The Book Of Boba Fett: Why The Best Episodes Were The Ones Without Boba

The end of the first (and probably the only) season of The Book of Boba Fett had mixed reactions from diehard Star Wars fans, even though we can agree that it had an acceptable closure to the flow of the story. 

However, it is almost an agreeable conclusion that the best episodes in the series were the ones that didn’t have Boba Fett, specifically the episodes that were extensions of The Mandalorian. So, why is it that the best episodes were the ones without Boba? That’s something we’ll try to look at from our own perspective and from the other people who have seen the show.

Boba Fett’s Lack Of Charisma

Charisma is defined as “a personal magic of leadership arousing special popular loyalty or enthusiasm for a public figure” or “a special magnetic charm or appeal.”

When we look at the way Boba Fett was portrayed in The Book of Boba Fett, the way he was played seemed to have lacked the charisma that made the character so darn popular back when he was first revealed more than four decades ago in Episode II: Empire Strikes Back. He was one of the most popular Star Wars characters during the first trilogy, even though he barely had any screen time or lines.

The way he was made to look during his appearances in the original trilogy made him a badass and mysterious character that people wanted to get to know more about but not too much that it would ruin his mystique. Fett back then had charisma just by being on the screen even without saying anything.

But Boba Fett’s charisma wasn’t something similar to the leadership kind of charisma that the dictionary definition suggests. Instead, it was more of a mysterious magnetic charm or appeal that made people want to root for the “bad guy” at a time when there weren’t a lot of badass characters in the Star Wars lore.

Is The Actor To Blame? Not Exactly.

The way The Book of Boba Fett portrays Boba Fett isn’t anything close to what he was supposed to be in the minds of diehard fans who worshipped him. We are not knocking on Temuera Morrison’s portrayal of the character because he’s a good actor.

But the way Morrison played Boba Fett didn’t exude the badass aura that made him arguably more popular than any of the main Star Wars characters, except for the more badass Darth Vader. He might have been limited by the creative decision of the writers, as we all know that he’s a talented actor who gave life to Jango Fett and the troopers back in the prequel trilogy. We can even say that his portrayal of Jango was even better than the way he portrayed Boba.

Morrison’s age could have also contributed to the character’s lack of charisma. The Kiwi actor is past his 60s and isn’t exactly the youngest-looking 60-year-old in Hollywood. Meanwhile, the official canon states that Boba Fett should only be around 41 years old, given that he was born on 33 BBY and The Book of Boba Fett takes place on 9 ABY.

The choice of allowing Morrison to portray Boba is great for the continuity because he did play Jango, from whom the younger Fett was cloned. But it was probably ten years too late for him to do so because he looks more like a family man than a legendary bounty hunter who once terrorized the underground galaxy of the Star Wars universe. A younger actor may have made a difference.

Blame It On The Writing?

It was properly explained in the series how a deadly bounty hunter transitioned into a caring family man when his time with the Tusken Raiders changed the way he viewed being with a family. He was always a lone wolf, but being with the Tuskens allowed him to see how important it was to be with people you could count on.

The creative decision to change Boba Fett’s outlook on life would have been great had it been done in the latter portions of the character’s story. 

But they could have explored the badass side of Fett more during the first season of the narrative and then allowed him to steadily transition into a family man in the second season. This would have made him a more charismatic character, but we do know that time isn’t on the side of the producers, given Temuera Morrison’s age.

Din Djarin Is What Boba Fett Should Have Been

Another aspect that probably ruined Boba Fett in the eyes of diehard Star Wars fans was the fact that The Mandalorian was released before Lucasfilm decided to make a spin-off about the legendary bounty hunter.

Before details regarding The Mandalorian were released, there was a buzz among fans that the show could be about Boba Fett because we do know that he has roots related to the Mandalorians. But that wasn’t the case because it explored an entirely new character that people didn’t know about.

When The Mandalorian premiered, Din Djarin was everything Boba Fett should’ve been. He is a reserved and mysterious man that focuses more on getting the job done as a bounty hunter than anything else. He doesn’t say much or even show his face (although he did so a few times) but is extremely loyal to his creed and his cause. And, of course, he is younger and still in his prime.

But the one thing that allowed fans to rally behind Din Djarin was the fact that he was the one that made the Star Wars universe the Star Wars that fans loved when the original trilogy was released. The western style of his character, coupled with the eastern inspirations of the show’s narrative, made fans love The Mandalorian, especially after how the sequel trilogy was considered “not Star Wars” by purist fans. 

Having a much better character getting introduced into the Star Wars continuity before the release of The Book of Boba Fett ruined Boba Fett in the eyes of the fans. That’s because Djarin was exactly what Fett was during the original trilogy, as he had this mystique and a badass aura surrounding him. 

So, regardless of how Boba Fett was written by the showrunners and how Temuera Morrison portrayed him, he was always going to get outshined by the Mandalorian because Din Djarin is that good of a character. And when Din Djarin made his return in The Book of Boba Fett, fans realized just how huge the gap between the characters is.

While The Book of Boba Fett isn’t necessarily a bad series (we actually love it), and even though Temuera Morrison’s Boba Fett did what he could with what he had, there isn’t much that a series could do if you have other characters like Din Djarin, Grogu, and Ahsoka stealing the spotlight.