It might not seem like it to some casual or new Star Wars fans, but Boba Fett is one of the most influential characters in the franchise. He's the silent bounty hunter whose face remained hidden for most of his existence in the mythos. He was actually supposed to be a write-off who got killed due to Han Solo's clumsiness but that kind of death didn't do him justice.
So the Star Wars Legends (non-canon official fiction) brought him back in the most honorable way. Now, it seems the canon lore is taking notes from Legends with Boba Fett's belated return on-screen via The Mandalorian. While the canon shot-callers are at it, they could also take more from how Legends made Boba Fett even more legendary. These feats prove that he's the best soldier in the Star Wars mythos, as portrayed mostly in the Legends comic books and short stories.
10 He Had A Wife And Daughter
In the canon lore, Boba Fett didn't seem like the family man that Jango was (so far). He remained a hardened independent bounty hunter with no attachments. In Legends, however, Boba had a wife and even a daughter. This happened near the birth and the height of the Galactic Empire's power.
Boba married a woman named Sintas Vel and she gave birth to a daughter named Ailyn Vel. Sadly, Boba's nature and upbringing drove him to abandon his family. In his excuse, a bounty hunter doesn't make for a good father. This led to Ailyn resenting her absent father.
9 Fett Served As A Stormtrooper But Deserted
Among Fett's many odd exploits and ties to the Galactic Empire was the fact that he, apparently, served as a Stormtrooper or an official army-man. The Galactic Empire's records make such claims. This meant that Boba fought alongside his clone brothers.
Fett's tenure as a Stormtrooper apparently didn't last long because the Imperial records claimed that he deserted after killing his commanding officer. All this took place after the infamous Order 66 where Boba signed up as a Stormtrooper during the Empire's early days. It wasn't clear why Boba did this, but a plausible explanation is that he wanted an opportunity to kill more Jedi as revenge for Mace Windu killing his father.
8 His Long Feud With Han Solo
In the films and canon lore, Han Solo's encounter with Boba Fett didn't have any historical context. Darth Vader simply happened to commission Boba to capture Han Solo. In Legends, the two Outer Rim scoundrels actually had a deeper interaction in the past.
Boba saw a young Solo and even considered the young man as "promising." When the Outer Rim gangs put a bounty on Solo's head, Boba was among the few bounty hunters who kept chasing him. Boba even swore that he was going to kill Solo despite Jabba the Hutt paying the bounty hunter to stay away from him for a while.
7 The Galactic Empire Tried To Clone Him Secretly
In both Legends and canon, Boba Fett's transient allegiance to the Galactic Empire and to Darth Vader was no secret. It was, however, purely in a business capacity. Vader needed someone to do the dirty work and the network that he couldn't. Boba Fett was the perfect point man.
Vader had other plans in mind and wanted to take full advantage of Boba's efficiency. Vader hired one of Boba's closest friends and partners to steal some of his DNA. Vader also wanted Boba's brain patterns and memories so they can imprint them in his clones. Of course, Boba found out about this and killed the scientist in charge of the cloning, though he refrained from lashing out at Vader because he was under a contract.
6 The Duel With Darth Vader
That isn't to say Boba Fett hadn't fought Vader prior. The two of them actually had a duel on the planet Maryx Minor. Vader was after a valuable box that Boba decided to keep for himself after learning of the contents. Vader couldn't just let Boba have the treasure so the two of them squared off.
The victor? Boba Fett, surprisingly. He had a clear opportunity to kill Darth Vader but decided against it in a split second since he weighed the benefits of such an action, believing that the Empire would retaliate and hunt him down. Instead of striking down Vader, he simply fled. This decision did pay off for him as Vader later hired Boba out of respect for his skills.
5 Hunting Down Darth Vader's Apprentice
It wasn't just the Skywalker father and son that Boba had a tussle with, but also one of Vader's apprentices in Legends. That would be Garen Malek, otherwise known as Starkiller. Vader groomed Starkiller to be his successor but the latter eventually turned to the Rebel Alliance and opposed the Galactic Empire.
That's why Vader tasked Boba with hunting down Starkiller. Their duel on Maryx Minor was proof enough for Vader that Boba was capable of cornering Starkiller. Boba even managed to kidnap and overpower one of the Rebel Alliance's most valuable officials just to lure Starkiller.
4 He Became The Mandalore
Some of the Legends comic book and story authors eventually realized that Boba had to have some kind of redemption in order to stay relevant in Star Wars. That came in the form of him escaping the Sarlacc's tummy. It was in a similar fashion to canon lore, though Boba's escape was more effortless in Legends.
Getting half-eaten by the Sarlacc wore him down and he decided to retire from the hunting business gradually. He found himself in the company of Mandalorians where he participated in their war against the Yuuzhan Vong. Boba eventually became their Mandalore or leader, leading the Mandalorians to victory and safety against the Yuuzhan Vong.
3 Fett Also Worked With Han Solo
Fett's redemption wouldn't have been complete without making peace with his Outer Rim arch-nemesis, Han Solo. The two of them actually decided to just drop the rivalry before Boba even became the Mandalore. They would then go about their separate ways.
However, as the Mandalore, Fett crossed paths with Solo once more. Solo was trapped in a space station that was about to be overrun by the Yuuzhan Vong. Fett came to the rescue along with his Mandalorian retinue and saved not only Solo but the whole space station.
2 He Trained Han Solo's Daughter
In the Legends lore, Han Solo had two children with Leia. One was Jacen Solo who became Darth Caedus and the other was Jaina Solo. Jaina wanted to hunt her brother and bring him back to the light but needed training first at the hands of a capable Jedi hunter.
That Jedi hunter was none other than Boba Fett. She sought the old Mandalorian just as Rey searched for Luke in Canon and implored Fett to train her how to fight Force-wielders. That isn't to say Fett was warm with her — he was actually quite harsh. Fett's granddaughter, on the other hand, regarded Jaina as a comrade.
1 He Helped The Jedi Against The Sith
In simply training Jaina Solo to fight Force-users, Fett aided the Jedi and even the Galactic Alliance in combating what remained of the Sith in Legends — Darth Caedus. Mirta, being close to Jaina and Luke, also joined the two's crusade against Darth Caedus.
This consequently pulled in a reluctant Fett since he wanted to ensure that his granddaughter was safe. Thus, Boba Fett ultimately became instrumental in the Legends' grand post-sequel epilogue war against the Sith both due to his granddaughter and his status as a Mandalorian.