The Mandalorian Chapter 16 Post-Credits Explained
Another season of The Mandalorian has come to a close, solidifying another set of truisms in the Star Wars universe: A person's blaster accuracy is inversely proportional to the morality of their target; Climbing into the pilot's seat of a TIE fighter is a death sentence on par with being a young Jedi's mentor or a cop who's this close to retirement; and battle droids, no matter how advanced, are the unsuspecting mixed greens to the galaxy's unforgiving Slap Chop infomercial.
Audience members who stuck around after Chapter 16's credits had one more truth bomb dropped on them: Tatooine's crime lords need to consider getting a standing desk or something. Not to lekku-shame or anything, but Bib Fortuna has a couple of Hutts growing out of the back of his head since moving up in the world. Yes, Return of the Jedi's iconic toady was back, however briefly, giving fans a glimpse into the state of the Dune Sea's most ambitious crime syndicate — our first live-action peek inside of Jabba's Palace since its damp owner's unceremonious end at the hands of Leia Organa.
Bib, the only Star Wars character so far to take up residence on a desert planet and then think "I should wear my skin as a scarf," wasn't the only callback to Jedi. What followed shortly after his return to the screen, in characteristic form for The Mandalorian, beautifully blended what came before with a tantalizing hint at what's next.
Boba Fett brings the pain in The Mandalorian's season 2 finale
Bib Fortuna, who appears to have picked up where his old boss left off, is surrounded by hangers-on, including what sure looks like at least one of Jabba's old dancers, as well as a fellow Twi'lek who's chained at his feet. The party doesn't last long after Boba arrives, however.
It's a shot that'll take you back to Episode VI's first act. An ominous shadow is cast on the staircase of Jabba's palace, and some poor chump gets dropped down the steps like a sack of hot bantha poodoo. Boba Fett and his new BFF Fennec Shand enter, displaying a stark enthusiasm for aggressive negotiations. Fortuna, who would have had, at best, four years as the head honcho after at least 30 working his way up the ladder, takes a blaster bolt to the chest pretty immediately, as do the rest of his work friends. The slave girl is freed, which sands the edges off of the "murdering half a dozen people and stealing their house" of it all.
With Bib dead, Boba takes the throne, not even bothering to Febreeze it first. The implication: Boba Fett and Fennec Shand are the new heads of the Tatooine crime family. Also, beskar washes out easily.
With The Mandalorian's final title card officially announcing the Boba Fett spinoff series, this development gives fans something to look forward to. Fett's hostile takeover of Jabba's old criminal empire opens the door to plenty of new stories, as it's unlikely that the local scum-and-villainy crowd will take kindly to the new normal. December of 2021 can't come soon enough.