Warning: this article contains full spoilers for The Book of Boba Fett finale! If you haven't already, be sure to check out IGN's review of Episode 7.
The Book of Boba Fett has wrapped up its seven-episode first season on Disney+. As of publish time, there's no word on whether the series will return for a second season (though that could quickly change following Disney's upcoming earnings call). But whether or not the series is renewed for Season 2, it's clear there's more story to be told in Boba Fett's corner of the Star Wars universe.
Read on to learn more about a possible Season 2 and what loose ends still need to be addressed after the Season 1 finale. If you're curious about The Book of Boba Fett post-credits scene, we have a quick breakdown of Cobb Vanth's fate.
Disney has yet to confirm whether The Book of Boba Fett will be renewed for a second season. It's possible the series was never intended to be anything more than a single season spinoff of The Mandalorian. And even if Season 2 is being considered, the mixed reviews to the series (it currently stands at a metascore of 59 on Metacritic) may influence Disney to shift focus to other Star Wars streaming projects.
However, if there's one takeaway from this season, it's that there exists very little distinction between The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian. Not only is the former a direct spinoff of the latter, but recent Book of Boba Fett episodes have been heavily focused on continuing story threads from The Mandalorian Season 2. Star Wars fans are clearly expected to be watching both shows, lest they jump right from Mando Season 2 to 3 and wonder why the heck Grogu is suddenly back in the picture.
The point is this - whether or not The Book of Boba Fett returns for a second season, it's safe to assume that symbiotic relationship will continue. Boba Fett himself will undoubtedly continue to appear in The Mandalorian. His connection to Din Djarin has become too strong for the two Mandalorians not to continue impacting each other's lives, especially as Din confronts his destiny on Mandalore.
Boba Fett himself will undoubtedly continue to appear in The Mandalorian.
Assuming there is a second season of The Book of Boba Fett, the finale doesn't offer a clear picture of what the plot might be. Boba has triumphed over the Pyke Syndicate and killed his former mentor-turned-rival. Where does the new daimyo of Mos Espa go from here?
One thing we can safely assume is that this won't be the final challenge to Boba Fett's new throne. The Pyke Syndicate may have suffered a humiliating defeat, but as a vast intergalactic network, they're hardly going to be put out of business by losing a few dozen soldiers and two Scorpenek droids. If they see value in continuing to stake a claim to Tatooine's spice supply, they'll be back.
The series has also hinted at the chaotic state of the criminal underworld in this post-Imperial era. Jabba the Hutt left a power vacuum that neither the late Bib Fortuna nor "The Twins" have really managed to fill. The New Republic is attempting to restore law and order to the Outer Rim, but they only have so much in the way of manpower and resources. It's very likely we could see a power struggle as the various criminal cartels of the galaxy fight for dominance in this new, uncertain era.
One possibility is we could see the resurgence of Darth Maul's Crimson Dawn syndicate. Maul himself is dead by this point in the timeline, but Marvel's Star Wars comics have revealed that Emilia Clarke's character Qi'ra took over Crimson Dawn. She even has a history with Boba Fett, as she briefly stole the carbonite-encased Han Solo before Boba finally managed to bring it to Jabba's Palace. Could we see that rivalry carry over to a live-action series?
Another possibility is we might finally see Prince Xizor introduced in Disney's Star Wars canon. The main antagonist of 1996's Shadows of the Empire, Xizor leads the Black Sun syndicate and is said to be the second richest person in the galaxy after Emperor Palpatine. He also has a dysfunctional relationship with Boba Fett (in the Legends timeline, at least) Though Xizor dies in the climax of Shadows of the Empire, there's no reason why he couldn't be reworked to serve as a major criminal force in the post-Return of the Jedi era. We saw Black Sun lieutenants in several Clone Wars episodes. Xizor himself is overdue for an appearance.
Star Wars fans may remember that, prior to selling the Star Wars franchise to Disney, George Lucas was pursuing a live-action series of his own called Star Wars: Underworld. That series would have been set in between Episodes III and IV and focused on the various criminal organizations jockeying for power after the rise of the Empire. Lucas ultimately shelved the project after deeming it too expensive, but not before commissioning 50 scripts.
With The Book of Boba Fett shining a light on this seedy underbelly of the Star Wars universe, it's enough to wonder if Lucasfilm might finally be making use of those unused scripts. Could that existing material be reworked to fit this post-Return of the Jedi time period? There's no reason to let all that material go to waste.
The final episode of The Book of Boba Fett references the shared history between Boba and Cad Bane. As the greatest bounty hunter of the Clone Wars era, Cad Bane was responsible for taking a young, orphaned Boba under his wing and training him to become a deadly hunter.
