Topic: Who is Boba Fett?

I know this topic has been, in one way or another, given the once over but I just read a SW book that implies that Boba Fett is not really a clone but some guy named Jaster Merell.

Please all of you in the know enlighten me WTF is going on with this? Is he Boba Fett or not?!

That story was written long before the new trilogy was released. As usual Lucas stuffed up the original writings of authors he'd ok'ed to expand on the SW universe.

I thought you'd been a fan long enough to know this one?

Anyway, what it is is that in real life here on Earth they made a backstory for Boba that was that he was Jaster Mareel, a Journeyman Protector from Concord Dawn who was exiled.

In-Galaxy the Jaster Mareel story is a rumor that was started because Boba and Jaster wear similar armor, and it's a rumor Boba likes having, among the many other rumors about him. Jaster really was a Journeyman Protector, really was exiled, but became the leader of the Mandalorians. When the Mandalorians split into two groups, Mandos and Death Watch, they were chasing each other around Concord Dawn and happened upon the Fett farm about the time Jango was 10. The farm burned and Jango's family died. Jaster felt bad and basically adopted Jango. So in a way Jaster is Boba's grandpa.

There's a way of thinking that we're researching the SW galaxy and all the books are written based on what the researchers know of the galaxy and in the last several years we came across a lot of new information. So the original stories that have Boba and Jaster as the same person were written based on the rumors that we now know to be false. If that makes sense?

So, in other words, it's bunk!?

I don't understand what you mean by bunk. Boba is not Jaster if that's what you mean, but I already gave you the in-galaxy and real-life explanations behind that.

Mostly what I mean is I am really against all of the over elaboration that has gone on over the years about what was intended originally to be a very minor character. And I think it is questionable that there are people out there who are even serious about building SW canon in the first place. I don't think the material and George Lucas' mood swings make for a very conducive mix of content to try to elaborate it to the extent that people like Karen Traviss has. Some have done better than others but for the most part I stick to the three original release films and the early novels.

So what I mean by bunk is that most of this canon building is , to my way of thinking, just making it up as you go. But that is just my opinion and I know a lot of people like Traviss' works.

And there's a lot of people who hate Traviss and what she's done. She's just a fanfiction writer who somehow got published.

I think GL didn't like Boba very much but as time went on and other people started taking it into their own hands he started to realize he could make a lot of money off him. Notice we now have little Boba in the cartoons? All playing to a fandom he's only just begun to scrape in money from.

It's not silly to make an orderly way to think of things. Yes, we're very good at making stuff up. There's an answer to every "mistake" anyone could possibly come up with, if we were given the time to think about it. As my husband says "You guys are so good you can retcon reality."

Yeah Miba I agree with you. I remember when Ep II came out I was so disappointed that Boba was in it. I thought it totally ruined the mystery of his character.

I also refuse to believe the he would have a family of his own. In my opinion he would have seen that as a weakness and point to exploit. As you say, fan fics that somehow got published... *sigh*

I went on a diatribe about this very issue in another posting. I have always thought that GL has over elaborated the character just because it means more $ for him. So I don't pay a lot of attention to all of the extraneous stuff so I never knew the  Jaster Mareel story line!

I 'm not stupid just misinformed.

So you never read the comics and books? What made you start now? Just curious. I believe Jaster Mareel was really only mentioned in Tales of the Bounty Hunters.

Well, as I mentioned above I don't follow the "canon" beyond the first three films and books published after 1983.

I think anything after that is all about consumerism. Or based on gaming lore.

I'm not smart enough to make a direct link to my posting but this is what I posted in the "what I like Best about Boba Fett" thread...
What I used to like most about BF is how mysterious he used to be. I used to think it was sooo cool that they made his action figure before he appeared in any films, he was part of SW before his actual appearance in the films. That's normal these days. Toys and collectibles come out way before the film does but in 1977 that was weird. I though it was really cool how his first set of armor had very little symmetry in terms of the color scheme, he had green body armor and helmet one red gauntlet one yellow, his cape was all torn up and he look like he had been through battle. His first set of gloves were really cool. He had more wires and things hanging off of him. (In short, I love the original BF design. The one Kenner used for the first carded figure)

What I think was most cool about the character as a whole was the lack of perspective we as the audience had.

Now he has been elaborated past the point of being interesting. I don't follow the comics and games because I don't want to know about BF's father or his past or future for that matter. I was/ am really happy not knowing all the details of his life. The Bounty Hunter series of books are about as far as I want to get into the extended universe of SW. The costume design alone creates its own persona. I really don't need to know what his morals are to appreciate the character. Kind of like a force of nature.

I like to remember back when I was seven, when SW was in the theaters, getting the mail-away Boba Fett figure before I even knew who the hell he was. That was so cool.

Sorry if this sounds negative I have just lost a lot of faith in Mr. Lucas over the years.

Boba Fett rocks!