“If you only look after your own hide, then you’re not a man”
'Book of Boba Fett' could bring back this fearsome forgotten Mandalorian
Star Wars is entering its Mandalorian era. Two years after The Mandalorian took a tentative step into live-action television, Lucasfilm is doubling down with a spin-off, The Book of Boba Fett, releasing in just a few weeks. On top of that, a casting announcement for Rebels Mandalorian Sabine Wren means the warrior race will appear in the upcoming series Ahsoka.
But on top of all those appearances, The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian Season 3 could explore a whole new level of Mandalorian lore with this decades-old freedom fighter.
Fenn Shysa was a Mandalorian fighter who became part of the Mandalorian Protectors, a collection of hundreds of Mandalorians who fought in the Clone Wars against the Separatists. And, as one of only three Protectors who survived, he immediately picked up the fight against the Empire, driving them off Mandalore and taking on the mantle of Mand’alor or leader.
At the time when The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett are taking place, Fenn Shysa was on the run from bounty hunters. Ten years later he was pursued and snuffed out by Boba Fett, but not before Fenn told Boba to reunite and lead the Mandalorian people.
Lost Legends is an Inverse series about the forgotten lore of our favorite stories.
Fenn Shysa (left) and his two compatriots fight in the Clone Wars, as depicted in Star Wars #68, published in November 1982.
Fenn Shysa is a character about as old as the Star Wars universe itself, appearing in the original run of Marvel Star Wars comics. This kind of legacy is just what the Star Wars TV universe needs, especially since their inspiration is mainly pulled from more recent works like Star Wars: The Clone Wars and the Aftermath trilogy of novels.
What’s more, recent leaks suggest a large number of Mandalorians will appear in The Mandalorian Season 3. Could this be a reassembly of the Mandalorian Protectors led by Fenn Shysa?
Fenn Shysa and Han Solo are put to the test in Star Wars #100, published in July 1985.
For The Book of Boba Fett and The Mandalorian, the biggest purpose Fenn Shysa can serve is to shape the destinies of our heroes. In the now-apocryphal Legends, Fenn is the one who sets Boba on a path from lone bounty hunter to leader of the Mandalorians. In canon, Boba has a new career as the crime lord replacing Jabba the Hutt, but Mando is a lone bounty hunter who’s found himself as the unwilling leader of the Mandalorians. Maybe the kick in the beskar-armored pants he needs is a Mandalorian leader giving him a mission.
If Fenn Shysa is introduced in The Book of Boba Fett as either a bounty target or a Mandalorian looking for more of his kind, it could be the start of a Star Wars TV career spanning multiple series. Star Wars may have more Mandalorians than ever, but there’s always room for one more, especially one with a history like Fenn’s.
The Book of Boba Fett premieres on Disney+ December 29, 2021.
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