The problem is that we've never really seen a definitive account of their time together. That relationship was intended to form the crux of a story arc in the Clone Wars animated series, but it was one of many tales that was left on the cutting room floor after Cartoon Network canceled the show. Only snippets of unfinished animation exist to give fans a taste of what could have been.
We have to wonder if The Book of Boba Fett: Season 2 might finally shine a light on this lost portion of Boba's story. Obviously, Cad Bane is dead in the present (for however much that even matters in a show where cybernetics allow major characters to cheat death), but the door is still open for another flashback subplot set during the Clone Wars.
With Season 1's flashbacks shedding light on Boba's escape from the Sarlacc and his time among the Tusken Raiders, Season 2 could pivot to explore Boba's time training under Cad Bane. It would be a way of adding more context and emotional weight to their final duel in Season 1. And if Bane does somehow cheat death, this flashback storyline would be a great way of teeing up his return.
Ever since The Book of Boba Fett was announced, some fans have wondered if we might see a rematch between Boba and his most elusive prey, Han Solo. After all, getting revenge against the man who knocked him into a giant monster pit was Boba Fett's primary motivation in many Legends stories, including Dark Empire.
Having solidified his grip on power in Season 1, maybe Fett will turn his attention to settling another old score in Season 2. This could be an opportunity for Alden Ehrenreich to reprise his role from Solo: A Star Wars Story. Though, given the show's handling of Luke Skywalker, it's equally likely Lucasfilm will digitally recreate a young Harrison Ford.
This is one angle Season 2 could take, but we're not convinced this version of Boba Fett is motivated by a hatred of Han. He seems to blame Bib Fortuna more than anyone else for his ordeal in the Sarlacc, and Boba already collected on that debt. Boba has a clearer perspective on life these days. He knows he made a mistake by serving other masters rather than acting on his own. He may see Han Solo as nothing more than a relic of a life that no longer exists. Assuming Han doesn't somehow blunder right back into Boba Fett's path again. He's good at that.
For more on The Book of Boba Fett, see how the series adds to Jedi lore and why Grogu's choice could shape the future of Star Wars.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Continue reading...
The Book of Boba Fett has wrapped up its seven-episode first season on Disney+. As of publish time, there's no word on whether the series will return for a second season (though that could quickly change following Disney's upcoming earnings call). But whether or not the series is renewed for Season 2, it's clear there's more story to be told in Boba Fett's corner of the Star Wars universe.
Read on to learn more about a possible Season 2 and what loose ends still need to be addressed after the Season 1 finale. If you're curious about The Book of Boba Fett post-credits scene, we have a quick breakdown of Cobb Vanth's fate.
Will The Book of Boba Fett Return for Season 2?
Disney has yet to confirm whether The Book of Boba Fett will be renewed for a second season. It's possible the series was never intended to be anything more than a single season spinoff of The Mandalorian. And even if Season 2 is being considered, the mixed reviews to the series (it currently stands at a metascore of 59 on Metacritic) may influence Disney to shift focus to other Star Wars streaming projects.
However, if there's one takeaway from this season, it's that there exists very little distinction between The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian. Not only is the former a direct spinoff of the latter, but recent Book of Boba Fett episodes have been heavily focused on continuing story threads from The Mandalorian Season 2. Star Wars fans are clearly expected to be watching both shows, lest they jump right from Mando Season 2 to 3 and wonder why the heck Grogu is suddenly back in the picture.
The point is this - whether or not The Book of Boba Fett returns for a second season, it's safe to assume that symbiotic relationship will continue. Boba Fett himself will undoubtedly continue to appear in The Mandalorian. His connection to Din Djarin has become too strong for the two Mandalorians not to continue impacting each other's lives, especially as Din confronts his destiny on Mandalore.
Boba Fett himself will undoubtedly continue to appear in The Mandalorian.
The Star Wars Criminal Underworld
Assuming there is a second season of The Book of Boba Fett, the finale doesn't offer a clear picture of what the plot might be. Boba has triumphed over the Pyke Syndicate and killed his former mentor-turned-rival. Where does the new daimyo of Mos Espa go from here?
One thing we can safely assume is that this won't be the final challenge to Boba Fett's new throne. The Pyke Syndicate may have suffered a humiliating defeat, but as a vast intergalactic network, they're hardly going to be put out of business by losing a few dozen soldiers and two Scorpenek droids. If they see value in continuing to stake a claim to Tatooine's spice supply, they'll be back.
