“Who the hell is Boba Fett?“is a question that many Star Wars fans have asked themselves over the years. The bounty hunter has managed to win the hearts of several generations thanks to the union of two seemingly opposite styles: special bounty hunter and wild west cowboy. “Under the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett”, the new Star Wars documentary dedicated to the mercenary, has revealed the origins of this character.
“At one point I jokingly said, ‘Well, if Boba Fett is a bounty hunter, why can’t he wear spurs like the ones we hear about in Western movies?“explains Ben Burtt, sound designer.”Although I expressed it half jokingly, Bob Rutledge [el editor de sonido], really took my spurs suggestion and included it for Boba’s steps“.
Every aspect of Boba Fett was heavily inspired by classic westerns, even the sound! The result of Burtt’s joke is Fett’s style so that every move he makes looks good on screen. And it is that this had its inspiration in the classic Clint Eastwood swagger on display.
If you think about it, Boba Fett is a classic book antihero, a man with no name in a galaxy far, far away. This concept comes directly from classic westerns: anonymous men seeking their niche in the wild west. George Lucas himself got his inspiration for the character from here.
“You didn’t know who it was, you didn’t know where it came from“says Joe Johnston, artistic director of The Empire Strikes Back, of Boba Fett.”Wear the poncho, like Clint Eastwood“adds The Mandalorian executive producer Dave Filoni.”It’s an icon drawn from George’s appreciation for westerns, and I think the gunmen in Sergio Leone’s movies specifically“.
It’s no secret that Star Wars is inspired by a lot of different movies and Boba Fett is Lucas’s tribute to his favorite westerns. “And that’s why the spurs [de vaquero] they make absolute sense when you think about it that way, as sure as Obi-Wan looks like a samurai. It makes perfect sense if you understand that the creator of Star Wars, the person who came up with it all, is George Lucas. It’s part of appreciating the art form, really“, Filoni finalizes.
We remind you that the Boba Fett skin will arrive in Fortnite on December 24 and the series The Book of Boba Fett will premiere on Disney + on December 29.
