The Ending Of The Book Of Boba Fett Chapter 1 Explained
"Star Wars" fans have been desperate to learn more about Boba Fett ever since he first appeared in 1978's "Star Wars Holiday Special" and 1980's "Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back." Although he was originally played by Jeremy Bulloch in live action, Temuera Morrison stepped into the role for "The Mandalorian" Season 2 after playing Boba's father, Jango Fett, in "Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones." Boba is an exact clone of Jango, so Morrison's return fits perfectly.
But many fans have wondered whether the latest show will reveal jaw-dropping secrets about the "Star Wars" universe. This is mainly because the first live-action series, "The Mandalorian," changed the face of the franchise forever by introducing Baby Yoda aka Grogu. Although the new series widens the universe, it doesn't pull the rug out from under the audience. Needless to say, there are major spoilers ahead for "The Book of Boba Fett" Chapter 1, "Stranger in a Strange Land!
Well, "Star Wars" fans will be glad to know that the series wastes no time in answering one of the biggest questions surrounding the legendary bounty hunter. It starts with Boba waking up inside the Sarlacc Pit after the action-packed opening to "Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi." His escape from the (literal) belly of the beast has previously been explained in books and comics, but it's exciting to see it in live action. It's only a brief sequence, as he uses a dead Stormtrooper's oxygen to stay alive before punching a hole in the Sarlacc's stomach and setting the monster aflame. Gross. This is a man who just refuses to die.
But from there, his escape isn't so easy. So, here's the ending of "The Book of Boba Fett" Chapter 1 explained.
Tusken Raider Tussle
The episode uses Boba's time in the Bacta Tank to flashback into his past, filling in the gaps between "Return of the Jedi" and his reappearance in "The Mandalorian." Once Boba makes it out of his trial by Sarlacc, he passes out from the entire ordeal — unfortunately he's set upon by a band of Jawas who quickly steal his armor from him while he's on the floor. This immediately ties into "The Mandalorian" Chapter 9, wherein Din Djarin (Pedro Pascal) comes across Cobb Vanth (Timothy Olyphant). He's the marshal of Mos Pelgo who buys Boba's armor and rocket pack from the Jawas to protect the small town from gangsters, as well as the behemoth Krayt Dragon.
If being mugged by Jawas isn't enough, Boba is also set upon by Tusken Raiders aka Sand People, who tie him up and take him back to their camp. Luckily he isn't tortured in the way that Shmi Skywalker-Lars is during "Attack of the Clones," but they do tie him up with a captured Rodian as a Massiff guard dog keeps watch. It's a shame Boba doesn't know how to talk Tusken like Din Djarin does, otherwise this whole situation would've been resolved much quicker.
Obviously, Boba isn't the type to stay put when he's captured, and quickly makes his escape into the desert — although he's pursued by the Tuskens. Sure, they might be a savage band of nomads, but they're extremely vicious — as Boba finds out when he's forced to fight one of them. Interestingly, his opponent uses a similar Gaffi Stick that Boba wields in "The Mandalorian" — he's definitely going to become an honorary Sand Person. Although they're not on friendly terms just yet, since he loses their fight. Ouch.
He rules with respect
The flashback sequence is over once Fennec Shad (Ming-Na Wen) wakes Boba up out of his Bacta-nap, and it's time to get to the bulk of the story. There's a power vacuum left on Tatooine following Jabba the Hutt's death in "Return of the Jedi" and clearly Boba feels he's the one to fill it. But it's going to take more than the bounty hunter saying he's the new crime lord for him to establish rule. Even when the respective crime factions start bringing tributes to Fett, the Mayor of Mos Espa doesn't even show up — instead sending his Majordomo to ask for a tribute from Boba. That's not a good sign.
But still, the bounty hunter-turned-crime lord is determined to turn over a new leaf, intending to "rule with respect," instead of embracing Jabba's iron-fisted approach. So this sneering Majordomo manages to leave with his life. It's a bizarre change for the bounty hunter who has long been fueled by revenge and rage — although clearly there's more to this plot point. At least some of the planet's authority figures bow to Boba; notably, Madam Garsa (Jennifer Beals) fills his helmet with credits. She runs a bar called "Sanctuary," and it looks a lot cleaner than the Mos Eisley Cantina.
This juxtaposition between Boba and Jabba's rule critically sets the stakes for the rest of the series. While some denizens of the desert underworld — like Garsa — will likely embrace Boba's new regime, others will summarily reject it. Years of toiling under the murderous Hutts has likely led many factions on Tatooine to view Boba's more reasonable style as a sign of weakness — a weakness they are likely to exploit.
The giant four-armed lizard
Sure, Boba might be one of the most feared bounty hunters in the entire galaxy, but Tusken Raiders simply don't care — they'll turn anyone into a slave. Fett and the unnamed Rodian are forced to wander through the desert with a Tusken youngling, and they come across a band of looters raiding a random moisture farm. They don't intervene, simply watching from afar. It'll be interesting to see whether Boba comes across the gang in the present day, because it wouldn't be in the show for nothing.
From there, the Tusken youngling forces Boba and the Rodian to dig pods of water from under the sand. Unfortunately, the Rodian uncovers a giant six-limbed lizard — which can only be described as a giant lizard centaur thanks to the way it runs with its torso facing upwards. Although it also looks a little similar to the Kraken from 1981's "Clash of the Titans." It's possibly a Fromprath, which Wookiepedia describes as being a "sentient, snakelike, six-armed species" that originally lived on Dathomir until they were forced off the planet by the native Dathomirians.
Luckily, Boba uses his chains to strangle the giant beast to death in the same way Princess Leia (Carrie Fisher) kills Jabba the Hutt in "Return of the Jedi." Since he saves the Tusken youngling, the episode ends with Sand People accepting Fett, as the leader hands him a water pod to drink from on their return. His alliance with the Tuskens is probably how the bounty hunter survives on Tatooine for so long without his armor and his signature space ship — but we'll probably learn more whenever Boba takes a Bacta-Nap in future episodes.
There's an interesting parallel with another desert sci-fi adventure here. Just as Leto Atreides recognizes he needs the "desert power" of the Fremen to successfully tame Dune, Boba likely recognizes that the desert power of the Sand People could provide just the oomph he needs to conquer all of Tatooine. If nothing else, the Tusken Raiders would make imposing praetorian guards flanking a fresh-faced crime boss.
The Crimson Dawn theme plays
By the end of Chapter 1, we may not have seen the rumored return of Emilia Clarke's Qi'ra or live-action Darth Maul, but both seem even more plausible in future chapters thanks to the inclusion of a very telling musical cue. Discerning fans will note the deliberate deployment of a leitmotif associated with the criminal organization Crimson Dawn aka Daenerys Targaryen's side hustle.
After "Solo" underperformed at the box office, fans feared we might never get a satisfying resolution to Qi'ra's storyline nor any real payoff from the big reveal that a revenant Dark Maul was still kicking around managing organized crime. Thanks to these key musical phrases, it seems incredibly likely we'll get satisfaction as it pertains to one or both of these questions. "The Book of Boba Fett" may essentially be "Solo 2," which is actually great, because it means we don't have to watch "Solo 2."