Summary

• Jango Fett has a rich history in Star Wars, pivotal as a part of Palpatine's plan, a bounty hunter, and a father to Boba Fett.
• His Legends storyline includes tragic losses, leadership as Mand'alor, a feud with the Jedi, and a role in creating the Clone Army.
• Jango's legacy lives on through the clones, Boba Fett, and Mandalorian history, with some elements restored in canon in The Mandalorian.

Jango Fett has a rich history in the Star Wars Legends and modern canon continuities, despite only appearing in a single live-action movie. Jango Fett debuted in 2002’s Star Wars: Episode II – Attack of the Clones, serving as one of the film’s antagonists and playing a key role in Palpatine’s master plan for destroying the Jedi and Galactic Republic. In the context of Attack of the Clones, Jango is one of Pé Amidala’s would-be assassins, Count Dooku’s right-hand man, the template for the Republic Clone Army, and the “father” of the iconic Star Wars original trilogy villain Boba Fett.

Naturally, the Star Wars franchise’s various non-movie materials have greatly expanded Jango's story and characterization, with comic books and a video game providing him with a dark and epic origin story in the Legends continuity. Although much of this story was lost – along with Jango Fett’s Mandalorian background – when the franchise underwent a partial reboot in 2014, elements of Jango’s backstory have partially made their way into the modern canon, making the newer iteration of Jango Fett closer to his original incarnation. In both timelines, Jango Fett is an important and fascinating part of the Star Wars mythos.

Jango Fett's Simple Upbringing & Mandalorian Heritage In Star Wars Legends

In the Star Wars Legends continuity, Jango Fett comes from a long line of Mandalorian warriors. The Fett Clan is ancient, with Jango Fett’s oldest known ancestor being Cassus Fett, a Mandalorian Neo-Crusader who held the rank of Field Marshal and made his first full appearance in the Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic comics. The surname “Fett” means “farmer” in Mando’a and, fittingly, Jango and his immediate family were farmers, though his father was also the Journeyman Protector of Concord Dawn. Sadly, this position would paint a target on his back.

Star Wars Legends' Tragic Loss Of Jango Fett's Family (& Adoption By Jaster Mereel)

During the Mandalorian Civil War, the Death Watch terrorist group seized the Fett family farm, murdered Jango Fett’s parents, and kidnapped his older sister, orphaning Jango at age 10 and leading him to flee, only to run into the Mand'alor Jaster Mereel and his true Mandalorians. Seeking to avenge his family, Jango Fett assisted Mereel’s troops, planting a mine on a Death Watch vehicle and blasting the Death Watch terrorist who killed his parents. After the battle, Jango willingly ed the true Mandalorians as a child soldier and was adopted by Jaster Mereel.

Jaster Mereel authored the Supercommando Codex – a code of ethics to reform Mandalorian culture. The Death Watch formed in opposition to Mereel’s Codex, wishing to remain brutish conquerors.

How Jango Fett Became The Mandalore In Legends

Jango Fett would also succeed Jaster Mereel as the Mand'alor in the Legends timeline, but this too was caused by tragedy. During the Battle of Korda 6, Jango, Jaster, and the vicious Montross led units of Mandalorians into battle against Kordan warriors and their Death Watch allies. When Jaster and Montross were overrun by Death Watch forces, Montross fled, leaving Jaster Mereel to die and Jango Fett to lead the true Mandalorians to victory. After the battle, Jango became the new Mand'alor and Montross was banished, leading him to become a brutal bounty hunter.

The Legends-Era Origin Of Jango Fett's Feud With The Jedi

Jango Fett would suffer more tragedies still, even as the Mand'alor. During the Battle of Galidraan, a strike team of Jedi – led by Count Dooku and his Padawan Komari Vosa – were tricked by the Death Watch into believing that the true Mandalorians were targeting civilians, resulting in a brutal battle between Jango’s Mandalorians and the Jedi. Jango was the sole Mandalorian survivor of Galidraan and was sold into slavery by the Galidraan governor. After eventually fighting his way to freedom and recovering his armor and weapons, Jango hunted down the Death Watch’s founder and leader – Tor Vizsla.

