Who Double Crossed Boba Fett? (& Why)

There are those that would say that episode 4 of The Book of Boba Fett is the weakest one yet, but it was written in a way that allows us to have a sense of anticipation for the upcoming episodes. While episode 4 was probably meant as a bridge for the next episodes, we still cannot help but have questions about the things that happened in this episode. Specifically, Fett said he wanted to kill the one who double-crossed him. But who double-crossed Boba Fett, and why?

Boba Fett was referring to Bib Fortuna as the one who double-crossed him. This was shown in Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #1 comic book, which is part of the main canon. Fortuna probably double-crossed Fett to get on Jabba’s good side as the one who captured Han Solo instead of the bounty hunter.

The funny thing about this part is that it was never shown in either Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi how and why Boba Fett was double-crossed. It also seems odd that Fett was with Jabba and Fortuna almost the entire time during the events of Return of the Jedi. Whatever the case may be, the one thing that is sure is that the comics are canon and that Boba Fett had a grudge to settle with Bib Fortuna.

Who Double Crossed Boba Fett?

Described by some as one of the weakest or even the weakest episodes yet in The Book of Boba Fett, episode 4 was still a fun ride that allowed us to see how Boba Fett and Fennec Shand ended up working together and how their partnership eventually led to the fall of Bib Fortuna’s reign as the Daimyo that succeeded Jabba.

So, in that episode, we saw in a flashback that Boba Fett found Fennec Shand’s near-lifeless body in the sands of Tatooine after investigating some explosions he saw from afar. Fett essentially rescued Shand and asked a mod artist to save her by replacing some of her organs with cybernetic parts, considering that she was shot in the belly during the events of The Mandalorian.

After waking up, Fennec Shand finds herself indebted to Boba Fett, who reveals to her that he knew who she was from the very beginning. That explains why he was so adamant at saving her life, considering that he needed help to recover his ship from Jabba’s former palace. Fett knew that Shand was a master assassin who could help him get the job.

Realizing that she was indebted to the bounty hunter, Fennec Shand obliges. Later, before they storm the palace, Shand asked Fett what he was planning to do after he recovered his ship from Jabba’s former palace. To that, Boba Fett answered that he was planning to kill the “pig that double-crossed him.” But who was Boba Fett referring to?

The pig that Boba Fett was referring to when he said he was double-crossed is Bib Fortuna. This is exactly the reason why he killed Fortuna in The Mandalorian and why he is now the big boss of the palace after he murdered his former employer’s right hand in cold blood. But what was Boba Fett referring to when he said that he was double-crossed?

This may come off as confusing to those who have been following the Star Wars movies and shows for a very long time because it doesn’t make sense. There was no point in time in either Empire Strikes Back or Return of the Jedi that Bib Fortuna double-crossed Boba Fett. However, this makes sense when you read Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #1, which is a Marvel-published comic book that forms part of the Star Wars canon. All-Star Wars books published by Marvel Comics are actually canon.

Going back, in War of the Bounty Hunters #1, Boba Fett had already trapped Han Solo in carbonite. We know that Solo had a bounty on his head placed by Jabba because he owed him money. In the movies, we saw Fett delivering Solo straight to Jabba, and this opened up the events in Return of the Jedi when Luke and the rest of the team rescued their friend. 

However, in War of the Bounty Hunters #1, the carbonite was beginning to fail while Fett was still on his way to Jabba. While trying to look for someone to restore the carbonite, Han Solo was stolen away from him. When he returned to his ship, Fett saw two bounty hunters waiting for him. He found out from the droid bounty hunter that Jabba had placed a bounty on his head.

Now, when Boba Fett returned to Tatooine to confront Jabba for the bounty, it was Bib Fortuna who came out to greet him. Fortuna told him that another party had already delivered Han Solo to them and that Jabba placed a bounty on Fett’s head because he took too long to deliver Solo.

However, this sounds a bit too odd because, in Return of the Jedi, Boba Fett and Jabba appear to be peaceful with one another, as they were even working together against Luke Skywalker. Of course, it also sounds odd for Jabba to put a price on Boba Fett’s head for taking too long to deliver Han Solo.

All that points to the possibility that it could have been Bib Fortuna who placed the bounty on Boba Fett’s head. After all, it seemed all too convenient for someone to have stumbled on Fett’s ship and find Han Solo’s encased body in there. 

Why Did Bib Fortuna Double Cross Boba Fett?

So, for those wondering why Bib Fortuna would double-cross Boba Fett, it could be due to the possibility that he might be looking to get in the good side of Jabba while making the bounty hunter look bad.

Bib Fortuna was often described to be spineless and too weak to be able to lead. However, despite his weakness, he was still a cunning person that knew how to manipulate situations to his advantage.

In that regard, it was possible that he was the one who placed the bounty on Boba Fett’s head and the one who ordered some other group of bounty hunters to take Han Solo from Fett’s ship so that he could take the credit for bringing the smuggler to Jabba, all while discrediting and making Fett look bad in the process.

Why Were The Events In The Comics Different From The Ones In Movies?

As mentioned, the events surrounding Boba Fett’s relationship with Bib Fortuna were never shown in the movies. Instead, the movies went straight to the point, as Fett delivered Solo to Jabba while continuing to work for him after that. So, why was there a change in the comics?

If you must know, Star Wars: War of the Bounty Hunters #1 was published in 2021, which was after Boba Fett had killed Bib Fortuna in The Mandalorian. It could be possible that Lucasfilm was looking for a good reason for Fett to kill his former employer’s right-hand man because they have already jumped the gun by making Fett kill Fortuna in The Mandalorian.

However, it could also be possible that creating a story around how Han Solo got delivered to Jabba adds more tension to the relationship between Boba Fett and Jabba’s group. Then again, this does contradict the events of Return of the Jedi because Fett and Jabba looked like they were on the same page in the movie. 

Nevertheless, considering that both Jabba and Fortuna are already dead and that Fett is the one sitting on the throne they once sat on, this issue can be regarded as moot and academic.