This Star Wars: The Mandalorian article contains spoilers.
Well, that was a very short-lived cameo, wasn’t it? In a surprise post-credits scene, Jabba the Hutt’s former majordomo Bib Fortuna returns to Star Wars live-action just long enough to get blasted off his dead boss’ throne. Played once again by veteran Star Wars engineer Matthew Wood, who also played Fortuna in an uncredited role in The Phantom Menace and later voiced General Grievous in Revenge of the Sith, the Twi’lek seems to be running things on Tatooine before Boba Fett shows up.
In fact, Fortuna’s death happens so fast, he barely has a chance to utter the word “maclunkey” before Boba pulls the trigger. What’s that all about?
This all goes down during a rare post-credits scene at the end of “The Rescue.” Boba Fett and Fennec Shand are working together again (presumably) after the attack on the Imperial cruiser. After having fulfilled their promise to Mando to save Grogu, they’re seemingly back to their bounty hunting ways, but what does Jabba’s Palace have to do with anything? Boba doesn’t even bother trying to explain why he’s shown up and shot the place up.
Stream your Star Wars favorites right here!
But there’s at least one good guess: Boba is mad as hell that Fortuna and what’s left of Jabba’s gang left him to die inside the sarlacc’s stomach instead of trying to rescue him after the fight with Luke and friends was over in Return of the Jedi. Boba, who seemed loyal to the very rich Jabba until his embarrassing tumble into the sarlacc pit, probably thought someone would come for him if anyone was left alive. The fact that the cowardly and dim-witted Fortuna did nothing of the sort likely left Boba with a score to settle.
There’s also a very good chance that Boba just wanted what was left of the Hutt’s empire on Tatooine for himself. After years of working for the Empire and powerful crime lords, perhaps Boba finally decided that it was time to get some of that power for himself. How much more could he gain from becoming a powerful crime lord as opposed to just spending the rest of his life chasing petty bounties? He wouldn’t be the first major Star Wars villain to give up all the Empire drama for a more lavish life in the underworld. See also Maul.
There is some precedence for Boba taking on more of a leadership role. Although he spent years working for other bosses, including another Hutt, in the old Legends continuity, Boba eventually became the ruler of the Mandalorian people. As Mand’alor, he led the warrior race through several galactic conflicts, including the Yuuzhan Vong War and a battle with the resurgent Sith.
Whether the role of Mand’alor is in Boba’s future in Disney canon remains to be seen. On The Mandalorian, it looks like either Bo-Katan or Din Djarin, who is now the rightful holder of the Darksaber, is destined to ascend to the throne, and Boba doesn’t seem too interested in Mandalorian politics either way.
And why bother with that drama when there’s a perfectly good criminal organization to run right on Tatooine? It’s just too bad poor Bib had to go in the process. Does Boba not need someone to maintain his new palace?
All questions will likely be answered in the upcoming The Book of Boba Fett in December 2021.
