“I probably thought up a hundred little Boba Fett stories using Kenner figures before I ever got to see Empire,” says Fry, who has since made a career writing dozens of Star Wars extended universe novels. Once the 10-year-old had unboxed the mysterious mercenary, a year before the character’s official debut in The Empire Strikes Back, his imagination took over. “He was the only good thing about it,” Fry remembers of the infamous cartoon. With his identity hidden underneath a Stormtrooper-type mask, Boba Fett wore blue and yellow armor, a red cape, carried a jet pack and handgun, and roamed the galaxy without any affiliation. The only thing he knew about the intergalactic bounty hunter, which made its brief debut in the 1978 Star Wars Holiday Special, was that he looked incredibly cool. Following toy catalog instructions, he’d collected his four proof-of-purchase box seals, sent them to Kenner Products, and waited by the front door for nearly two months, anticipating his replica of the newest character scheduled to join the burgeoning movie franchise. Like most kids obsessed with Star Wars in 1978, Jason Fry could hardly wait for his Boba Fett action figure to arrive in the mail.
As the second season approaches on October 30, it’s time to revisit the rise of one of Star Wars ’ most iconic characters. Editor’s note, October 27, 2020: This feature was originally published in the run-up to The Mandalorian’s debut on Disney+.
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