Is Boba Fett a Mandalorian or Does He Just Wear Mandalorian Armor?

This has been a hotly debated question: is Boba Fett a Mandalorian or is he just wearing Mandalorian armor?

This exclusive “Fett Fact Check” is our own repository of what we learn, when we learn it. We’re both logging and analyzing Boba Fett-specific Fett wears Mandalorian armor, hard to tell, and Fett is Mandalorian — each with date and original attribution.

We track who’s behind the information and what’s the evidence. This helps in reasoning and evaluating facts.

Below are our findings, sorted from newest to oldest:

• January 12, 2021

  In the official Star Wars mobile game Galaxy of Heroes, the game developers shared an update that they’re adding The Armorer from Season 1 of “The Mandalorian” and the “Mandalorian” tag for certain characters. Jango Fett is getting the tag and Boba Fett is not. While this still implies Boba Fett wears Mandalorian armor, they explain this decision with the following commentary: “As was pointed out in the second season of The Mandalorian, Boba Fett isn’t Mandalorian by birth and doesn’t meet any of the criteria needed to be called a Mandalorian. Jango is because he’s a foundling.” It’s then followed by the quote from the show between Boba Fett and Bo-Katan Kryz, where she says “you are not a Mandalorian” and he says “never said I was.” Now, he also never said he wasn’t, so just because it’s on an officially licensed product doesn’t mean it counts as an official source (as has happened many times before — just scroll down).

• December 18, 2020

  In Season 2 Episode 8 (Chapter 16) of The Mandalorian, Boba Fett and Bo-Katan talk trash to each other, which includes Boba Fett saying aloud he is not Mandalorian. So we’re back to the Boba Fett wears Mandalorian armor but not necessarily a standard kind of Mandalorian again. It’s complicated so we discuss this more in “‘The Mandalorian’ Season 2 Changed What It Means To Be Mandalorian,” published January 3, 2021.

• December 4, 2020

  In Season 2 Episode 6 (Chapter 14) of The Mandalorian, Temuera Morrison’s character is confirmed by name as Boba Fett. He explains his backstory and why the armor Mando has is his, given to him by his father, Jango. (Temuera happened to play Jango in “Attack of the Clones.”) There’s a lot to unwrap in this episode, but it suggests the armor was gifted to Jango by Mandalorians, in much the same way Mando was taken in as a foundling to become Mandalorian, clarifying then that Jango Fett is Mandalorian. But is Boba Fett one as well by that association and upbringing? It’s complicated so we wrote about it in “Is Boba Fett Now Mandalorian or Just Jango Fett?”

• March 16, 2020

  The official LEGO website describes their new Boba Fett helmet as the “original Mandalorian.” Elsewhere in the product description they mention “Mandalorian armor,” which is canon, but implying Fett is Mandalorian is not the current canon. So, again, just because it’s on an officially licensed product doesn’t mean it’s an official source.

• February 5, 2020

  For a while now on shopDisney, they have a Boba Fett page with a description: “This Mandalorian is one of the most feared bounty hunters in the galaxy.” While this suggests Fett is Mandalorian, we asked the Lucasfilm Story Group and one of them, Matt Martin, replied that he “wouldn’t consider Shop Disney to be an ‘official source.'” When asked a little more about it, he added this: “Product descriptions are just written by the stores and their licensees so I doubt they so much as Google it.”

• September 9, 2019

  The official Hasbro Pulse website described their “Kenner” Boba Fett figure as a “Mandalorian bounty hunter.” This is not canon even though it clearly says Fett is Mandalorian, but it’s unfortunate that descriptions about him are inconsistent.

• July 2, 2019

  The official Star Wars accounts on Instagram and Twitter shared a video about Mandalorian helmets and the baked-in text specifically calls Boba Fett a non-Mandalorian. This confirms again in the current canon that Boba Fett wears Mandalorian armor, but is not Mandalorian.

• 2017

  The official Star Wars account on Twitter also says Jango and Boba Fett are not Mandalorian: “According to Prime Minister Almec, (Clone Wars episode ‘The Mandalore Plot’), Jango Fett (and by extension, his son) aren’t actually Mandalorians, they just wear Mandalorian armor. Therefore, the darksaber would have no significance to them.” This confirms again in the current canon that Jango Fett and Boba Fett wear Mandalorian armor, but are not Mandalorians.

• August 28, 2016

  The official Star Wars account on Twitter tweeted a graphic labeled “Mandalorians” showing Jango Fett. This was misleading in terms of the current canon.
  