The series has also hinted at the chaotic state of the criminal underworld in this post-Imperial era. Jabba the Hutt left a power vacuum that neither the late Bib Fortuna nor "The Twins" have really managed to fill. The New Republic is attempting to restore law and order to the Outer Rim, but they only have so much in the way of manpower and resources. It's very likely we could see a power struggle as the various criminal cartels of the galaxy fight for dominance in this new, uncertain era.
One possibility is we could see the resurgence of Darth Maul's Crimson Dawn syndicate. Maul himself is dead by this point in the timeline, but Marvel's Star Wars comics have revealed that Emilia Clarke's character Qi'ra took over Crimson Dawn. She even has a history with Boba Fett, as she briefly stole the carbonite-encased Han Solo before Boba finally managed to bring it to Jabba's Palace. Could we see that rivalry carry over to a live-action series?
Another possibility is we might finally see Prince Xizor introduced in Disney's Star Wars canon. The main antagonist of 1996's Shadows of the Empire, Xizor leads the Black Sun syndicate and is said to be the second richest person in the galaxy after Emperor Palpatine. He also has a dysfunctional relationship with Boba Fett (in the Legends timeline, at least) Though Xizor dies in the climax of Shadows of the Empire, there's no reason why he couldn't be reworked to serve as a major criminal force in the post-Return of the Jedi era. We saw Black Sun lieutenants in several Clone Wars episodes. Xizor himself is overdue for an appearance.
The Return of Star Wars: Underworld?
Star Wars fans may remember that, prior to selling the Star Wars franchise to Disney, George Lucas was pursuing a live-action series of his own called Star Wars: Underworld. That series would have been set in between Episodes III and IV and focused on the various criminal organizations jockeying for power after the rise of the Empire. Lucas ultimately shelved the project after deeming it too expensive, but not before commissioning 50 scripts.
With The Book of Boba Fett shining a light on this seedy underbelly of the Star Wars universe, it's enough to wonder if Lucasfilm might finally be making use of those unused scripts. Could that existing material be reworked to fit this post-Return of the Jedi time period? There's no reason to let all that material go to waste.
Boba Fett's History With Cad Bane
The final episode of The Book of Boba Fett references the shared history between Boba and Cad Bane. As the greatest bounty hunter of the Clone Wars era, Cad Bane was responsible for taking a young, orphaned Boba under his wing and training him to become a deadly hunter.
The problem is that we've never really seen a definitive account of their time together. That relationship was intended to form the crux of a story arc in the Clone Wars animated series, but it was one of many tales that was left on the cutting room floor after Cartoon Network canceled the show. Only snippets of unfinished animation exist to give fans a taste of what could have been.
We have to wonder if The Book of Boba Fett: Season 2 might finally shine a light on this lost portion of Boba's story. Obviously, Cad Bane is dead in the present (for however much that even matters in a show where cybernetics allow major characters to cheat death), but the door is still open for another flashback subplot set during the Clone Wars.
With Season 1's flashbacks shedding light on Boba's escape from the Sarlacc and his time among the Tusken Raiders, Season 2 could pivot to explore Boba's time training under Cad Bane. It would be a way of adding more context and emotional weight to their final duel in Season 1. And if Bane does somehow cheat death, this flashback storyline would be a great way of teeing up his return.
Will Han Solo Appear in The Book of Boba Fett?
Ever since The Book of Boba Fett was announced, some fans have wondered if we might see a rematch between Boba and his most elusive prey, Han Solo. After all, getting revenge against the man who knocked him into a giant monster pit was Boba Fett's primary motivation in many Legends stories, including Dark Empire.
Having solidified his grip on power in Season 1, maybe Fett will turn his attention to settling another old score in Season 2. This could be an opportunity for Alden Ehrenreich to reprise his role from Solo: A Star Wars Story. Though, given the show's handling of Luke Skywalker, it's equally likely Lucasfilm will digitally recreate a young Harrison Ford.
This is one angle Season 2 could take, but we're not convinced this version of Boba Fett is motivated by a hatred of Han. He seems to blame Bib Fortuna more than anyone else for his ordeal in the Sarlacc, and Boba already collected on that debt. Boba has a clearer perspective on life these days. He knows he made a mistake by serving other masters rather than acting on his own. He may see Han Solo as nothing more than a relic of a life that no longer exists. Assuming Han doesn't somehow blunder right back into Boba Fett's path again. He's good at that.
For more on The Book of Boba Fett, see how the series adds to Jedi lore and why Grogu's choice could shape the future of Star Wars.
Jesse is a mild-mannered staff writer for IGN. Allow him to lend a machete to your intellectual thicket by following @jschedeen on Twitter.
Continue reading...
