The Book Of Boba Fett's overall direction came as unexpected to many, and amongst some terrific episodes, the show has some fantastic surprises.
Warning: This list contains spoilers for the finale of The Book of Boba Fett.
The latest in the long slate of original Disney+ Star Wars shows has now finished up season 1, and for better or for worse, The Book Of Boba Fett was not quite what Star Wars fans expected to see in a story revolving around the Galaxy's most feared bounty hunter. The show's overall direction came as unexpected to many, and amongst some terrific episodes, the show has some fantastic surprises.
Whether due to character cameos and appearances or changes in the narrative direction, The Book Of Boba Fett surprised audiences with each of its seven chapters.
Laze Loneozner, and Camie Marstrap are the names of the two individuals present in Tosche Station, where Boba confronts the Nikto biker gang and are two characters with a history stretching back all the way to A New Hope.
To the more hardcore Star Wars fans, this is a fun easter egg and a surprise inclusion to the show. These two are present at Tosche Station during the deleted scene from A New Hope, in which Luke goes and speaks with Biggs. It is a deep cut that the casual viewer will not think twice about but that those fans familiar with the saga on a deeper level will appreciate.
It is a few episodes before the main antagonists of the series announce themselves properly, with audiences having to go through the Mayor and the Twins before getting to the real villains, the Pyke Syndicate.
The Twins, cousins of Jabba the Hutt, were definitely surprising claimants to Jabba's throne, especially since he had been dead for years. Many fans expected Crimson Dawn to be the actual syndicate fighting for control of Mos Espa, but alas, it was the Pykes, a fitting villain that surprised many.
Garsa's Sanctuary proved to be one of the central locations throughout The Book Of Boba Fett, and much like how The Mandalorian shocked fans when the Razor Crest met its unexpected end - albeit to a much lesser extent - audiences were surprised to see the destruction of the cantina by the Pykes.
The ruins of the Sanctuary acted as a focal point in the finale, and the destruction of the building proved to be the most significant statement made by the Pyke's before their defeat at the hands of Boba and his allies. Many fans believed Garsa Fwip would have more of a role, but alas, she did not. All fans can hope for now is that Max Rebo did not die.
Audiences knew Boba Fett's iconic ship would make an appearance but waited with hope to hear the extraordinary sound of the seismic charge again. Fans got their wish, and it came epically.
The weapon was used to kill the famous Sarlacc in the Great Pitt of Karkoon. Fans knew they would see the Sarlacc as Boba emerged from it, but seeing it a second time was a surprise, with Boba returning in search of his armor. Seeing the beast killed in such a way was definitely a shock.
One of the more minor but utterly amazing aspects of the season was the exploration of the Rancor and how they are, like Boba Fett, initially viewed as nothing but animals, beasts for killing. In reality, they are so much more, and it came as a pleasant surprise.
Everything involving the Rancor surprised fans. From Danny Trejo as the Rancor keeper to Boba's connection to the animal to its rampage on Mos Espa to its falling asleep thanks to Grogu, it was all terrifically done. It added a whole new layer to the iconic yet still at times terrifying creature, improving Pateesa's appearance in Return Of The Jedi.
For years fans have wanted to know what Boba got up to post-Empire, assuming he survived the Sarlacc. His entire story with the Tusken Raiders on the Dune Sea surprised fans but was welcome.
While the flashbacks were not always paced brilliantly, Boba's history with the Tuskens, where he learned to be a leader, grow beyond what he once was, and live amongst a family, was a great story. Fans who believed Boba survived for forty-odd years would likely never have assumed Boba Fett lived amongst Tuskens for a long time after he escaped from the Sarlacc.
From the desert came a stranger who faced off with Cobb Vanth. Surprisingly, it was the legendary bounty hunter Cad Bane, one of the best characters in Star Wars TV history.
Fans clamored for Bane from the announcement of the show. But they were still left surprised when the character appeared to steal the show in an episode involving Ahsoka, Luke, Grogu, Din, Cobb Vanth, and more. His death was fitting, his badassery was unmatched, and his appearance was one of the show's best aspects.
Boba Fett gets mere minutes of screentime in the original trilogy and zero emotional exploration in any film beyond the worst thing to happen to him, his father's death. While The Clone Wars did show off Boba's potential humanity, The Book Of Boba Fett hones in on that aspect of the character.
He is shown to be kind, fair, and selfless throughout the show as he defies the stereotype of him being a cold-blooded killer with no morals. It is a beautiful story for the character and one that not many fans expected to see. Boba being more than just a bounty hunter makes him far more interesting, no matter if it was perfectly executed or not.
Din Djarin was a character many expected to appear in his sister show; he was always a perfect for the story. Although, the fans did not expect Din to take the wheel while Boba took a back seat.
'Chapter 5: Return Of The Mandalorian' acts like 'Chapter 17' of The Mandalorian, and it is an immense episode of Star Wars television, proving that Bryce Dallas Howard deserves to direct her own show or film. An episode like this fits into the idea of the series being a book, acting as an interlude. But the absence of Boba and the focus on Mando still shocked many.
If 'Chapter 5' came unexpected to audiences, 'Chapter 6' was the last thing they expected. It is undoubtedly one of the greatest pieces of Star Wars ever but made fans question whether or not it belonged in The Book Of Boba Fett.
The entire episode again revolves around characters and story threads from The Mandalorian and acts as another showcase of Dave Filoni's Star Wars genius. From Luke training Grogu to Yoda's lightsaber to Grogu's choice to Ahsoka Tano's emotional appearance all the way to Cobb Vanth and Cad Bane, the episode is an amalgamation of Star Wars excellence that surprised many at every turn.
