lot of daily life happens outside the law. 😳

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[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

He worked for the Empire and Jabba. It's not wrong to say he wasn't a great guy, but I do appreciate the newfound depth.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

The newfound depth doesn't contradict anything that came before.

That's the thing about Star Wars, even though it's really about the power of the Light Side, the Star Wars universe was presented as having an ugly underside from the get-go. It's a place with intergenerational poverty and criminal undeworlds and corrupt or tyrranical governments, and that's only what we see in the first hour of the first film! So with all that, we accept it's a place where most people have to morally compromise to get by, and that means everything we see in "The Mandalorian" fits with the original films.

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[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

Boba Fett was not neutral in the originals, bro. He was undoubtly a villain. Maybe he's turned over a new leaf now, maybe this is one of the rare instances where he has a heart. Doesn't mean he wasn't a villain in the OT.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

I'm sure Fett would have been willing to work for the Republic as well as the Empire, if they'd had a job for him and had been willing to pay him the going rates!

When I say "morally neutral", I mean he wasn't seen to be taking sides in the light-vs-dark, good guys vs. bad guys conflict, he was working for the side that happened to be paying him. And turning Han over to Jabba was a perfectly reasonable things to do by his standards, Han had debts that he hadn't paid, and that part of the job was totally standard and something that Han had seen coming. Now being hired by the Empire to find Han's ship wasn't routine, but we don't know that the bounty hunters understood that they'd be shafting the Rebellion if they succeeded.

Of course Fett's actions nearly sunk the Rebellion, and anyone who refuses to take sides during a good vs. evil conflict is choosing evil, in a way. But I still say that Fett was not a full-blown servant of evil, he was more "scum" than "villainy".

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[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

"I'm sure Fett would have been willing to work for the Republic as well as the Empire"

Affiliated with Vader, Jabba, Aurura Sing, Black Krrsantan, Bossk, Confederacy of Independent systems - can you name a single instance in which he didn't side with "the bad guys"?

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

I think he'd have worked for the good guys too, if they needed his services, had the cash to pay him, and his assignments for them didn't cause any problems with the people who regularly sent paying work his way.

But, the Rebellion obviously had serious cash flow problems as well as a great need for secrecy, they'd probably rather send someone like Captain Andor than hire an outsider if they needed any fugitives caught. Andor had to be cheaper, if he wasn't an unpaid volunteer working for his meals and whatever per diem he got for field assignments

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[–] cyguration (3843) 3 years ago

Yup, well stated.

In fact, the only reason Han helped them was because he was promised goods for rescuing a princess. Little did he know that there wasn't much in it for him, and even he bailed on the rebellion until he made a last ditch effort save during the trench run.

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[–] chrisjdel (2714) 3 years ago

Boba Fett works for whoever hires him. That doesn't make him a bad guy, just like his helping Mando to fulfill a promise he made doesn't make him a good guy. When you hunt people down for a living - some guilty and deserving, some innocent - you need other ethical standards so you can continue to look yourself in the mirror. A deal is sacred. You always keep your word and fulfill your bargains no matter what it takes. A Lannister always pays their debts - same idea.

I'd call the guy a mercenary who sometimes does good and sometimes bad, depending on his current employer. But if he makes you a promise you can at least count on him to keep it.

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[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

"Boba Fett works for whoever hires him."

Like criminals and dictators?

Stop.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

I think he'd work for the Rebels, too, if they wanted him to track down and capture a traitor to their ranks, AND if he was sure they had enough cash to pay them. And that the assignment wouldn't cause any problems with his regular employers, a man's got to make his way in the universe after all!

I never saw any sign that he believed in the Imperial cause, he sure as hell wasn't clamoring to enlist and serve the Empire or anything. And that's what I mean by "more scum than villainy", even though he caused huge problems for Our Heroes.

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[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

Yet he never did. Weird, right?

I never said he believed in the Empire, I said it was clear he was a bad guy in the OT. There's not a single instance of him not working for someone who wasn't a dictator or criminal.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Well it's not light the Rebels were paying, right?

Not when they could get people like Cassian Andor to do their dirty work for free, or per diem expenses.

