Boba Fett has returned, and if the new trailer for The Book of Boba Fett is any indication, his health is much improved. His long-awaited return in The Mandalorian found him more dead than alive – haggard, pale and comparatively out of shape. While his combat skills remained sharp, he clearly wasn’t what he once was. His new position as the head of Jabba the Hutt’s crime empire has done him a world of good, and he appears far more hale and hearty than he did a comparatively short time ago.
Considering the amount of detail Star Wars puts into its universe, the change is likely deliberate. And while the timetable remains slightly unclear for now, the trailer gives the impression that The Book of Boba Fett will begin just a short time after his appearance in The Mandalorian. He thus owes his much-improved health to something other than a healthier lifestyle, but what caused the turnaround? Based on the trailer’s first shot, the means for swift rejuvenation may lie within Jabba’s palace itself.
The palace was originally a monastery, operated by an ancient order called the B’omarr Monks. Though canonical, they’re fairly obscure and their purpose on Tatooine has been left to ancillary products to flesh out. But they appear in the Book of Boba Fett trailer and in so doing, may deliver a very strong hint toward how Fett heals his condition. More importantly, it may help give the character more of an arc than he previously possessed.
Fett became a victim of the Sarlacc during the heroes’ confrontation with Jabba in Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi. Subsequent Legends content detailed his escape, beginning with the Dark Horse comic miniseries Star Wars: Dark Empire published in late 1991, but canon didn’t confirm it until his lauded appearance in The Mandalorian Season 2, Episode 6, “The Tragedy.” Time in the Sarlacc’s belly would certainly explain his physical pallor at that point, and while the circumstances of his escape have yet to be revealed, The Book of Boba Fett will almost certainly address the question and further clarify his poor health.
The B’omarr Monks may explain the rest. The monks devote themselves to total separation from the material world, eschewing sensation of any sort to turn their minds inward. The BT-16 perimeter droids – the spider-like figures – contain the brains of monks who reach enlightenment. They live for centuries in such a manner and allow warlords like Jabba to use the palace as they see fit provided they themselves are left unmolested.
They also may provide the means of Boba Fett’s rapid healing. The canon reference book Star Wars: Complete Locations describe sacred “regeneration gems” that the monks keep hidden away in one of the subterranean levels beneath the palace. Nothing more on the gems is known, but it’s an easy and established method of bringing Fett back up to fighting form in time to defend his newly won criminal syndicate. If he controls the palace, the monks might give him access to the gems.
It also provides a potential plotline for the series, as Fett will need to negotiate with his “landlords” not only for the use of the palace but for their medical technology as well. In the process, it can address his escape from the Sarlacc Pit, as well as the psychological scars it may have left behind. That holds a lot of dramatic potential and their inclusion in the trailer suggests a substantial role in the series. With The Mandalorian already paying close attention to Star Wars canon, The Book of Boba Fett will likely follow suit, with a ready-made explanation standing by for Boba’s sudden physical improvement.
The Book of Boba Fett arrives on Disney+ on Dec. 29.
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