• January – November 2016

  Pablo Hidalgo of the Lucasfilm Story Group frequently tweets that “Boba’s not Mandalorian,” including:

  • “It is confirmed that some Mandalorians don’t think [Jango is Mandalorian].” on November 11, 2016
  • “If Almec’s POV is indicative, they don’t see the Fetts or the clones as Mandalorian” on November 6, 2016
  • “Boba’s not Mandalorian” on September 29, 2016
  • “he’s not Mandalorian” on April 4, 2016
  • “old guides say Jango is Mandalorian” … “[b]ut George never thought so” on March 1, 2016
  • “The Fetts aren’t Mandalorian, though I suppose Jango claimed to be from Concord Dawn at some point” on January 29, 2016 (no longer online, archive.org copy)

  All together, his take is clear. … Boba Fett wears Mandalorian armor

  In “Star Wars Character Encyclopedia: Updated and Expanded,” the record for Jango Fett also is clear that Jango is not Mandalorian, but his armor is. … Jango Fett wears Mandalorian armor

  Note: in 2018 or so, Pablo deleted most of his tweets from Twitter

• 2015

  Boba Fett Playing Cards by Cartamundi (sold by Hot Topic and later re-packaged by Walgreens) say this on the back of the box: “Each card features a different image of the legendary Mandalorian warrior.” … Fett is Mandalorian

• 2014

  Star Wars: Galactic Defense, bio for Boba Fett: “Boba Fett is a seasoned Mandalorian bounty hunter. He is a dangerous and resourceful warrior, full of gadgets and concealed weapons.” … Fett is Mandalorian

• 2010

  In the “Creating Mandalore” featurette, included with the Star Wars The Clone Wars Season Two release on Blu-ray and DVD, Dave Filoni explains how it was George Lucas’ idea that Jango Fett isn’t a Mandalorian. This can be found 6 minutes and 40 seconds into the short, official video. Therefore, Jango Fett wears Mandalorian armor. (One fan account has the video re-uploaded to watch.)

  “So, the idea that Jango Fett is not a Mandalorian – that’s something that comes directly from George. I think that – when we fist saw Jango in Attack of the Clones – that a lot of us, myself included, we assumed, ‘Oh, he must be a Mandalorian. There he is in Mandalorian armor.’ So, there’s kind of this early assumption that Jango must be a Mandalorian. That was interesting to see. But, that was never stated in the film. It’s never stated that he’s Mandalorian. He’s always just referred to as a bounty hunter.”

• January 29, 2010

  In “The Clone Wars” Season 2 Episode 12 called “The Mandalore Plot,” which aired on this day, Prime Minister Almec conveys that Jango Fett (including Boba Fett) is not actually Mandalorian and that Jango Fett wears Mandalorian armor. Prime Minister Almec isn’t the most trustworthy character, however, it was said in the official show so that counts for something.

• 2007

  Hasbro’s Saga Legends #07 Jango Fett action figure has this on the cardback: “The ruthless Mandalorian warrior and resourceful bounty hunter Jango Fett fights the Jedi on the planet Geonosis.” This suggests Jango Fett is Mandalorian.

• 2002

  While the backstory in Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones changed a whole lot of Boba Fett’s canonical backstory, we see that Jango’s Slave I — a Kuat Systems Engineering Firespray-31 patrol craft — displays the ship’s readouts in Mandalorian. Why would the ship be dialed in to display that if he’s not Mandalorian? Could it mean he simply knows another language, but it’s not his native tongue?

  The Dark Horse Comics graphic novel Jango Fett has a synopsis about being “clad in the distinctive armor of a Mandalorian Warrior.” It also shows Young Boba Fett playing with some toys, in which he says “nothing stops the Mandalorian warrior.” The figure looks just like Jango Fett, but is it a toy of his father or does his father take on the appearance of Mandalorian warriors? Chalk up this reference as ambiguous, but it definitely means Fett wears Mandalorian armor.

• 1997

  Sci-Fi Invasion! #2: “The armor itself was a modified version from the Mandalorian Supercommandos, a group of evil warriors defeated by the Jedi Knights during the Clone Wars. Their armor soon became rare and highly prized. It is currently unknown whether Mereel actually joined the ranks of the Mandalorians and changed his name, or whether he took the name and armor from one of the Supercommandos.” … Fett wears Mandalorian armor and Fett may have joined the Mandalorians

• 1996

  Star Wars Finest #34: “Fett wears the fearsome armor of the Mandalorian supercommandos, which he modified to make even deadlier.” … Fett wears Mandalorian armor

• 1995

  POTF2 action figure: “Fett wears the armor of the Mandalore supercommandos, a group of evil warriors who were defeated by the Jedi Knights during the Clone Wars.” … Fett wears Mandalorian armor

• 1994

  A Guide to the Star Wars Universe: “Boba Fett … an unscrupulous bounty hunter from the Mandalore system, his feats are renowned throughout the Empire. … Boba Fett’s work dress was a weapon-covered, armored spacesuit of the kind favored by a group of evil warriors defeated by the Jedi Knights during the Clone Wars.” … Fett wears Mandalorian armor and Fett is from Mandalore

• 1989

  Galaxy Guide #3: “Boba Fett wears a weapon-covered armored spacesuit similar to those favored by a group of warriors from the Mandalore system who were defeated by the Jedi Knights during the Clone Wars.” … Fett wears Mandalorian armor

• 1980

  Starlog #31: “Another of the new characters has the evil-smelling name of Boba Fett. They say he’ll rival Darth Vader for sheer terrorism. Apparently, he’s a remnant of the old Imperial Shocktroopers — who once made the Stormtroopers look like school-crossing guards. Then others say: No, he was never a Shocktrooper; he has merely adopted their uniform as a symbol of his nefarious purpose.” He’s either an Imperial Shocktrooper or he adopted their armor… hard to tell

• 1979

  Bantha Tracks #5: “Not much is known about Boba Fett. He wears part of the uniform of the Imperial Shocktroopers, warriors from the olden time.” … Fett wears armor