Jango Fett’s early life and leadership in the Mandalorian Civil War are shown throughout the four-issue comic series Jango Fett: Open Seasons by Haden Blackman and Ramón F. Bachs.

Jango's New Life As A Bounty Hunter & Recruitment By Count Dooku In Star Wars Legends

Jango Fett remained the Mand'alor after killing Vizsla, but became a bounty hunter who traveled the galaxy in Jaster Mereel’s old troop transport, which Jango named Jaster’s Legacy. Fett quickly earned his reputation as the galaxy’s best bounty hunter, leading Count Dooku – now the Sith Lord Darth Tyranus – to seek his services shortly after the events of the Invasion of Naboo. Dooku hired Jango, along with other bounty hunters, to capture or kill his former apprentice Komari Vosa, who had fallen to the dark side and become the leader of the dreaded crime syndicate the Bando Gora.

Dooku’s bounty was also secretly a method of finding the ideal host for Palpatine’s Clone Army. Jango, unsurprisingly, would be the victor of Dooku’s contest, gaining a new ally in Zam Wesell, the Slave I as his new vessel, and vengeance for Jaster Mereel by killing Montross. After executing the defeated Vosa, Dooku offered Jango Fett an even greater payment in exchange for donating his DNA and combat expertise to the Clone Army, an offer that Jango accepted.

Jango Fett’s hunt for Komari Vosa drives the plot of the 2002 video game Star Wars: Bounty Hunter.f

How Jango Fett Trained The Republic's Clone Troopers In Legends

Before her murder at the hands of Montross, Rozatta – Jango Fett’s close friend – encouraged Jango to start a family and ensure a legacy for himself. Honoring her wish, Jango Fett commissioned an unaltered clone to raise as a son – Boba Fett. The two of them became very close, especially given Jango's background as an orphan himself.

Moreover, Jango Fett took a more active role as the Mand'alor, overseeing the clones' training and making sure all clone troopers were culturally Mandalorians with the help of the Cuy'val Dar – a team of Mandalorian warriors. Fett personally trained all Alpha-class ARC Troopers, while the Cuy'val Dar trained teams of clone commandos. The Clone Army was not only part of Jango’s legacy, they were also his way of enacting revenge on the Jedi for Galidraan, as Jango knew the clones would be used to eventually kill their Jedi leaders (albeit unwillingly).

Jango's Legacy In Star Wars Legends

Thanks to dormant brainwashing, the clone troopers involuntarily fulfilled their role as Jedi-killers. Following Jango’s death, Boba Fett would grow up to be a Mandalorian bounty hunter like his father. Boba, notably, was also a Journeyman Protector of Concord Dawn who would use the name Jaster Mereel as an alias, perhaps unknowingly honoring both of Jango’s father figures. Boba would also eventually succeed Fenn Shysa as the Mand'alor. Clan Fett would continue through Boba Fett’s daughter, Ailyn Vel, and his granddaughter, Mirta Gev, with both becoming bounty hunters and the latter being a Mandalorian.

Jango’s successor as the Mand'alor (and Fenn Shysa’s predecessor) was the rogue ARC Trooper known as Spar.

How Star Wars Canon Changed Jango Fett's History

Star Wars: The Clone Wars – one of the first properties exclusive to the modern Star Wars canon – rewrote Jango Fett’s history for a time, reimagining him as a common bounty hunter who simply wore Mandalorian armor rather than a true Mandalorian. While Mandalorian lore was created from the Fetts in the Legends era, the modern canon made the two most iconic characters to wear Mandalorian armor pretenders for years. This would eventually be retconned in Jango’s case, however.

The Mandalorian Restored Much Of Jango's Star Wars Legends Past

With Boba Fett’s return in The Mandalorian season 2 also came retcons that restored some broad strokes of Jango Fett’s original backstory. As revealed by Boba Fett, Jango was a Mandalorian foundling and a veteran of the Mandalorian Civil Wars, but it is unknown if Jango was ever the Mand'alor in the modern canon and how many elements of his Open Seasons and Bounty Hunter stories carry over into the newer timeline. Moreover, Boba Fett is not a Mandalorian in the modern Star Wars canon, though he uses Jango Fett’s armor for practical and sentimental purposes.