There are many beautiful characters in the Star Wars movies: Darth Vader and his government, and Darth Maul, with his tattoos and double-edged swords, are two of his favorite fans. However, Boba Fett – the hunter with green armor and Helmet – definitely tops the list of fans’ favorite characters. After his brief introduction to The Empire Strikes Back, Boba has defeated the world. Now, more than forty years later, it even gets its own Disney + series.
Star Wars: The Book of Boba Fett will debut next month, so Lucasfilm took the opportunity to show a little love for the character at Disney + Day by releasing a short documentary entitled Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett. The feature describes the bounty hunter’s origins and the reputation that followed. The biggest plus is that Boba Fett has challenged the chances of becoming one of the most popular characters in the franchise.
In the beginning, Boba Fett was not even destined to be a bounty hunter. At the beginning of the film, art director Joe Johnston explains that Boba Fett’s costume was designed as an advanced version of a Stormtrooper called a “Super Trooper” or “Super Commando.” He says he, concept artist Ralph McQuarrie and Lucas collaborated on designing and building an all-white version of an original armor with a terrifying medieval aesthetic.
Unfortunately, there were budget problems, and it was impossible to produce the planned 100 different dresses. However, something had to be done with the original suit. So Luke drew the character of the bounty hunter. Johnston dyed the dress green, and that’s how Boba Fett was born.
George Lucas remembered to love the character, but the truth was that no one expected Boba Fett to be so popular. He was a secondary character in the background of the story, so Lucas planned to give him only four lines and just over six minutes of total screen time. However, Boba Fett was created for size, and there have been some early indications of this.
Before the release of The Empire Strikes Back, fans got a taste of Boba Fett in a unique holiday offering in 1978, and fans responded well to the character. A month earlier, George Lucas had invited Darth Vader and Boba Fett to a local parade in his hometown of San Anselmo, California. Darth Vader was a well-known product at the time, and fans loved it. But Boba Fett was a mystery, and local fans turned to the masked character who went along with Vader. It was the first sign that Boba might be taller than we thought.
Then came The Empire Strikes Back in 1980. The short screen time and limited dialogue meant nothing. Boba Fett’s high stature and mysterious masked personality were enough to pique people’s interest – and the rest was history. It would be absurd to think that such a small role would have become the massive popularity Boba Fett has enjoyed over the years. That said, fans want what they want, and the upcoming release of The Book of Boba Fett is proof of that.
