Do you know when The Book of Boba Fett takes place? Wondering what to watch before the series to explain the background? One of the galaxy’s most elite bounty hunters, Boba Fett captivated fans almost immediately. So it’s no surprise he was brought back from the dead in both the Star Wars Legends and canon timelines. If you want to know more about Boba Fett’s story, here is what to watch before The Book of Boba Fett on Disney+.
Spoiler Warning: The following descriptions contain spoilers about the movies and episodes. To avoid these spoilers, skip to our spoiler-free watch list.
When Does The Book of Boba Fett Take Place?
The Book of Boba Fett takes place in 9 ABY, with the flashbacks taking place sometime after 3 ABY. While not explicitly stated, we assume the series starts shortly after the post-credits scene at the end of The Mandalorian Season Two.
The series is set approximately 5 years after Return of the Jedi and 25 years before The Force Awakens. It takes place 28 years after The Clone Wars ends and Revenge of the Sith.
Born in 32 BBY, Boba Fett is 41 during the series. While Fennec Shand’s birth year is unknown, she is like between 30 and 50 years old based on her first appearance in the Star Wars timeline.
Temuera Morrison and Ming-Na Wen star in The Book of Boba Fett, reprising their roles from The Mandalorian. Morisson previously played Jango Fett in Attack of the Clones.
When Does the Main Story of The Book of Boba Fett Take Place?
The main story of The Book of Boba Fett takes place following season two of The Mandalorian. Set in 9 ABY, the series appears to take place over a number of weeks. However, the exact timeline of the series is unclear.
In what is considered present-day within the series, bounty hunter Boba Fett takes over the remnants of Jabba the Hutt’s empire. Serving as Daimyo of Mos Espa, the criminal protector of the city, he tries to unite criminal elements on Tatooine in order to bring peace and prosperity to them all.
When Do the Flashbacks Take Place in The Book of Boba Fett?
The flashbacks in The Book of Boba Fett take place sometime after 4 ABY, following the events of Return of the Jedi. However, Lucasfilm has not clarified the exact placement on the Star Wars timeline yet.
Given that the sarlacc digests food for over a thousand years, Boba Fett could escape days, weeks, or even months later. However, his reliance on the air from a nearby stormtrooper suggests a much shorter time span.
His time with the Tuskens likely takes place over a period of months or even years. But again, this is only conjecture. Potentially future stories will clarify this timeline.
What Do You Need to Watch Before The Book of Boba Fett?
Best known for his imposing armor, few Star Wars characters have the mystique and allure of Boba Fett. Whether you are a long-time fan of the character or first encountered the character in The Mandalorian, here is what you should watch before The Book of Boba Fett.
Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones
Although he only plays a small role in Attack of the Clones, it is our first introduction to Boba Fett. It establishes his origin and sets up Boba’s early motivations.
The Clone Wars: Boba Fett Arc (Season 2, Episodes 20, 21, & 22)
Consumed by revenge, Boba Fett works with a gang of bounty hunters to kill Jedi Master Mace Windu. When things don’t go as planned, the bounty hunters turn on each other.
Before The Clone Wars was abruptly canceled, there were plans for a second Boba Fett arc. This unproduced four-episode arc has Cad Bane taking Boba Fett as an apprentice, ending with them in a duel. While they both survived the encounter, Boba earned the iconic dent in his helmet and Cad was shot in the head.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 1 Episode 4: “Cornered”
While the episode focuses mainly on Omega and The Bad Batch, it establishes Fennec Shand as a capable and cunning bounty hunter. While older in The Book of Boba Fett, Shand brings the same level of intensity and skill.
Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 1 Episode 9: “Bounty Lost”
Fennec Shand goes head to head against Cad Bane to collect a bounty. It’s also worth noting that Cad has a metal plate on the side of his head in this episode. This could reference the unproduced Clone Wars arc where Cad and Boba duel.
Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back
The mysterious Boba Fett became an instant fan favorite in his first live-action appearance. With only 6 minutes and 32 seconds of screen time, Boba Fett captured the hearts and imagination of millions of fans.
The Empire Strikes Back establishes him as a stealthy and ruthless bounty hunter. He agrees to help Darth Vader find Luke Skywalker in exchange for collecting Jabba the Hutt’s bounty on Han Solo.
Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi
Despite only one and a half minutes of screen time, Return of the Jedi is critical to Boba Fett’s character development. Fett is inside Jabba’s palace when Luke, Leia, Chewie, and Lando rescue Han. While fighting Luke, Han unintentionally triggers Boba’s jetpack.
After crashing into Jabba’s sail barge, he falls into the sarlacc located in the Great Pit of Carkoon. Despite his apparent death, he remains one of the most popular characters in the Star Wars universe.
