Just Exactly How “Badass” is Boba Fett? A Blogger’s Debate

by Howie Decker @HowardTheDeck on May 3, 2013

in Star Wars

Let us be the first to say it – May the 4th be with you!

 

OK, technically Star Wars Day isn’t until tomorrow, but nobody visits our site on the weekends so we had to post this a day early, and frankly, this is a topic that we should have tackled long ago (in a galaxy far, far away) (sorry).

So before you hit Happy Hour for some Greedo Mojitos (or a Yoda Soda if you’re driving), join us for a conversation debate heated brawl over one of the most polarizing characters in the Star Wars Universe: Boba Fett.

If you Google ‘Boba Fett’ you’ll find a vast array of results: there’s the cute, there’s the creative, and there’s the just plain weird. We can agree that Boba has a deep legion of die-hard fans, but there is certainly not a consensus on his level of badassness.

The conversation (for us) started way back on UnderScoopFire Podcast Episode 35: Attack of the Hashtag. When the discussion came to the most overrated characters in the Star Wars Universe, a rift was created between the show’s hosts. (Oddly enough, we also called for JJ Abrams to take over the Star Wars franchise 7 months before it happened, because The Force is strong in us.)

As we hashed out the debate, it seemed clear that fans of the Star Wars Expanded Universe were more likely to fall into the pro-Boba-as-a-badass column, where those who only partook of the Star Wars movie Universe would classify him as decidedly less badass.

We decided that we’d need to devote much more time and attention to dissecting this issue. I was honored to be joined by Kevin Hellions of Team Hellions, Classick Material of Classick Team-Up & the Cold Slither Podcast, and readers James, Ben & Maria for a discussion about just how badass Boba Fett truly is.

Please hit the comments with your thoughts!

 

[KEVIN HELLIONS] You’re asking me if Boba Fett is a badass? Silly of you to ask a question that cannot be answered with a simple yes or no. To your question I pose another question, have you delved into the expanded universe? If so, then you may have an argument for him being a badass.

To myself (someone who is aware of the expanded works) along with 95-99% of the rest of the world, Boba Fett is NOT a badass. He’s not even Michael Jackson badass. He’s a chump background character who lost to lucky, bumbling rebels and a ravenous hole in the ground.

[HOWIE DECKER] I must disagree. While your assessment of his ultimate demise is accurate, we can’t judge his entire body of work based on his untimely end. Yes, let’s call a spade a spade here, he died like a bitch. But there are plenty of badasses whose end didn’t do justice to their life’s work:

  • Bob the Goon (Batman)
  • This guy
  • Dave Chappelle on Killin’ Them Softly (“Shit on himself before he died. Saw it on the news, died cryin’ like a bitch.”)

Surely I jest, but my point is that we cannot judge Boba’s entire badassness simply on the way he died.

[Classick Material] Boba Fett was a perceived badass because of how he was presented. Ultimate Star Wars BAMF himself Darth Vader assembles all of these bounty hunters, whose “scum” Admiral Piett famously states not necessary to The Empire’s efforts, and in his marching orders to these sick and nasty looking robots, reptiles and hard-faced humanoids, he caps it off with a stern warning of “No disintegrations” directed specifically at Fett!

That singling out by Vader was our first presentation of Boba in Star Wars lore and immediately thrust high expectations on the man. He has the tools that make him a bad-ass, and reportedly the track record (how many bounty hunters disintegrate their targets? really? you don’t want proof of death at least? Is he recording these disintegrations as video evidence? Is there some sort of post-bounty podcast he hosts?).

But all of this gets shot down when you find out that Han, Leia and company are captured not by Boba’s skills at bounty hunting, but by a trap set and snared by Darth himself using the influence of Lando Calrissian. Boba was really just there to deliver Han Solo to Jabba the Hutt, thereby making him the galaxy’s most well-equipped delivery man. GPS (Galaxy Parcel Service): What can Boba do for you?

 

[KH] Excellent points from both of you so far, but I stand by my original thoughts. Don’t get me wrong, I like Boba Fett. His costumes, his aura, the brilliant marketing have all created an iconic character. However, as far as what is seen in the movies alone- he’s a joke.