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[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

Fett has never worked for a good person on-screen. Fact. Let it go. You're wrong. You're argument has no ground to stand on.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

We haven't seen enough of Fett's career to make a firm judgement. This is a guy who by the nature of his work takes a new gig every few days, weeks, or months, and he's played by an actor who is now sixty years old. And we've seen him on two jobs, three if you count the nightmarish Holiday Special, out of a career that's been going on for 40-50 Earth years. And there's the fact that good people are less likely to need the services of bounty hunters, as they are less likely to be heavily involved with the sort of people who need hunting down.

Plus we've seen that the Rebellion have no cash to spare for bounty hunters, so I stand firm in saying we haven't seen enough of Fett to say that he has a firm comittment to Evil. Yes, he will take money from Evil people, but so does anyone who works for Walmart or Amazon.

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[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

The Rebels paid Han. There's another reason your argument falls flat.

The Empire blows up planets. Walmart and Amazon sell products.

You're really bad at this.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

The Rebels paid Han as a one-time thing, I seriously doubt they had a budget for bounty hunters. And again, they didn't need bounty hunters, if they could get their Cassian Andors to work for little, or nothing.

And Jeff Bezos would totally blow up other planets if he had the technology! Aren't you glad he doesn't?

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[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

Yeah, no. Sana Starros was paid. Talon Karrde paid. Dash Rendar paid. Just stop.

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[–] Otter (24464) 3 years ago

Not only do good guys need fewer bounty hunters than villains, in the SW universe the bad guys outnumber the good guys by billions to one!

Not to mention they have more cash. Bad guys always do.

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[–] cyguration (3843) 3 years ago

It's not like he had any love for Vader, and he was the only one who consistently checked Vader about Han's status.

What would have been interesting is to see what would have happened if Han had died in the carbonite process. Would Boba have taken out the Storm Troopers and had a showdown with Vader or would he have just groveled about it to Jabba?

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[–] rateater (9234) 3 years ago

boba appeared in an episode of droids called a race to the finish. in this episode a man who hires him also has a price on his head by jabba and boba agrees to overlook it and help him because he owes him a favor. then he states that after finishing this job he owes him nothing.

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[–] Alex (1478) 3 years ago

Blind Han Solo accidentally bumped into him and he fell into Sarlacc pit, roflmao!
RotJ trashed him pretty hard!

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[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

It was a gag. Star Wars is filled with them.

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[–] asom (6509) 3 years ago

shouldn't him be dead? how did he survive the pit?

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[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

Well, if you look at his face, he didn't have an easy time getting out.

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[–] cyguration (3843) 3 years ago

He killed the Sarlacc. He used some kind of explosive, but he was severely damaged in the process and lost his armor. It took a really long time for him to recover as well.

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[–] asom (6509) 3 years ago

source for this?

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[–] Burk48917 (10979) 3 years ago

There is a book called the Mandalorian Armor that tells this tale. It's pretty badass.

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[–] Crocodile (2951) 3 years ago

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[–] janelsenor (2042) 3 years ago

Boba Fatt

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[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

Gina's not fat though. Sit down, Jan.

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[–] janelsenor (2042) 3 years ago

Her portrayal is consistent and her armor fits. Fett look like an adult wearing a kid’s costume.

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[–] asom (6509) 3 years ago

Being fat doesn't depend on what one is wearing.

A fat person is fat when naked and when well (or bad) dressed ...

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[–] janelsenor (2042) 3 years ago

That's obvious.

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[–] asom (6509) 3 years ago

ok, so we agree, both are fat ;)

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[–] janelsenor (2042) 3 years ago

Yes. But one has always been that way in the franchise and is costumed appropriately.

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[–] RoloTony (1163) 3 years ago

Boba has a god-tier dad-bod: fat but could still beat the hell out most younger men.

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[–] janelsenor (2042) 3 years ago

Something was off about the armor to me. Almost like they just used the same sized armor for Jeremy Bulloch and put it on a much bigger Morrison.

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[–] RoloTony (1163) 3 years ago

It's because it's just the armor parts: head and a simple chestplate. Mando is walking around in a full suit from head to toe in contrast. The original costume has lots of accessory pieces to fill out the gaps that are missing. It didn't even look good on Olyphant and he's as skinny as a 2x4.

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[–] kuatorises (7467) 3 years ago

Most Dads can beat up younger guys, LOL?

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