The Mandalorian – “Chapter 5: The Gunslinger”
Created specifically for The Mandalorian, “Chapter 5” establishes Fennec Shand as a ruthless assassin and bounty hunter. It also teases the possibility of Boba Fett’s return. While this episode does not directly impact The Book of Boba Fett, it is essential to both characters’ pasts.
The Mandalorian – “Chapter 9: The Marshal”
While this episode doesn’t directly involve Boba Fett, it deals with his armor and sets the stage for his return later in the second season of The Mandalorian.
Although you can technically skip this episode, it establishes the people of Freetown and Cobb and gives more background of about the Tuskens.
The Mandalorian – “Chapter 14: The Tragedy”
Now working together, Fett and Shand track Din Djarin down to reclaim Boba’s armor and end up helping fend off a Stormtrooper attack. While still a fearsome warrior, this episode also shows Boba as an honorable man.
The Mandalorian – “Chapter 15: The Believer”
Boba Fett and Fennec Shand help Din Djarin, along with Cara Dune and Migs Mayfeld, locate Grogu. Although Boba and Fennec mostly play secondary roles in this episode, it showcases Fett’s piloting skills and Shand’s sharpshooting. It also expands on their relationship and establishes more background about their characters.
The Mandalorian – “Chapter 16: The Rescue”
Din Djarin rescues Grogua with help from Boba, Fennec, Cara, and Bo-Katan Kryze. While Fett plays a minor role in the episode, Shand showcases her fighting skills, further establishing her as an elite mercenary and assassin. The post-credit scene sets up the new series, with Boba Fett and Fennec Shand going to Jabba’s Palace on Tatooine and confronting Bid Fortuna.
Who is Boba Fett?
Boba Fett is a Mandalorian bounty hunter in the Star Wars universe. He is an unaltered clone of Jango Fett, who raised him as a son.
After Jango’s death, he worked with bounty hunters Aurra Sing, Bossk, and Denga. During the age of the Galactic Empire, Boba Fett notably worked for Jabba the Hutt and Darth Vader.
Shortly before the fall of the Empire, Fett was left for dead on Tatooine. While The Mandalorian establishes that Boba survived, The Book of Boba Fett could go into more detail.
The History of Boba Fett Within Star Wars
The Boba Fett character was created for The Empire Strikes Back and was first introduced in “The Faithful Wookiee” segment of The Star Wars Holiday Special. Although he only had 6 minutes and 32 seconds of screen time in Empire, he emerged as an immediate and unlikely fan favorite.
Despite his popularity, Boba Fett was effectively killed off in Return of the Jedi. In the 1990s, he reemerged with a new backstory about how he survived the sarlacc. Boba then went on numerous adventures in what is now the Star Wars Legends timeline. Boba Fett was reintroduced to the current canon timeline with a teaser in The Mandalorian Season One, followed by a full reemergence in Season Two.
When Does The Book of Boba Fett Come Out?
The Book of Boba Fett debuted on Disney+ on December 29, 2021. The first spin-off of The Mandalorian, it is a seven-episode limited series. New episodes were released every Wednesday through February 9, 2022.
At this time, it appears the series is complete after the first season. However, Boba Fett and Fennec Shand could appear in future seasons of The Mandalorian or in other spin-offs.
The List of What to Watch Before Starting The Book of Boba Fett
The Book of Boba Fett watchlist includes three movies, three episodes of The Clone Wars, two episodes of The Bad Batch, and five episodes of The Mandalorian. In total, there are just over 12 hours of content about Boba Fett and Fennec Shand that could relate to the new series.
| Film or Show and Episode | Timeline | Runtime (minutes) |
| Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones | 22 BBY | 142 |
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 2 Episode 20: “Death Trap” | 21 BBY | 24 |
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 2 Episode 21: “R2 Come Home” | 21 BBY | 24 |
| Star Wars: The Clone Wars – Season 2 Episode 22: “Lethal Trackdown” | 21 BBY | 24 |
| Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 1 Episode 4: “Cornered” | 19 BBY | 23 |
| Star Wars: The Bad Batch – Season 1 Epsiode 9: “Bounty Lost” | 19 BBY | 25 |
| Star Wars: Episode V – The Empire Strikes Back | 3 ABY | 127 |
| Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi | 4 ABY | 135 |
| The Mandalorian – “Chapter 5: The Gunslinger” | 9 ABY | 35 |
| The Mandalorian – “Chapter 9: The Marshal” | 9 ABY | 54 |
| The Mandalorian – “Chapter 14: The Tragedy” | 9 ABY | 33 |
| The Mandalorian – “Chapter 15: The Believer” | 9 ABY | 38 |
| The Mandalorian – “Chapter 16: The Rescue” | 9 ABY | 44 |
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