Hell, I’ll even go back slightly more. Boba Fett’s first appearance was not in one of the three iconic Star Wars movies. Don’t get ahead of yourself, its not in the Star Wars Christmas Special either. It was in a parade. A mother flipping parade!

Sad Parade Elephant cries for you, Boba Fett

Great bad asses were born in Hell, pits, bowels, or any other bottom rung of society that has two options- go up or die. This doesn’t apply to Boba Fett though, because the first time the world saw him he was throwing candy to grubby little children. If that makes a badass then there is a legion of BAMFs wearing fez hats and driving tiny cars.

Now to the meat and potatoes known as The Empire Strikes Back.  Nothing says badass like sitting back while the other guy does all the work. Fett stands next to Darth Vader before the Carbonite freezing, and next to Vader at dinner, yet Boba Fett gets all the credit for taking down Han Solo. If Fett is great at anything it’s being middle management. No no Boba, let everyone else do all the work while you kiss all the right ass and reap the benefits.

[HD] Great point about the parade, I can’t argue with that. I can however speak to your ‘Boba just stands next to Darth Vader’ point. I’ll agree that Boba Fett had very few scenes or lines of much consequence in the Star Wars movies. That means his entire (and impressive) popularity is based on his visual appeal. Who else can simply stand quietly next to the baddest fucker in the Universe and not look out of place and overmatched?

As viewers, we are groomed to expect everyone who comes in contact with Vader to cower in his presence. Not Fett. This is a big deal. I still say if the Original Trilogy were released in a more social media-friendly, instant feedback world like we live in today, Boba Fett’s popularity would have prevented his death in ROTJ. Call it the Jesse Pinkman Effect. Lucas would have recognized how popular a character he had on his hands (before it was too late) and written him into more scenes and a more pivotal role.

[JAMES THEISS] This.

[HD] Hard to top that. Can’t stop watching.

[BEN M] This website named Boba Fett the 79th Greatest Movie Character of All Time, and they have Tyler Durden #1, so clearly they know what they’re talking about.

[MARIA VENUTA] There’s this too, and my argument is that any character that inspires awesome cosplay is categorically ‘badass’.

[HD] I don’t even remember what we’re fighting about.

 

What say you? Is Boba Fett a badass? Let us know in the comments!

 

Dex (@Dex1138) May 3, 2013 at 6:07 am

This is all in the spirit of a proper geek debate with no flames intended 🙂

Yet no one mentions his first on screen appearance: the Holiday Special. I know we’d all rather forget about it but it’s really the only other moving images to possibly backup the pro-badass argument. He actually does some stuff there.

As far as the “he didn’t do much in ESB” argument. Who was it that tracked the Falcon after it seemingly escaped the Empire? Oh yeah, BOBA FETT!

Even though I’m in the “pro-” camp, I firmly believe his dad would put a beat down on him if they were somehow matched against each other. There’s no denying Jango is a badass. Did I yell out “NO!” when the most BAMF Jedi in the galaxy chops his head off? Yes, yes I did. Mace freakin Windu had to take down Jango. If that’s not “not goin out like a bitch” I don’t know what is.

OldSchool80s May 3, 2013 at 8:54 am

Have a Boba Fett issue being published in the next day or two, but a different angle, so keep an eye out for that.

That last picture made me lose my train of thought as well. Very nice.

Howard Decker May 3, 2013 at 12:02 pm

Cool- looking forward to that!

@OldSchool80s May 4, 2013 at 7:57 pm

It’s up now, so check it out when you have a chance!

Plus, still enjoying that last picture of the well-stacked female Fett!

Bill Paxton Cameo May 4, 2013 at 7:50 am

Boba Fett killed kids!

Well, it was actually Battle Star Galactica Spaceship, but it was the same missile-launcher-down-toddler-throat mechanism that had to be removed from the original Boba Fett toy. That is badass!

Howard Decker May 6, 2013 at 12:22 pm

Can’t argue with that!

James May 6, 2013 at 9:29 am

I’ll say it. Boba Fett’s a punk bitch. BOOM

Classick Material May 7, 2013 at 9:09 am

You know who’s the real bad-ass? The Mandalorians. You can’t find good craftmanship like that just anywhere, ya know! That battle armor is boss!
(Scrolls back up to look at that pic one more time)

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