The iconic Boba Fett got his own show. After appearing in The Mandalorian, Boba took on the starring role and filled out his character and story arc beyond the two original Star Wars movies that he was in.
Boba grabbed attention back in 1980 with Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back and captured audiences again in 2021 with The Book of Boba Fett. In between, he had also been in a prequel movie, the Clone Wars television show, and Legends books.
Can I watch Boba Fett without watching Star Wars? Yes, you can watch Boba Fett without knowledge of Star Wars. The character and action of the series make it mainly stand-alone viewing. Yet, watching some of his previous appearances could be beneficial.
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What Could We Know About Boba Fett?
Boba Fett is best known as a bounty hunter that made his debut in Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back. Complete with distinctive armor, Boba impressed fans with his skills at tracking down Han Solo.
That he was a distinguished bounty hunter is the first thing to know about Boba Fett. Another is that he is a clone raised by another decorated bounty hunter – Jango Fett. Episode II: Attack of the Clones sheds light on these origins.
A third point to know about Boba is that he watched his father get killed by Jedi Mace Windu in that same movie. This devastated Boba but also drove him to become the top bounty hunter.
In the television series The Clone Wars, Boba attempted to avenge his father’s death and became a main character in three episodes of season 2. In these episodes, Boba showed his combat skills but also revealed a moral side to him.
Hence, he began to emerge as a central character before The Book of Boba Fett. Knowing some of his background and bounty hunter status are areas that we could know about Boba Fett before watching the 2021 to 2022 series.
Can I Watch Boba Fett Without Watching Star Wars?
It could be helpful to watch some of the previous movies or shows that include Boba Fett.
In The Book of Boba Fett, Boba replaced Hutt as the Daimyo of Mos Espa on Tatooine. It would be helpful to know beforehand who Jabba the Hutt was and how taking over his criminal empire (after Bib Fortuna) is significant.
Yet, such story elements are not that central, and we find out much about Boba Fett just by watching the show that’s about him.
For example, we learn about him being stuck in the Sarlacc pit and how he makes his escape.
Viewers got to see what previous audiences did not know: Boba relied on his armor, among other things, to survive the Sarlacc, and then blasted his way out with his flamethrower.
He then crawled his way onto the desert floor of Tatooine, only to be pillaged by Jawas. In The Book of Boba Fett, he now has to spend frequent time in a Bacta Tank because of his grave injuries.
We could have learned about how he got in the Sarlacc pit from Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, but it’s not essential to understanding Boba in the television show. And, The Book of Boba Fett reveals more than the movie did.
In a comparative way, it’s helpful to watch some of the original Star Wars movies to better understand The Mandalorian, but it’s again not required viewing.
For example, we may catch on to Grogu’s power with the Force better if we knew about other Force wielders like Luke Skywalker, but we can also figure it out directly from the show.
Fan comments about The Mandalorian reflect a similar thought process that can be applied to The Book of Boba Fett. “You don’t need to watch any Star Wars movies beforehand,” but we would appreciate the references to those films if we had.
However, there are those who argue it is essential to watch at least The Empire Strikes Back and Return of the Jedi to fully grasp the character. Likewise, The Mandalorian could be seen as required viewing since that show first brought back Boba Fett.
Should I Watch The Mandalorian Before I Watch Boba Fett?
A continuing theme pervades here: we do not really need to watch The Mandalorian before watching The Book of Boba Fett. But it would enhance the experience since you can pick up on connections between the two shows.
Other commentators indicate that we do not need to watch the whole Mandalorian series. There are four episodes that include Boba Fett that could be helpful, but we can probably figure out those connections through flashbacks and dialogue between characters in The Book of Boba Fett.
The same goes for Boba’s partner, Fennec Shand, who appeared in The Mandalorian. Yet, we piece together her background, including how she was left for dead and rescued by Boba, through The Book of Boba Fett.
Then again, Chapter 9: The Marshal and Chapter 14: The Tragedy in season 2 of The Mandalorian provide useful insights, especially the latter episode.
In “The Marshal,” Cobb Vanth and Din Djarin team up to defeat a monstrous creature. Vanth gives up what turns out to be Boba Fett’s armor to Mando. At the end of the episode, we also see a robed person that is probably Boba.
In “The Tragedy,” Boba and Fennec Shand come into full view when they help Mando defeat waves of stormtroopers and Moff Gideon. This is when Boba gets his armor back.
This episode not only helps us understand Boba’s character arc in The Book of Boba Fett, but also what kind of armor he has.
Boba has Beskar armor like Din Djarin. Or, at least, his armor is mainly composed of Beskar steel.
So, this episode is helpful both for viewing purposes and for fan questions.
Boba Fett Can Stand Alone
You can watch Boba Fett without watching Star Wars. It may, in fact, be better that way.
Knowing less about the character may make him more appealing. Some of the explanations for the lackluster performance of the series could lie with knowing too much about Boba.
When Boba only made brief appearances with few words, it left a mystique to his character, and he may have been more captivating. “The thing that made Boba Fett so interesting was the immense amount of space he left for fans to speculate about.”
In the same way, watching The Book of Boba Fett as a stand-alone series may make it more interesting for audiences.
Knowing some about his background and connections to The Mandalorian is helpful to connect the Star Wars galaxy together. But it is not a prerequisite for enjoying the show, or not enjoying it.
Todd Wahlstrom is a creative and analytical freelance writer and life-long Star Wars fan. He has covered such topics as Darth Vader, the Jedi, Boba Fett, and AT-AT Walkers. Todd has published a non-fiction book, holds a Ph.D. in history, and enjoys hiking, running, and reading about science.